Meet Our Teaching and Admin Relatives

Alayna is a mother of five and a Co-Executive Director/founder of the Native Learning Lodge. She received her PhD in Culturally Sustaining Education from the University of Washington in 2024. She is a founder of a Lakota language immersion nest school for children on Standing Rock which was created during the NoDAPL protests. Dr. Eagle Shield is a heritage language speaker who, along with her husband Red Rock (below), are teaching Lakota language and cultural traditions to their children and the extended Lodge family. 

Kimberly is a mother of two and co-executive director/founder with Native Family Learning Lodge. As a practicing architectural designer, and artist, she specializes in sustainable, environmental, Indigenous sculpture, architecture, housing, and planning. Her methodologies focus on incorporating Indigenous lifestyle practices concerning designing for seven generations. Her community planning and project management background has given her a wide range of experience helping to build and sustain community and grassroots efforts. She carries this into her role with Lodge to support finance and operations management.

Martha is a mother of two and comes with a deep understanding of meeting children where they are at and can get even our most slow-to-warm children to a trusting space. As a program manager, she supports Lodge administration operations and helps the teachers to thrive in their roles.

Mary is a mother and former nanny who comes to the lodge with a wide range of understanding of how to support children’s social-emotional needs and curriculum development. As a program manager, she supports Lodge administration operations and helps the teachers to thrive in their roles. 

Fundraising/Land Stewardship Auntie

Miriam is a mother of two and has a background in early childhood education, Maternal and Child Health, grant writing, and project management. She is a co-founder of the Native Family Learning Lodge helping to get the initial seed funding to start the Lodge vision. She has worked in various capacities supporting BIPOC families and children through teaching, training, consultation, and as a community collaborator in Chicago, Tucson, Seattle and international settings. As a co-founder, Miriam provides lodge support through grant writing, expansion visioning and development.

Sv hohchifot Leanne Rye Brock. Hattak lusa micha Chahta sia. Vm aiokla yvt Mississippi, Louisiana, micha Oklahoma aminti. 

My name is Leanne Rye Brock. I am Black and Choctaw. My relatives are from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. 

Leanne has three children that she invited earthside. She is an educator, advocate, and leader dedicated to waking up Indigenous approaches to education and healing. She holds a B.S. in Maternal Child Health with a concentration in Lactation, M.A. Cultural and Reproductive Anthropology with a concentration in Historical Trauma in the Black and Native American Communities. She recently recieved her Ph.D. in Philosophy and Indigenous Studies with a concentration in Indigenous Birthways, healing, language and policy. She brings these practices into her facilitation of conversations around restorative healing, anti-blackness and creative visioning to our team.