Stratton Clausen is a senior undergraduate currently completing coursework at the University of the Américas Puebla (UDLAP) in Puebla, Mexico, with a focus on Indigenous religions, land rights, and human rights, particularly in Central and South America. Stratton’s home university is CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he has pursued studies in Indigenous knowledge systems, environmental ethics, and postcolonial studies.

He is particularly interested in CWIS’s mission to advance the knowledge and self-determination of Indigenous peoples around the world. Stratton is eager to contribute to the organization’s work, using their research to promote equity and understanding, while also learning from the diverse perspectives represented within CWIS.

Masters of Science in Human Rights and Diplomacy by the University of Stirling in collaboration with the United Nations Institute of research. My studies have offered me a different perspective in human rights that has given me great interest on indigenous rights. Ideas of collective rights, a more plural language, cultural diversity and many others present in indigenous rights and culture, are in contrast with the present Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it has an individualist, universalist and capitalist language as a project of neocolonialism.

Hello, my name is Aidan Nelson. I’m a proud Haitian American, born in Ireland and raised in Kansas City. A graduate of Kansas State University’s Cultural Anthropology and English programs, I’m now pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Rights Studies in Politics, Law, and Society at Fulda University of Applied Sciences. My academic journey has been driven by a strong passion for social justice, human rights, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. I aim to combine my experience with anthropology, political science, journalism, and open-source intelligence to create a Human Rights Watchdog to monitor Human Rights in the Caribbean.

Audrey Ashbrook is a recent graduate of Tufts University where she studied International Relations (Globalization) and Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora Studies. She is a budding scholar of political economy with an interest in the projects of Third and Fourth World decolonizations in the Global South.

Previously, Audrey received the Ted Shapiro Memorial Award and the Tufts Summer Scholars grant to conduct critical archival research on British scientific colonialism during the early years of crown rule in India. She will continue her path in history while working as an intern archivist on the George Manuel Library digitization project. 

She is a lifelong student of French language, literature, and film. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and oil painting.

Hello, my name is Isabella Hinrichs, I’m a recent graduate of the University of South Florida, within the Judy Genshaft Honors College, where I received a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with concentrations in Anthropology and International Studies. My interests include environmental sustainability and conservation, food and seed sovereignty, and environmental and social justice.

During my work with the Center for World Indigenous Studies I have been conducting biomedical, nutritional, and anthropological research on endemic plant species in western Mexican regions. My role has been to transform this complex data into accessible, easy to understand abstracts.

Aiyana Coard holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and an M.S. from New York University in Global Affairs, specializing in Human Rights and International Law. Her master’s thesis delves into the topic of addressing impunity and enhancing access to justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo via mobile courts. Aiyana is an Afro-Indigenous woman and an enrolled tribal member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. During her time as an International Indigenous Diplomacy Graduate Research Assistant Aiyana’s primary role is to contribute to the Fourth World Journal and published blog topics.

Patrick Moser is an intern at the Center for World Indigenous Studies since September of 2023. I joined CWIS to complement my studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland where I undertook a Master of Science programme in Human Rights and Diplomacy in tandem with tuition from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. My time in Scotland and subsequently with CWIS followed my degree in Law and Politics from the University of Kent which sparked my interest in public law and policy, namely in the laws that govern the relationship between a state and its citizens. I have contrtibuted to the George Manuel Library by producing abstracts and contribute to the Pathfinder documentary with a specific focus on the events of the Constitution Express.

I am Laura Corradi and I am Italian. I have a bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and International Sciences and a master’s degree in International Cooperation on Human Rights with a particular focus on indigenous people’s rights. For my master’s dissertation, I conducted extensive ethnographic field research in Mocoví communities in Argentina during the fall/winter of 2023, which granted me the postgraduate diploma with top honours. Witnessing firsthand their struggles for indigenous land restitution and cultural revitalization solidified my resolve to advocate for their rights.

At CWIS I am archiving for the Chief George Manuel Library, publishing two original pieces in the CWIS Fourth World Journal and an extract from my master’s final dissertation.

Robert Hansell is a 3rd year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh studying international relations. They have research interests in decolonial approaches to how global systems continue to subjugate indigenous populations. Their current work is working for Palestinian self-determination.

At CWIS, Robert is working on producing a literature review about of food sovereignty, exploring how control over food is interlinked with land sovereignty, resistance, community health, and self-determination.

Adam Hinden is a rising senior at the College of Wooster pursuing a double major in Anthropology and Chinese and a minor in East Asian Studies. Adam was born in northern Virginia but grew up in The Bahamas, Poland, and Mexico. His work as a Research Intern at CWIS focuses on curating and organizing documents in the Chief George Manuel library, particularly focusing on indigenous groups and issues in China and Taiwan. In his free time, Adam enjoys learning, playing, and producing music.

