Mahalia Newmark says the strong women in her life inspired a paper that won the Vine Deloria Jr. Student Paper Competition at the Western Social Sciences Association Conference in April. 

Newmark, who is pursuing a master’s in public administration, is a citizen of the Tulita Dene First Nations in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Her paper, "Reclaiming Dene Womanhood in Our Stories," explores the ways in which Dene womanhood can be reclaimed, as an act of decolonization, by remembering our stories. Mahalia Newmark (right) is congratulated by Karen Jarratt-Snider at the Western Social Sciences Association Conference. Newmark won the Vine Deloria Jr. Student Paper Competition Award for her work, "Reclaiming Dene Womanhood in Our Stories." Download Full Image

The research started a year ago, when she began looking at leadership roles that Dene women take on. Newmark found there was a lack of Dene women in politics and governance. In an effort to understand why Dene women were missing in these arenas, she began to see how the lives of Dene women, and the traditional concept of Dene womanhood, had been negatively impacted by Canadian colonization. As a result, the stories of Dene women have been diminished and silenced.

Traditional Dene women were leaders in their communities; by reclaiming the stories of Dene women, Newmark seeks to reclaim Dene women’s capacity for leadership. So, she turned to family, and the story of her great-grandmother kept coming up.

“My small granny, Harriet Gladue, was very loving and kind. She was also a midwife for 50 years, taking the dog team into the bush to help women give birth,” she said. “Even when the town built a health-care center, people would still come to her to have their children delivered.”

She says that women were also empowered in their relationships. Her great-grandfather, Chief Albert Wright, considered the first chief of the community, had gone to residential/boarding school and knew English. He helped the community understand proposed treaties. Ultimately after his death, Newmark’s small granny would sign the treaty on his behalf.

“By remembering the stories of Dene women and Dene people through our own distinct Indigenous point of view, we remember the inherent strength and ability we have to be a leader,” Newmark said. “These stories are critical for women like myself and our youth.”

“I feel really inspired to share these stories because it shows the strength of Dene people and the heritage that I come from. We Native people have a lot to offer in terms of our own history, and knowledge systems.”

Newmark, who will be graduating soon, plans to pursue a career in Indigenous education. Her goal is to write more on the subject and possibly pursue a doctoral degree.

“Our successes are never alone. I never thought I would get a master’s degree; it was always kind of a dream. Now I realize that I need to dream bigger,” she said.

In the meantime, she has been accepted in the competitive Hatfield Resident Fellowship program at Portland State University, working with the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. She says the agency’s focus on outreach to American Indian communities in Oregon is appealing. 

Editor's note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2016 commencement. See the rest here.

“Chokma, chinchoma, saholhchifoat Truman Peyote, Chikashsha saya, aamintili Tishomingo, Oklahoma (Hello, how are you, my name is Truman Peyote, I am a member of the Chikashsha Nation from Tishomingo, Oklahoma).” True Peyote, who holds a B.A. from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, graduates from ASU this spring with a Master of Arts in English literature. He recently defended his applied project titled “Queer Skinned: How I Came to Be Defined by a Gene,” which explored, using literature, what it means to be an Indigenous person in white society. Download Full Image

Peyote, who holds a bachelor's from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, graduates from ASU this spring with a Master of Arts in English literature. He recently defended his applied project titled “Queer Skinned: How I Came to Be Defined by a Gene,” which explored, using literature, what it means to be an Indigenous person in white society.

Peyote has goals of teaching American Indian literature at the college level, a departure from where he saw himself as an undergraduate.

“I attended school to discover myself, and not to procure some employment, as if university was some glorified trade school. Inevitably, everyone would say, ‘Well, so you must want to teach?’ And while I may not have known exactly what I wanted to do, I knew that I did NOT want to teach.”

But then life happened. Our interview picks up 20 years after he earned his bachelor’s degree and just prior to Peyote's change of heart.

Question: What was your “aha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study in your field?

Answer: I had spent one half of my life working a myriad of jobs, all of which seemed interesting for a couple of months. However, at the age of 40, I became a police officer and discovered that I had a true passion for helping people. After I settled into the job, I specialized in the detection and prevention of impaired driving by alcohol and drugs. My passion for the subject led me to speaking with others about the subject, and I eventually began to teach DUI/DWI classes at my department and at the local police academy. Others noticed how passionate I was about teaching, and they continually related this to me, but I routinely dismissed them.

