This May we are highlighting Native Bruin, Nina Stanton (Tule River Indian Reservation) class of 1997.
Nina Stanton is Yokuts from the Wukchumni and Chukchansi tribelets of the Tule River Indian Reservation. She is a 1997 UCLA graduate who earned a BA in history, and a minor in American Indian Studies. Nina began her studies at UCLA as a classical music performance student with the bassoon. Her passion for music continues with her involvement in the arts. Nina’s Music Studio has been providing private music lessons for twenty-two years to young children, youth, and adults. Her expertise primarily consists of flute and piano pedagogy.
Nina is currently residing in Ottawa, Canada, and is a community liaison with Indigenous Culture and Media Innovations. The organization promotes the protection of Indigenous intellectual property when creating projects that bring cultural ways of knowing to new media platforms. Nina’s love of her culture and commitment to education has developed a seven-year membership on the Indigenous Education Council for the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. The focus is on bringing equity and empowerment for Indigenous students in urban public education. Nina also shares her stories and cultural knowledge in public schools as Canada works towards reconciliation with its Indigenous peoples, stating that “It is a wonderful opportunity to decolonize our histories and Indigenize education.”
“I loved my time as an undergraduate at UCLA. I am thankful for the American Indian Studies Center community and their support of student success. I learned amazing academic skills, participated in projects such as Fowler Museum’s NAGPRA program, and had leadership opportunities in AISA and the NCAI. These experiences helped me recognize the importance of activism and the responsibility our generation has to create space for change. I am thankful for being able to facilitate conversations that bring awareness of the contributions our Native American communities make, that we are here, vibrant, creative, philosophical, and brilliant.”