Our leadership and educators include early learning professionals such as former childcare directors, instructional coaches, special education/inclusion specialists, and certified teachers. Our leadership and staff also include heritage language speakers, cultural experts, artists, elders, former chefs, farmers, and land-based learning practitioners. Above all, everyone involved in the care of our children is aligned with our values of cultural reclamation and language revitalization through child-led, play-based, and justice-oriented learning.
Red Rock Perkins (Arikara)
Teaching Uncle in Preschool Classroom
Cultural Knowledge Specialist
Jessica Molina (Mexican)
Teaching Auntie in Preschool Classroom
Lead Cook
Jessi Allen-Garabaldi (Blackfeet/Black)
Teaching Untie in Preschool Classroom
Special Education and Inclusion Specialist
As a Seattle Public Schools Special Education teacher, Jessi shares their extensive knowledge in inclusion and accessibility with the Lodge. Rooted in a desire to provide healing educational experiences, Jessi knows how to use positive, genuine interactions to center the child and build relationships with the whole family. In addition to their strong work as an educator, Jessi comes with much knowledge of our land-based practices and Indigenous ways of being. They are now a Mamut to two sweet baby girls and are reclaiming the Blackfeet language and culture for their family. Jessi and their wife are planting the seeds for many generations to come.
Stephanie Webb (Chinese, English, German)
Teaching Auntie in Preschool Classroom
Food Sovereignty Specialist
Stephanie comes to the Lodge with a background in anti-racist and culturally centered early education. After teaching in Beijing for a year and spending time at rural schools in her motherland, Taiwan, she taught for four years at a preschool in Fremont. She was the lead teacher of the Mandarin bilingual preschool classroom, guided teachers as pedagogista (teacher/curriculum mentor) and served as preschool program manager. She works to combine growing cultural knowledge, political education, and land-based education with a focus on justice, internationalism, and liberation. Stephanie also organizes with Black Star Farmers as an outreach coordinator and community garden steward. Together with her partner, Marcus Henderson, they are raising their children with Black and Chinese cultural values.
Dejani Ware (Blackfeet/Black)
Teaching Auntie in Preschool Classroom
Maylea Harris (Haida/Filipino)
Teaching Auntie in Preschool Classroom
Amelia Andress (Seneca/Haudenosaunee)
Teaching Auntie in Preschool Classroom
Co-Executive Director Auntie
Language Immersion and Cultural Knowledge Specialist
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.
Co-Executive Director Auntie
Finance and Community Engagement Specialist
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 Molina (Mexican)
Early Learning Program Manager Auntie
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 Terry (Lakota)
Early Learning Program Manager Auntie
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.
Board Member Auntie
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.