In April of 2012, I was involved in an altercation with a suspect, and I became injured. Despite surgery and rehabilitation, that injury forced me to retire in May of 2013. And just like that, I had lost the career from which I had expected to retire at the age of 62. Instead, I was out of work at the age of 47, with no idea of where to turn. My partner Sophia, one of the greatest women I have ever met, continually pushed me to consider returning to school with the goal of becoming a college professor. I knew that I would have to jump through some serious hoops to return to school after 26 years, and I quickly discovered that I was correct; however, I was lucky enough to meet with Dr. Lee Bebout (an associate professor in the Department of English). He was encouraging, and together, we mapped out a plan for me to achieve this goal, which I refer to as my “new life.” While I believe that ASU could do a lot more to accommodate the non-traditional student, I am a firm believer in individual passion, determination and endurance.

If I had an “aha” moment, it would be embedded in the simple guidance of a mentor like Dr. Bebout. It could be found in times of quiet reassurance and positivity from a fellow student. It may be the simplest of times, appearing almost unremarkable, when a loved one exhibits their unwavering faith in your ability.

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A: During my time at ASU, I have focused my research on American Indian literature, especially as it pertains to the ideas of race, ethnicity and the establishment of a personal, American Indian space within the public sphere of white America. While this inquiry is superficially established within a political realm, it is also firmly embedded in our relationship with the land. As N. Scott Momaday writes, “I am interested in the way that a man looks at a given landscape and takes possession of it in his blood and brain.” In my research and writing, I attempt to discover the manner in which storytelling serves as a process where a person searches for her/his relationship to the land.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: Education is a lifelong pursuit, it requires total commitment, and it does not end with a degree, or a certification. It demands a high level of dedication that requires a belief in one’s self and a passion for the fashioning of a positive impact on the world. I have also come to deeply appreciate the idea of “Survivance,” a term that Gerald Vizenor originally coined as a representation of modern American Indian life, a life that is filled with survival, endurance and a rejection of dominance.

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: My goal for the future is to tell beautiful stories, elucidate myths that are filled with survivance, and relate ceremonies where a person may come to discover her/his own relationship with the land and with another; for I believe that it is only within art and literature that a person is able to truly find her/his humanity.

The Department of English is an academic unit of ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Kenja Hassan is a champion of diversity at Arizona State University. She is passionate about creating connections between the university and diverse communities throughout the state of Arizona.

Hassan, director of community relations on the Downtown Phoenix campus, started the State of Black Arizona (SBAZ) — a continuous report on the status, issues, concerns and achievements of African-Americans in Arizona — in 2008. The report creates an ongoing connection between the state’s African-American community and Arizona State University. The State of Black Arizona has honored ASU director of community relations Kenja Hassan with the Community Luminary Award. Download Full Image

Now SBAZ has honored Hassan with the Community Luminary Award Thursday night.

“It is the biggest honor and it is huge. There couldn’t be anymore of a meaningful way for me to be acknowledged,” said Hassan.

Hassan says that SBAZ has been her most tangible work here at ASU. She hoped that through this project people would be able to engage in meaningful dialogue, feel connected to their roots and to ASU. Most importantly, SBAZ recognizes the work of community members through the luminary awards.

“Kenja has been engaged with the State of Black Arizona since its inception and there’s no one better at visualizing a concept and making it happen,” said Angela Creedon, associate vice president of ASU’s Community and Municipal Relations and one of Hassan’s nominators for the award. “She is a strong and thoughtful leader who is passionate about her support of our community and rarely seeks praise for her work.  This recognition is well deserved.”

The program continues to thrive. Hassan launched SBAZ as part of a project for ASU, but now more communities continue to create their own reports. Faculty members, staff and students have started other reports on the Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Latino, Indian Country and LGBTQ communities.

“The fact that so many communities wanted to come together and have something like this was amazing,” said Hassan.

Hassan continues to build communities for ASU and within the community. She has orchestrated forums for ASU in Washington, D.C. and other cities, which engage experts from across the country on issues of pressing importance. She has also established an African and African-American Faculty and Staff Association at the university and currently serves on the board of Asian Pacific Community in Action and the Arizona Community Foundation’s Black Philanthropy Initiative Task Force. 

The ASU Native American Alumni Chapter will feature professional marathon and long-distance runner Alvina Begay during its annual alumni breakfast April 23 at the ASU Karsten Golf Course. Begay is currently an N7 ambassador for Nike.

The N7 Fund is a grant program developed by Nike to create early positive experiences in sports and physical activity for Native American and Aboriginal youth in North America. The N7 ambassadorship features world-class Native American athletes from across the United States. ASU alum Alvina Begay is an N7 ambassador for Nike. The N7 ambassadorship features world-class Native American athletes from across the United States.

“N7 gave me a way to give back through my running. I try to motivate youth and help them find what they’re passionate about,” said Begay, who was selected as an N7 ambassador in 2009.

Begay, who was raised in Ganado, Arizona, on the Navajo reservation, had successful collegiate careers at Adams State College and Arizona State University. Begay ran for ASU’s track and field team and set records while running at ASU. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition.

