Opening Welcome
Welcome to the Second Indigeverse Multimedia Festival
Join us in celebration of Indigenous creativity and culture at the second year of the annual Indigeverse
Multimedia Festival. Our event commences with an opening prayer and song, offered by Yakaiyastai Gorman-Etl, Navajo and Cheyenne setting the stage for the first day of immersion in Indigenous artistry and inspiration.
John Phillips, the AIHEC Interim President will follow, welcoming the participants and audience to Indigeverse 2023. Master of Ceremonies Patrick Freeland will continue leading us through the rest of the festival agenda.
Prepare to embark on a captivating journey through the diverse and dynamic world of Indigenous multimedia, where creativity knows no bounds. We look forward to welcoming you to this enriching and transformative event.
About the Speakers
Yakaiyastai Nanabah Gorman-Etl
Northwest Indian College alumna, current student of Antioch University, Yakaiyastai Nanabah Gorman-Etl is originally from Steamboat, Arizona of the Navajo and Cheyenne Tribes. The first daughter of eight children to Beverly and Emerson Gorman. Yakaiyastai is a young indigenous scholar, mother and wife who strives to learn more about how to preserve inherent rights for future generations through higher education. Along with learning her foundational traditional knowledge of Navajo teachings, she is self-taught in traditional herbal medicine, holistic healing and food sovereignty. She grew up with a father who was known as a traditional medicine man and a mother who worked for the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health as a researcher. Gorman-Etl was raised in a traditional hogan without running water or electricity. Navajo was spoken as their first language and she had a strong Navajo cultural upbringing. She learned the importance of traditional values, holistic health and knowledge as it connects to a sense of place as well as the person she would become to help her surrounding communities. She has worked in various capacities of Wellness Coordinator at Northwest Indian College and an Environmental Science Instructor. Having learned the importance of healing and medicine from both spectrums of traditional and western medicine, she utilizes her knowledge to bring equitable health initiatives on behalf of indigenous people through her work as a Behavioral Health Program Coordinator and interim Community Health Program Coordinator.
John Phillips
John Phillips is Interim President & CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). Dr. Phillips brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), he has been with AIHEC since 2000 and previously served as the Director of AIHEC Land-Grant programs and policy. Phillips is also the Executive Director of First Americans Land-Grant Consortium (FALCON), a non-profit association of TCU “1994” Land-Grant administrators, directors, faculty, and staff.
From 2000-2005, Phillips was the first 1994 Land-Grant Institutions (TCUs) liaison with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He was responsible for representing the interests of the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions throughout USDA and the public. Phillips also provided executive resources to the USDA/AIHEC Leadership Group, a national advisory board comprised of top USDA and AIHEC officials.
Phillips directed the Cooperative Extension Program at Si Tanka College on the Cheyenne River Reservation, South Dakota, from 1997 to 1999, for which he was awarded a USDA Secretary’s Honors Award and a USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) Administrator’s Recognition. During that time, he developed community outreach programs in nutrition, community gardening, and youth development. He has also conducted USDA-sponsored research on diet and nutrition. In 2017, Phillips was inducted into the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Hall of Fame.
Phillips earned his Ph.D. in Rural Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a M.S. degree in Environmental Systems from Humboldt State University, California, and a B.S. degree in Computer Science from California State University, Sacramento. He has worked as a systems engineer for IBM Corporation and has served as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Africa.
Patrick Austin Freeland
Patrick Austin Freeland, Wind Clan of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, is a communicator, mentor, and changemaker passionate about Indigenous innovation. His commitment is deeply rooted in fostering enduring relationships that serve as conduits for knowledge transfer, innovation, and healing. Through strategic collaborations, Patrick endeavors to hold spaces where Indigenous wisdom and academic inquiry intertwine, fostering relationships and advancing community. In the heart of Indian Country, Patrick's efforts are more than just a professional pursuit; they're a manifestation of his profound respect for cultural heritage and a testament to his visionary approach towards fostering a symbiotic relationship between tradition and modernity. Through his work with the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network, Patrick is a catalyst for meaningful dialogue, enduring partnerships, and transformative change.