Board of Directors

Kyle K Schierbeck is a husband of 33 years, father of three, grandfather of four, and a sibling of many. He is an Enrolled Member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on his mother’s side, and descendant on his father’s side of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe. He was raised by extended family, grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and is deeply attuned to the Voice of Nature. He enjoys spending his time with family, friends, and Community. Kyle is an account executive in the mechanical contracting industry and specializes in contract negotiations and account relations. He serves as board chair. He is involved in Indigenous community events, and especially enjoys arts and crafts, spending time making items for use by Community, such as drums and other needed items. Kyle enjoys time with youth and Elders, and follows the example of his grandparents and Elders to be of continual service to the People. He thanks the Ancestors for the fight they went through so he could be alive today.

Hechumse – Mitakuye Oyasin

Ron has served on Unkitawa’s board for 5 years. His focus on the board is remembering the seven generations who came before us and ensuring a strong future for the seven generations ahead of us.

“Nyá:we” – Muddy

Dawn Shepard is a Choctaw and Cherokee woman on her father’s side, a wife in a blended family, a mother of six, and a grandmother of nine children and two dogs. For much of her life, she was disconnected from her ancestors. In the last five years, she has begun to learn what it means to return to her culture and walk the Red Road in a good way. This has meant listening, healing, practicing humility, and respecting the teachings that connect her to the medicine.

Most of Dawn’s adult career has been in the nonprofit world, advocating for vulnerable members of the community and working to improve systems that impact people’s lives. Her work has included community organizing, policy advocacy, program leadership, operational change, and teen pregnancy prevention. She has served in leadership roles across behavioral health, homelessness response, human services, and high-risk youth education. She believes the people closest to a problem are the ones best equipped to solve it, and she brings both lived experience and professional leadership to that work.

She is deeply grateful to Unkitawa for the community and family it has given her. Through this circle, Dawn has found connection and a deeper understanding of what it means to live in relationship with others. She is an avid gardener and finds peace in nature, artwork, and crafts of all kinds. Dawn is honored to serve the Unkitawa Community and to continue learning, growing, and walking this path with gratitude.

Tammy Green, also known by her Haida name Jáat Kyáanggaas, is a member of the Haida and Tlingit Tribes, Eagle Clan, and a descendant of the Louisiana Acadians. Residing in Seattle, Washington, Tammy is a proud mother of four children, grandmother of three, and auntie to countless relatives and community members.

With a lifelong career in social work, Tammy currently serves as an Outreach Coordinator with ETS REACH, specializing in homeless services and community outreach. She brings extensive experience supporting vulnerable populations through compassionate advocacy, relationship-building, and direct service.

Tammy is deeply committed to Indigenous advocacy, cultural preservation, and ceremony. In her personal time, she enjoys creating traditional Indigenous art and contributing to the strength and well-being of Native communities. As treasurer of the Unkitawa Board of Directors, she provides thoughtful leadership and stewardship in support of the organization’s mission and future generations.

Ashauntee Renee Jeffers is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Jeanie Daniels and the granddaughter of Remus and Pearlean Daniels (Carwell). Aushauntee has called Coast Salish territory her home for the last 20 years.

Ashauntee is dedicated to community building and organizing, creating collaborative governance, and uplifting Indigenous culture and practices to guide communal healing. Outside of her service to the Unkitawa board, Ashauntee serves as the co-chair for Tatiana Brown 4 Washington, and is a member of the Phố Đẹp Coalition. She enjoys spending her free time creatively through basket weaving, painting, and woodworking.