“I feel pretty honored and excited to come back to ASU. Through college and after college, I set high goals for myself and worked hard. Running has done a lot for me — it’s gotten me through college, I’ve traveled the world and met some great people,” Begay said.

Since her ASU graduation, she has finished in the top 10 in eight U.S. road championships, qualified for the 2008 and 2012 Olympic trials in the marathon, represented the U.S. internationally and finished 10th in the New York City Marathon. She also qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials in the 10,000 meters.

Begay is now part of Team Run Flagstaff Pro, the organization’s new elite team supporting local developing, national-class, and world-class distance runners, who train in Flagstaff. She recently completed her ­­­­­­­­master’s degree in health administration from Northern Arizona University. 

“Alvina has had a successful running career and serves as a role model to Native American communities in encouraging young students to keep active in order to remain healthy,” said Justin Hongeva, president-elect of the ASU Native American Alumni chapter. “The sport of running is intertwined with many Native American cultures and continues to be the focal point in encouragement for healthier active lifestyles in our native communities." 

The ASU Native American Alumni Chapter works to bring alumni on campus every year during the Native American Culture Week usually held in April. The alumni chapter has been actively involved in many ASU and Native American community events such as the annual ASU Pow-Wow, Josiah N. Moore Scholarship Benefit dinner, and other volunteer events.

The ASU Native American Alumni chapter was established in 1988 to provide opportunities for Native American graduates of Arizona State University to maintain a rewarding and continuing relationship with the ASU Alumni Association and the university. 

For additional information, please contact Justin Hongeva at jhongeva4@gmail.com or visit the ASU Native American Alumni website: https://alumni.asu.edu/chapters/native-american-alumni.

Brave, outspoken women throughout history have advocated for women's rights and equality. There are women in history with recognizable names, but what about the other women? The first woman doctor, birth control advocate, and those who fought for women's voting rights. These women blazed a trail where one did not exist and because of this, women hold many rights they were once denied.

Dr. Pamela Stewart, a historian and senior lecturer in the College of Letters and Sciences at ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus, received a doctorate in Modern European and Comparative Women’s History. She is a recipient of research, teaching and service awards, including ASU's Centennial Professorship.

Women's history? Oh, yes. Stewart is passionate about that. Her earlier research focused on women in war and revolution in 1870-71 Paris, while her current work focuses on female athletes in U.S. history, such as Ina E. Gittings, a multifaceted pioneer and the first university director of Women's Physical Education and Athletics in Arizona (1920-1952).

As Women's History Month comes to a close, Stewart explains why we should all still care about women's history and women's rights. Find out why everyone should dare to be "radical."

Question: What was it like for women during Colonial times? Download Full Image

Answer: This era exposes the wide-ranging possibilities for better understanding History — capital-H, as I term it — once women become visible in this centuries-long era: Was she enslaved? Indentured servant? Native American? Of European descent whose father/husband/brother had some wealth or land? A free Afro-Mexican now among Californios?

Our collective imagination tends to conjure up Colonial women as (white) women with many petticoats embroidering as their founding-father husbands labored over independence documents. While a few fit that description, the fuller story requires more imagination.

For example, slavery increased dramatically over these centuries, and women’s bodies existed at the center of that reality. Anglo tradition required feme coverture, meaning that at marriage, a husband’s legal standing subsumed the wife’s legal standing, offering no individual rights. The constitution removed neither slavery nor coverture from law.

In Spanish colonies, women’s status offered more options to those in what are today Florida, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Native American women were a diverse group with hundreds of languages and cultures, most of which understood the sexes as needing balance between them, rather than the hierarchical approach enforced by Europeans.

I highly recommend Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s "Good Wives" for Colonial New England, Theda Perdue’s "Cherokee Women," and "The History of Mary Prince, a Slave" as excellent introductions to aspects of the contact and conflict suggested by this overview.

Q: Who are the women in history who were instrumental in changing how women are perceived and ensuring the many rights women hold today?

A: Accessing rights is always a collective effort even as some certainly stand out, and the diversity within all movements for change is often a fundamentally important consideration.

Focusing on U.S. from the 19th century onward: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell (first woman doctor in the US), Ida B. Wells (anti-lynching crusader), Margaret Sanger (birth-control advocate), Eleanor Roosevelt (first lady and justice advocate), Dolores Huerta (co-founder, United Farm Workers; civil-rights activist), Wilma Mankiller (first woman chief, Cherokee Nation; indigenous-rights advocate), and Shirley Chisholm (first African-American woman in Congress and first woman to make a serious run for the presidency).

I could easily add others including Angela Davis (still going strong) and Patsy Mink (first woman of color elected to Congress, Title IX advocate). All adamantly campaigned for women, as women, to be understood as central, not tangential, in the United States of America and beyond. All developed their advocacy over time and through diverse experience, all actively worked to ensure rights that women hold today — and all took unimaginable flak for doing so.

