Exhibition Planning Part I: Advisory Group

New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and anthologist of more than 20 books for young readers. She was named a 2025 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidate, the NSK Neustadt Laureate, Texas Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and winner of the Southern Miss Medallion for Outstanding Contributions in Children’s Literature. Cynthia has been named to deliver the 2026 ALSC Children’s Literature Lecture. She is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and served as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Chair for the children’s-YA writing MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Cynthia is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Texas.

An enrolled member of the Lumbee tribe from Greensboro, NC, has dedicated her career to Indigenous art and education. As Miss Indian North Carolina (2018–2019), she served as an ambassador for all Indigenous peoples in the state, championing cultural representation and empowerment. After earning a degree in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies—with a minor in Apparel Product Design—from UNC Greensboro, Raven spent four years designing for the denim brand Lee before transitioning to freelance work. In 2020, she co-illustrated the Lumbee children’s book Nakoma’s Greatest Traditions, with all proceeds benefiting scholarships for Native high school students. Today, Raven collaborates with various organizations and consults with Indian education programs to promote and preserve Indigenous art and culture. Her work powerfully narrates the story of her people and has opened countless doors, inspiring her to launch an Indigenous coloring book and her streetwear brand, Original Peoples—a modern reinterpretation of traditional Indigenous elements from southeastern North Carolina. 

Chag Lowry is of Yurok, Maidu, and Achumawi Native ancestry from Northern California. He is the author of the graphic novel Soldiers Unknown from Great Oak Press, The Original Patriots: Northern California Indian Veterans of World War Two from Original Voices, The Original Patriots: California Indian Veterans of the Korean War from Original Voices, and is the co-producer and director of multiple PBS documentaries about California Indigenous people and cultures.  Chag’s book Soldiers Unknown is endorsed by the United States World War One Centennial Commission and by the American Indian Veterans Association of Southern California.  He and Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva) co-wrote and she drew a comic story about California Indigenous basketry titled My Sisters. 

Brittany Schulman is an enrolled citizen of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe and grew up in rural North Carolina. As a traditional storyteller, Brittany’s perspective is grounded in her experience growing up with her mother, siblings and grandparents on their family farm and her Waccamaw Siouan community. Brittany is a lifelong learner and educator and integrates her Indigenous values into everyday life.  She is a results-driven educator, public speaker with a track record of maximizing efforts through relationships.

As an advocate, Brittany has served in many leadership roles to ensure that Native Americans and Indigenous values are not only included but also at the forefront in every conversation. Recognized for providing practical, sustainable solutions to business challenges with exceptional communication skills and project management with a passion for Indigenous peoples, Brittany is currently the Senior Vice President of Programs, where she continues her work as an organizer and educator. Brittany is married to a wonderfully supportive husband, Joseph (Leech Lake Ojibwe) and they have two children.

Award author, poet, cultural educator, traditional storyteller, drummer, and speaker on topics involving Native American sovereignty, identity and epistemology. He is an enrolled citizen of the Hassanamisco Nipmuc Tribe. Mann has worked with Mass. Dept. of Public Health to create a statewide curriculum entitled: A Circle Tied to Mother Earth: Native Life Skills for Middle School Children and Coming Home: Preventing Alcohol and Drug Use Among Native American Teens.

Along with many other publishing’s, Mann created the first in a series of curriculum-based children’s books for early education entitled: The Adventures of Kehteau. This children’s book series aims to share in the richness, positivity, and beauty of Indigenous cultures. Additionally, Mann has assisted in the development and creation of multi- disciplinary curriculum at Bunker Hill Community  College that reflects the Indigenous Peoples of the area. He has served as a board member of the Nipmuk Cultural Preservation and as a Review Committee Member at The Native American Poets Project at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology.

Mann is the founder and director of the Ohketeau Cultural Center. He is the first Native American to sing the opening honor song and land acknowledgement at the 2021 Boston Marathon, and the recipient of the 2021 Indigenous Peoples Award of the Berkshire County Branch of the NAACP. He was the 2021-2022 and 2023 Distinguished Artist and Scholar in Residence at Bunker Hill Community College, in sponsorship with the Mary L. Fifield Art Gallery.

Chief Executive Officer of the NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota, one of the inaugural NSF Engines dedicated to addressing food security challenges through cutting-edge agricultural technology and cross-cultural collaboration. A citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Dr. Mackey brings a unique perspective to her work, combining deep expertise in community-driven innovation with a commitment to equity and sustainability. Dr. Mackey’s scholarship identifies solutions for Native Americans and rural communities through public policy which she uses to advocate nationally for Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Through these efforts, she has contributed toward advancing rural innovation through intersecting policy solutions designed to provide structural support for sustainable rural economic development. With a distinguished career spanning academia, public policy, and industry leadership, Dr. Mackey has been at the forefront of integrating Indigenous knowledge with modern AgTech solutions. Her leadership at the NSF Engine focuses on empowering Tribal Nations, small farmers, and rural communities by fostering scalable, localized food systems that address both regional and global challenges.