Category: Author Biographies

Theron Wahkinney is a senior at the University of Washington. He is completing his BA in American Indian Studies (AIS) with a minor in Anthropology (ANTH). Theron is a citizen of the Comanche Nation. He was born in Lawton, Oklahoma and currently resides in Seattle, Washington. Theron is a mixed-media artist, scholar, and indigenous rights activist. At the UW, Theron serves as the Director of Yehawli and as an officer in First Nations. He also works as a Student Ambassador for Multicultural Outreach & Recruitment. Theron aspires to be a prolific artist, serve his tribe, and advocate for indigenous rights and education.

Theron spent his early years living with his Native community in Oklahoma. After his mother married into the military, Theron spent many years moving around the United States. He eventually ended up in Washington State, where he completed high school, his Associate’s degree, and is completing his Bachelor’s degree. With his degree, Theron will return to his tribal homelands and represent the Comanche Nation in tribal governance. In the future, Theron will attend graduate school for Public Administration.

For more art by Theron Wahkinney – click here!

My name is LaCoda Miller. I was born in San Jose California, but grew up in Omak, Washington. I am a descendent of Colville Confederated Tribes. I am currently attending the University of Washington and majoring in Drama Performance and minoring in Diversity and Dance. I am an actress currently with Seattle Talent and when I graduate I plan to move to Los Angeles to further pursue my acting career. My hope is to become a successful actress and prove to all the youth in Indian Country that they can do whatever they dream of doing.

I am a sophomore at UW, majoring in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management with hopes of going into sustainable agriculture and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into modern agriculture. I am originally from Muncie, Indiana and moved to Seattle for school. I graduated from the University of Delta High School in the top twenty of my class and was one of three other students that left the state after graduation. I love animals and have a pet fish named Gomez, who is now 1 1/2 years old. In my free time I love to bake and spend time outside.

My name is Iris Michelle Mendoza Luna and I was born in Olympia, Washington. I earned my high school diploma at River Ridge High School while also attending South Puget Sound Community College. This is my first year at the University of Washington, where I am hoping to find what I am truly passionate about. I am currently looking towards social sciences, as the subjects surrounding it interest me the most. As a first-generation college student coming from a background in which both parents did not have the chance to further their education, it is important for me to continue expanding my knowledge.

My name is Audun Holland-Goon. I was born in Seattle and raised in rural Buckley, Washington. I am a sophomore here at the University of Washington, double majoring in History and Political Science and minoring in Labor Studies. My particular fields of interest include the American Civil War, the American West, the Indigenous Pacific Northwest, religion, class and labor, and political theory.

Beyond academics I have a wide variety of interests. I love the outdoors and am a member of the Seattle Mountaineers. I have climbed Dakobed (Glacier Peak), Pahto (Mt Adams), and Kulshan (Mt Baker). I regularly go hiking and scrambling in Mount Rainier National Park. I enjoy swing dancing (Lindy hop, specifically), am active in Swing Kids at UW, and regularly go social dancing in the Seattle area. I also love theatre, both plays and musicals. I often attend performances at UW, the Paramount Theatre, the 5th Avenue Theatre, and smaller local and community theatres. I have also participated with the UW Undergraduate Theatre Society. Finally, I am passionate about languages. I am proficient in French, having studied in Le Mans, France during my junior year of high school. The preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages around the world also holds my attention, especially Lushootseed, Chinuk Wawa, and the Sámi languages. 

I appreciate the chance to work with Professor Reid in this class. He has really challenged me to be a better historian and I have learned a great deal about Indigenous history in his classes.

I was born and raised in Puyallup, Washington where I still currently live. I am a senior at the University of Washington in Seattle and will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in History with a minor in Scandinavian Studies. After graduating I would like to take a short break from school and begin training as a flight attendant, but plan to come back to UW and get my Masters in Library and Information Science. Since I was young I have loved the organization and environment of being in libraries and would love to spread the enjoyment I find in them, with others.

