FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | DINÉ

Emma Robbins (she/her) is an artist, activist, and community organizer. She founded The Chapter House in 2020 while serving as the Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project. There she collaborated with communities to expand access to clean, running water to the one in three Navajo families without it on her reservation. Emma went on to continue her water and policy work as CEO at Planet Women, supporting femme-led environmental and human rights initiatives. Emma completed her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied Latin American Art History in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Through her artwork, she strives to educate viewers about issues like broken treaties and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. She has exhibited both in the U.S. and internationally. Emma served on the Arizona Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and is a senior Aspen Institute Fellow. In 2026 she officially became the full-time Executive Director at The Chapter House.
www.emmarobbins.com

PARTNERSHIPS LEAD

Annie Lascoe Palmer (she/her) leads fundraising strategy at The Chapter House. A fundraising consultant with experience across issue areas—including menstrual care, legal rights, housing, water access, and environmental and disability justice—her work is grounded in a deep commitment to expanding equity and opportunity. She first collaborated with Emma through their work together on the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep. Annie has built and grown development programs at both emerging and established organizations, always centering collaboration, strategic growth, and meaningful donor relationships. She sees fundraising as a joyful partnership that connects people’s passions with impactful giving. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Italian from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree from Columbia University School of Social Work.

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR | DINÉ + QUECHUA

Nizhóní Begay (she/her) is Diné and Quechua from Tucson, AZ with roots in San Antonio and now based in Los Angeles. She is the Social Media Coordinator at The Chapter House. Nizhóní is also the Event and Grant Manager at the Lindy Waters III Foundation where she supports the Foundation’s work and leads the College Prep mentorship program for Native youth. She also does the communications for the Sage-Based Wisdom podcast with Indigenous comedians Jana Schmieding and Brian Bahe. Previously, she worked for four years at the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, where she graduated with a degree in Political Science and minors in Music and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. In 2020, she was awarded the Award of Excellence from the Stanford Alumni Association, recognizing the top 10% of her class for leadership, service, and extraordinary Stanford spirit. In her free time, Nizhóní loves to attend Star Wars conventions.

OUTREACH COORDINATOR | DINÉ

Dria (she/her) is Diné, born and raised on Tongva Land. She is currently completing her B.A. in Social Work at CSULA. She is also receiving her Certificate in Youth Agency Administration, which specializes in non-profit organizations dedicated to youth populations. Dria is passionate about serving Indigenous communities and creating fundamental change. In her free time, she enjoys being an auntie and attending community events.

INDIGEPROV INSTRUCTOR | SICANGU LAKOTA

Benny is a Sicangu Lakota improviser and actor based in LA. He is the first Native on a house improv team at UCB LA where he performs weekly with his Harold team, "yikes!” He has performed Off-Broadway and across the country at various regional theaters such as Center Theatre Group, Berkeley Repertory Theater, et al.

www.bennywaynesully.com

LUCKY BEAD TEACHER | JICARILLA APACHE

Gigi Modrich (Jicarilla Apache) just moved to Los Angeles to pursue her comedy dreams. She enjoys beading and wants to make sure everyone who wants to learn has that opportunity. She hopes you become more skilled than her so you can teach her new tricks.

IG: @gigimodrich

YOGA INSTRUCTOR | DINÉ

Analisa Rockbridge (Diné) has been guiding our community in yoga for five years. She received her education and 500 hour certification through YogaWorks in Santa Monica, CA. Her personal yoga practice started in 2009 and helps her stay agile today.

Analisa’s classes reflect everyday movement that allows the body to move in a productive and safe manner while growing inner strength that can be seen in the outward body. She welcomes all to join her to pause, breathe and connect with the earth as we root down to rise up.

Instagram: @motherofsageyoga

YouTube: @motherofsageyoga5587

RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER | CHICANO/LAKOTA

Anthony (he/him) is Chicano and Lakota, originally from Los Angeles. He is a photographer and videographer specializing in telling compelling stories. He is known for having a keen eye for genuine moments and keeping the creative process light and collaborative. He is anchored by a deep commitment to community, artistic expression, and urgent work of social justice.