Victoria is a recent graduate of Indiana University’s Herman B. Wells Scholars Program. Her undergraduate study was in Anthropology and Human Biology, with a unifying focus in Medical Anthropology/Human Health & Disease. She is thrilled to continue uniting her interests in these areas as a CWIS intern working under Dr. Leslie Korn. Victoria will be contributing to an ongoing medicinal plants project, summarizing extant biomedical knowledge about various plants featured in traditional medicine. She will also be joining the team working to compile Dr. Korn’s forthcoming clinical workbook in integrative psychiatry.

Gillian Joseph is an Ihaŋktoŋwaŋ Dakota student and storyteller who grew up as a guest on Waxhaw and Catawba lands. They are currently living abroad to pursue an MSc in cross-cultural psychology, working on a thesis that will investigate the relationship between sovereignty and positive health outcomes in Indigenous communities. Previously, Gillian has worked with the American Psychological Association and National Indian Health Board to research Indigenous wellbeing.

Eileen Calub is an undergraduate student at the University of Florida pursuing a double major in Linguistics and International Studies with a minor in Mass Communication Studies. She is passionate about human rights and indigenous language preservation. In her free time, she likes writing, traveling, and learning foreign languages.

Ana is an undergraduate student at Tufts University, studying anthropology and international relations. Though originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Ana mostly grew up in Washington, DC and now calls Somerville and the Boston area her home. In the classroom and through internships, Ana loves learning about environmental justice, modern forms of colonialism, human rights and sustainable development. In her free time, she also loves to hike, climb, bake, read, and be outside!

Tayma will be working under the supervision of Dr. Leslie Korn to help develop a postgraduate program on cultural awareness and diversity. She is an undergraduate in the Honors College at the University of Houston pursuing a dual degree in Public Health and Anthropology. She is a research intern at the social determinants and health disparities lab at her university and she is a part-time research assistant for a project called Taking Texas Tobacco Free, which investigates the social determinants of tobacco use.

Ashley-Devon Williamston is a cultural anthropologist who currently serves as the CWIS Social Media Coordinator and works to promote indigenous movements and CWIS programs. Based in Cincinnati, OH, their research observes emergent and longstanding facets of marginalized cultures across the U.S. and Central America. In addition to their work with CWIS, they also work as a Research Coordinator in the Department of Family Planning at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Leonard, ‘Leo’ Mukosi is a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) Candidate in the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona, James E Rogers College of Law. Leo has worked in the U.S, Zimbabwe and Kenya with different organizations that advocate for the rights of children and Indigenous peoples.

Irene is a designer, recently graduated from the MA in Design for Change at the University of Edinburgh. Her work focuses on how design methods contribute in enhancing Social and Environmental Justice.
Irene’s experience ranges from work in the arts and entertainment industry to activism and policy advising. Born near the Alps, you can now find her living in Scotland.

Isabella is an avid museum-goer, travel enthusiast, and has a passion for sustainable food and cooking. She holds a BA from Bennington College in Art History and Spanish. In her spare time she enjoys horseback riding, leading trails in the beautiful Vermont mountains, volunteering at the Queens Farm and spending time with her friends in New York City. 

Ms. Bilguun Dawcharbajar has joined CWIS as a Legal Intern focusing on intergovernmental relations and law. She is a citizen of Austria with family in Mongolia. She holds degrees in Magister Juris (law) and Political Science. She is multi-lingual (German, English, French, Mongolian and Latin. She is keen on western literature, philosophy and Eastern and indigenous cosmology.

Laura Killian joined CWIS in 2006 after graduating from University of Vermont and conducting field work in the Philippines. She became a staff member managing responsibilities for the Education program and the NIH research project. After 3 years, Laura moved to Seattle and completed a MA degree at Antioch University. She is currently Assistant Professor at Washington State University and sits on the Board at CWIS.

Olivia is passionate about the traveling and having culturally and linguistically immersive experiences. She plans on translating such passions into an International and Global Studies major with a focus in Latin America. She is also interested in History, Spanish, and Environmental studies. Apart from academics, Olivia hosts a radio show at her college’s radio station.

Naneh is an artist, herbalist and researcher living in New York City. She received a BA in Sculpture from Bennington College and her postgrad education from the New York Botanical Gardens and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens with a focus on dendrology and herbal medicine. She grows a personal medicinal urban garden and harvests her plants to be turned intovarious medicinal products.