American Indian Cultural District Staff

Executive Director & Co-founder

Sharaya Souza (Taos Pueblo, Ute, Kiowa) is an ambassador for promoting equitable resource distribution to American Indian communities, increasing Native visibility and political representation, and protecting and preserving American Indian cultural resources in the San Francisco Bay Area.

She currently serves on Board of Directors for San Francisco Heritage, Reimagining SF, and the Aquatic Park Pier Planning Committee. Previously she has served on several groups in San Francisco including the Presidio Activators Council, the Climate Action Plan Environmental Justice Working Group, SFAC Monuments Memorials Advisory Committee, Climate Council, Housing Policy Committee, and the HRC Racial Equity in the Arts Working Group.

Sharaya’s previous experience included elevating Native voices in tech, Native youth retention, institutional and nonpartisan research, tribal cultural resource protection, environmental review, land use mediation, tribal consultation, helping tribal groups gain recognition as non-federally recognized tribes, and identifying Most Likely Descendants to repatriate Native American human remains.

Community Voices Intern

**Sequoya Cante Waukazoo Nakai** (Navajo/Lakota) was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an honor roll high school student at ICA Cristo Rey Academy and is a Junior class officer. She is the granddaughter of Helen & Martin Waukazoo, two prominent figures and leaders known throughout the American Indian communityIndian country for their transformative work and lifelong commitment to improving the lives of American Indian people. Their legacy organizations are the Friendship house Association of American Indians and the Native American Health Center.
Ms. Nakai has been involved with both organizations since an early age. Sequoya is following in her grandparents footsteps, and wants to continue to help her community. She has future aspirations to study journalism in college and is well on her way by being the first Community Voices Intern with the American Indian Cultural District.

Lead Operations Admin

Coming soon!

AICD Community Ambassadors

Rodney Little Bird/Johnson Livingston

Director of Community Development & Partnerships

Paloma Flores (Pit River Nation, Purhepecha) studied Native American Studies and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a champion for American Indian communities supporting the shifting of consciousness through professional development, youth empowerment, and systemic change. She is an advocate for American Indian voice and representation in the arts.

Prior to her role with AICD she was a cultural educator and the Program Coordinator for San Francisco Unified School District’s Indian Education Program for over seven years. She began working in the Mission District in 2007 for the American Indian Film Institute.

She has served as a racial equity consultant for Courageous Conversations about Race, leading national workshops focused on educating the educators. She Co-Directs the National Bioneers Native Youth Leadership Program and serves locally on the Human Rights Commission Community Roundtable, Racial Equity Taskforce, Bay Area Equity Advisory Group, Committee for Bay Area Native Foodways, and UCSF’s NABARI.

Policy & Research Intern

**Ian De Vaynes** (Oglala Lakota) currently studies Political Science at the University of California Berkeley with a minor in Ethnic Studies and Public Policy. He hopes to use his studies to help further the advancement of the district and Native community in San Francisco. In his freetime, Ian likes to participate in social justice events in the Bay Area and is an avid Giants fan. Ian has a passion for policy and looks to incorporate more policy initiatives in the district in order to uplift the Native voice.
Raised in San Francisco, Ian has been deeply involved in his community. Ever since Ian was young, he participated in many urban native events. These events have included the Stanford Powwow, Dancing Feathers Powwow, Indigenous Peoples’ Day Gathering, Annual Wisdom Moving Forward Program, and the Annual Alcatraz Occupation Anniversary. Growing up, baseball, wrestling, and skateboarding have always been a constant in his life. He has always had a drive for learning about his culture and staying connected to his community.

Projects & Program Administrator