BOARD PRESIDENT | DINÉ + JEWISH + BILAGÁANA

Isabella is a Diné scholar and PhD candidate in the History of Art and American Studies departments at Yale University. Her dissertation, “Relationality and Being: Indigeneity, Space, and Transit in Global Contemporary Art,” considers how artists engage with their own communities and others within and across the settler states of the United States, Canada, and Australia. She has held curatorial positions at the Yale University Art Gallery, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, and Cantor Arts Center. In addition to The Chapter House, she serves as treasurer on the board of the Diné Studies Association. She loves being a cat mom to her rez cat Kiwi, and an auntie.

BOARD VICE PRESIDENT | LAKOTA

Jana Schmieding is a Lakota comedian, writer and performer who starred as the lead next to Ed Helms and Michael Greyeyes on Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, created by Mike Schur, Sierra Teller Ornelas and Ed Helms. She also served as a writer on the series, which debuted its second season on Peacock in 2022. Her performances can also be found on Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu), Spirit Rangers (Netflix) and in 2023, on Echo (Marvel) and Clone High (HBO Max). She has been featured in various publications including New York Magazine's Vulture, NPR, Paste, Bustle, Bon Appétit and Vanity Fair, where she describes her trajectory from struggling artist to her co-leading role in the first Native American sitcom. Jana is a vocal advocate of Indigenous visibility and social justice and she discusses these issues regularly in her comedy and writing.

BOARD TREASURER/SECRETARY | MICHIF (MÉTIS) / NÉHIYAW (PLAINS CREE)

S.A. is an Métis / First Nations Advocate, Organizer, Speaker, & Artist. Their main focus of work has been on the lasting impact the Residential School System, Indian Boarding Schools & The 60’s Scoop left on First Nations and Métis people. They are a strong advocate for community gathering and cultural connection as a form of healing trauma. They enjoy textile arts, including Métis finger weaving, fabric arts and garment creation along with language preservation.

Katie Janss is currently the Development Coordinator at the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). Formerly, she was the Development Manager at Clockshop, where she ran the individual giving program; and was Program Operations Manager for the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep, where she started and managed the Water Is Life Fund, a microgrant program aimed towards funding community-led grassroots water access projects on the Navajo Nation. She was also the Director of Operations at The Chapter House from 2020-2025. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Oli is an interdisciplinary artist working in video, photography, performance, installation and writing. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Art Department (Photography) at California State University, Los Angeles. His intersectional research and interdisciplinary projects conceptually focus on queerness, notions of passing, visualizing the performativity of gender, explorations in appropriation, performative interactions with the public as collaborator, visualizing other representations of the AIDS pandemic while referencing historical movements in gender, racial and feminist histories.

DINÉ

Chantel was born and raised in Tuba City on the Navajo Nation. She is currently the Social Media and Marketing Specialist for Tuba City Chapter. Chantel is an advocate for her community: in her job, she manages all the marketing platforms for the Western Navajo Fair, has helped host events such as Navajo Nation Presidential Forums, Spring Festival, community dinners, and community bazaars. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Chantel produced daily news updates to her community about case rates. She is currently working on a Public Health degree from Diné College.

Thanh Mai (they/them) of @MoonBabyMedicine is a plant tender based in Tovangaar. Thanh grows, dries, and prepares blends of medicinal teas as a way of [re]connecting with the plant traditions + exchanges in their lineage. They work specifically with plants of the southeast Asian + Pasifika diaspora, and Chumash + coastal Natives of Southern California. Thanh encourages folks to learn about the native plants + traditions in their area and support Indigenous-led land work.

COWLITZ

Joey Clift is a comedian, Emmy nominated producer and TV writer, and enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal Member. Writing credits include Spirit Rangers on Netflix, New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network, Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon and Molly of Denali on PBS. He created, wrote and directed the Shorty Impact Award winning Comedy Central digital series "Gone Native" and his short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to The Smithsonian Museum. Most importantly, he started the LA Underground Cat Network, which is a 16,000-member strong online community for Los Angeles comedians to share pictures of their cats. He's kind of a cat guy.