Q: Women of color went through their own struggle in obtaining equal rights. Can you share some background on this topic?

A: Not all tread the same path towards equality. Women’s-rights advocacy includes a history of arguing for white — often middle-class — women’s rights.

In the wake of Supreme Court rulings in the 19th century determining that the 14th amendment did not understand women as “persons” under the law when it came to voting or much else, Susan B. Anthony (and others) decided that the suffrage movement would prioritize white women, therefore potentially getting Southern white women on board in a Jim Crow world.

African-American women such as Ida B. Wells adamantly resisted this approach. When the 19th amendment passed, it had virtually no effect on African-American women’s right to vote in the South, just as the 15th amendment guaranteeing black men the right to vote no longer held sway there. Women such as Fannie Lou Hamer and Septima Clark occupied the core of the civil-rights movement, however, and from the 1960s onward, groups such as the Combahee River Collective, taking its name from events in the life of Harriet Tubman, asserted the need for women of color to unite and press for a correction of white feminists’ understanding of “equal rights.”

While change continues, these struggles are not over, as the women who co-founded #BlackLivesMatter can attest.

Q: What is the importance the women’s-rights movement, and why should we still care?

A: Not all women have equal rights with those who have the longest history of possessing them.

Repeatedly I hear from young women who have assumed they have equal opportunity, pay and access to all civil rights. Yet experience then exerts a blow when they discover (in a class or at work) that is not always the case. Suddenly the personal is political, as earlier feminists discovered.

The word "feminist" has been around for over 100 years, and those embracing it have always faced vitriol and demonizing, to the degree that they faced or face bodily harm, going back to women’s first attempts to gain the right to vote in an era many deem more “polite” than our own.

Arguments of 19th- and early 20th-century women still sound “radical” to some among us today, such as when they argued for “voluntary motherhood” or the right of women and men to find meaning and independence in paid work.

African-Americans, immigrants and women of all stripes often found violence was the “answer” many put forth against those who said, “I want my vote too — just like you.”

No one’s rights are ensured, something history demonstrates especially well.

Q: Why should women’s history matter to everyone?

A: A woman relevant to my research on a 19th-century Paris revolution wrote, “The history of women is the history of humanity.” Women’s lives have been inextricably integrated with men’s, yet too often we still see the category of “women” as an addendum, sidebar or adjective, rather than a global majority across most of history.

Not seeing what women have done leads us to misunderstand history as a whole, but more importantly perhaps, it leads to incorrect statements that morph into problematic policies like: Women have never been in combat before so ... Women can’t do math like men can so ... Women don’t have enough upper-body strength to ... We can be quite selective in calling on history.

In the lab, a demonstrable exception to the rule means one must adjust or throw out the “rule.” But in human society, we too often hang onto the “rule” at the expense of noticing how many exceptions have already proven it wrong. Thinking historically allows us to see how much women have already been doing and therefore, allow us to get more right, creating greater opportunity and innovations across the board.

Q: What are the top five books all women should read?

A: There are just so many good, important books. I decided to focus on four first-person narratives and one novel that do an important job bringing us into their (very different, very real) worlds, allowing us to see that being female can matter a great deal. Yet all of them also expose that point within a much larger context. That is, see what women themselves did, rather than reading what someone says they did.

• Harriet Jacobs, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"
• Rachel Calof, "Rachel Calof’s Story: Jewish Homesteader of the Northern Plains"
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher, "The Home-Maker" (novel from the '20s)
• Olga Lengyel, "Five Chimneys: A Woman Survivor’s True Story of Auschwitz"
• Shirley Chisholm, "Unbought and Unbossed"

If I could sneak in one more that defies my description above, I’d suggest Rebecca Skloot’s "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." A fundamentally important read for anyone.

Q: If you could eat dinner with any influential woman in history, who would that be and why?

A: So many! But I’ll first narrow it down to two: Ida B. Wells Barnett and Eleanor Roosevelt. Again and again in my teaching, research, and as I engage with current events, their names remain fundamentally at a nexus of significance that has yet to be fully acknowledged and analyzed. But I’ll choose Wells as my dinner companion.

She was what Martin Luther King termed a “creative extremist.” Her autobiography, "Crusade for Justice," wasn’t published till 40 years after her death in 1931 but is an important read. Her writings and speeches associated with her crusade against lynching not only stand up to scrutiny today, but form the basis of investigative journalism. Her analysis remains relevant as we continue to discuss race in this country and beyond. She refused to give up her seat on a train, suing a railroad company for discrimination before Plessy v. Ferguson or Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat — and initially, she won. She married and had four children (to Susan B. Anthony’s dismay, who thought it would limit her work), but always went where called, where needed, something that remains a tension for many women. Oh to talk with her …