Native & Indigenous

Voices in the Princeton Community

About the Collection

As a continuation of Brave Voices, this collection focuses on Native and Indigenous alumni and students, centering stories of indigeneity, identity, and belonging at Princeton. This collection expands the archival mission of Brave Voices by documenting histories that have been underrepresented in institutional memory.

Between 2025 and 2026, Princeton students conducted interviews with Native and Indigenous alumni and students, recording, transcribing, and preserving their stories. This collection works to ensure Native and Indigenous experiences are not invisible or isolated, but honored, celebrated, and integrated into the broader narrative of the University.

This collection acknowledges the relationship between past and present - through land, lineage, and legacy - while empowering Native and Indigenous voices to define their own narratives and shape Princeton’s future.

Experience these stories through the video documentary, podcast series, and photo campaign below.

Documentary

Podcast Series

Photo Campaign

Yolanda Gomez ’88: “I think what people don't realize is that we have our own seasons. We have our own traditional calendar. So I missed some things my first year because I couldn't go back for them. And that was pretty painful."
Nicole Velasco '08: “It was move-in week and an individual who was living in the same dorm just asked me, like, 'what are you?' And I love a good brand of humor. And so I said, 'I'm a human, what are you?' I look back on that moment."
Christian Hernandez '22: I have a friend, Delaney, who's also mixed Native, and she and I were actually both from this Christian fellowship, and we found out we were both Natives. So, wow, it was really cool just to connect with another mixed Native.
Ellis Hanby '27: "In high school I was very connected to my Indigenous community. I actually started the Indigenous Coalition at my school where all of the Indigenous students kind of banded together.."
Patrick Anderson '75: “It was fascinating again when I had interviews with members of the [eating] clubs. They were all interested in someone who was Native and who came from Alaska...Problem was, is that I couldn't afford any of them.
Rachel Berg '04: “[A]llowing … the students to advocate for themselves has always been great and if that continues to be great … this question should be for the students now. What do they need? I was very supported here..."
Rodrigo Cordova Rosado '25: "The [university] still has to grapple with what it means to be an institution that was founded in an era where Native folks were being pushed off their homelands..."
Desmen Boykin '27: “When I saw that I was accepted into Princeton, I was extremely excited as I knew I would be at a school that was still close to my tribe in Millsboro, Delaware, and my sister tribe in Bridgeton, New Jersey.''
Carolina Pardo '27: “I am the only Native American person that a lot of people here know or have ever met...since that's the image that they have whenever they meet me, I do feel almost a sense of responsibility to really be such an advocate."
Kanani Young Harris '94: "My hope for Native and Indigenous students is that your experience at Princeton is a joyful time of growth and discovery. You are part of an amazing community, and we are so glad you are here!"
Tammy Molina '26: "My hope for future Native and Indigenous students on Princeton's campus is that they can find and create a welcoming environment among themselves, rather than division."
Satori McCormick '28: “I don't see space for Native and Indigenous narratives in general here. In Colorado, we would have the Denver powwow, the DU powwow, and I could see everybody from even states over coming and...celebrating Native identity.”
Ammon Love '26: “I'm grateful for like the hiring of Dr. Ellis. She's done tremendous work and outreach to the Oklahoma tribes, which is where my tribe is headquartered. And even other nations right across the West."
Lina Lyssia Abtouche '27: “Princeton has allowed me, or moreso, Princeton’s people and students have allowed me to really step into my Indigenous identity and talk to people about it and also find myself within it."

This collection was made possible by Brave Voices interns Gabby Chavarria ’26, Myra Ridhuan ’27, and Rachel Jack ’27, through their thoughtful work and care in archival research, interviews, and multimedia creation.