Wáy, x̌ast sx̌əlx̌ʕalt. Iskʷist Snaʕchups.
Hello, good day. My name is Shyanne. My family is part of the Colville Confederated Tribes, and we are Okanagan Sylix. I am currently a Senior at the University of Washington, pursuing a degree in Political Science, and minoring in American Indian Studies. After I graduate from UW, my plan is to enroll in law school. I’m extremely interested in civil law, particularly in how government policies impact minority groups or politically-weakened population groups.
During my time at UW, I have been part of a research group under the guidance of Manuhuia Barcham which studied how and why Indigenous people experience higher rates of homelessness, as well as what help is needed for Indigenous people in the Greater Seattle Area facing homelessness. During this time, I worked with a group called Mother Nation to understand how their organization worked with Indigenous women and their families using cultural healing practices to better their lives. In the future, I’d love to become more involved in policy making in order to help groups that are historically ignored, forgotten, or actively weakened by previous decades of oppression.
Outside of politics, I’m also extremely interested in history and pursue learning more history as a hobby. I find learning the past extremely valuable when it comes to making future decisions, and love learning more from previous leaders.