Family, friends, travelling and my dog Nickel are the most important things in my life. I have a crazy group of 20 friends, many of whom I have known since elementary school. With this group I travel, have game nights, and most importantly go to Sonic Drive-In every 19th of the month.

My name is Jarod Becker. I was born and raised in Southern California, specifically in a small city called Palmdale. When I graduated from Quartz Hill High School, I was ranked in the top 30 of the 3,400 and more students attending there at the time. For the past two years, I have been enrolled at UW, where I intend on studying Psychology, with an emphasis on Biopsychology. The study of how and why people think and do what they do has been a fascination of mine ever since I first heard of the subject. I plan on becoming a Therapist, and having a side job as a Yoga Instructor. In my free time, I enjoy reading, drawing, and watching whatever new shows or movies that come out on Netflix. Growing up in Southern California, the education I received never consisted much of American Indian Studies of any sort, so doing research on such an important activist like Ramona Bennett was a blessing for me. I am glad to have gained so much new information on a strong political figure such as Ramona, and to have expanded my limited general knowledge of American Indian cultures as a whole.

My name is Ziang Liu. I am an international student in University of Washington from Beijing, China. I have been studying in UW for almost 2 years. I am 20 years old, but approaching my 21’s on April 4th, 2020. It is a pleasure to study in HSTCMP 212 with lovely classmates and Dr.Reid. Starting interests in history from age 10, I have been studying history documentaries and scripts in programs, courses, and projects of great leaders of the world. I’m currently a sophomore who wanted to explore more information about European histories such as these countries’ colonization, especially British. Even though my major is math, I have been interested in the connection between transcontinental history. I have taken many European history classes, ranging from the Roman Empire to the late 19th century. I found that humans in every country of the world, no matter how they behave and prosper, their desire for better jobs and titles are never diminished. It is eager to work with Kendall and Shyanne since they told me many stories of Jennette Armstrong. From the start, I had no idea who she was, but they told me her current position and fame. I begin to have more confidence to work through the project. During weekends and holidays, I would like to spend my time cycling around UW or have a tour in green parks in downtown Seattle. I had visited many historical sites, such as Space Needle, Pop culture Museum, and aged apartments. My favorite sport is swimming because it lets me distress myself from overburdened schoolwork. If I did not have work to do, I am willing to stay in the pool for a whole day!

My name is Charlotte Canizo. I’m a french exchange student from Sciences Po Paris and La Sorbonne. I grew up in Paris and moved to Seattle this year. I’m double majoring in History and Social Sciences and I’ll be graduating this year. I would like to become a history Professor specialized on Holocaust and Genocide Studies. I’m currently working at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies as a research assistant. Next year, I’ll be pursuing a master’s degree in contemporary history at Sciences Po Paris.

Besides academics, I like being involved in different projects. In particular, I’m really interested in education and alternative pedagogies. I’m currently a member of UNICEF France and I taught English, French and History in a french primary school for 2 years. I think education is one of the most important thing in the world so that’s why I’de like to contribute to the improvement of education policies. I also really like dancing (especially contemporary dance), playing the piano and learning more about different cultures. But most importantly, I like spending time with my friends and family.

Born and raised in the north Seattle area, I grew up swimming, playing soccer, and climbing trees. I still enjoy swimming, and am a swim coach for a club swim team, and have spent many summers as a lifeguard at an outdoor pool. In my second year at the University of Washington, I am studying Mechanical Engineering, and am a member of the UW Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. I work with the local projects team, and have been working to build solar-powered phone charging stations for Husky Stadium.

 My favorite way to spend my time is outdoors, especially if I am backpacking, as I was in the picture above, when some friends and I spent the night in the Mount Pilchuck fire lookout along with a mouse. Someday I hope to thru hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail in segments or in a summer. I am excited to pursue a new opportunity this summer in working with the United States Forest Service as a wild-land firefighter.