Why a Umatilla student left the Reservation to study at the University of Oregon

Her Indian name is Wáašaša qmɨmsalí ptínits, Dancing Hummingbird Girl. From the Umatilla Reservation in eastern Oregon to the big school University of Oregon, she navigates life as Miss Indigenous UO and a student studying Environmental Studies. She shares her tribal heritage and the significance of first foods-water, fish, game, roots, and berries.
Keyen Singer, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). Through her educational journey at the University of Oregon, she endeavors to preserve her indigeneity, embrace the interconnectedness of tradition and modernity, all with a steadfast commitment to preserving her cultural legacy and the sanctity of first foods.
Resources:
Many Nations Longhouse - longhouse.uore...
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) - ctuir.org/
First Foods and Life Cycles - ctuir.org/abou...
Native American and Indigenous Studies - socialsciences...
Environmental Studies - socialsciences...