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About Dr. Ka-ow-dthu-ee
Amanda Cheromiah

Strengthening the collective and individual self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and Communities through education, storytelling, digital media & advocacy.

I am from the village of Paguate, located on the homelands of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico.

I care deeply about giving-back to Indigenous Peoples and Communities .

Mission

Build the confidence of Indigenous Peoples, especially Indigenous youth and college students.

VISION

Amplify the narratives of Indigenous Peoples and Communities through storytelling and digital media. 

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  • TikTok
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BIO

Dr. Ka-ow-dthu-ee | Amanda Cheromiah (Laguna Pueblo)

Executive Director, Center for the Futures of Native Peoples

Dr. Cheromiah is from the Village of Paguate located on the homelands of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico. Her names are Kah-ow-dthu-ee and Sippun (Inupiaq name meaning "Big Guns") and her clans are shaska sinah hanu (Roadrunner & Turkey People). She is the Granddaughter of six relatives who attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School: Mary Bailey Seonia (enr. 1885) | Howice Seonia (enr. 1895) | Benjamin Seonia (enr. 1904) | Joseph Ross (enr. 1904) | Charles Brown Analla (enr. 1914) | William Seonia (enr. unknown) | and she honors Lewis Tewanima (enr. 1907). Because of them, she works, lives, heals, feed the spirits, prays, survives and thrives in the heart of the beast -- Carlisle, PA. She believes one of the greatest gifts she has as an educator, mentor, and sister is the ability to build the confidence of People through storytelling, kind words, and digital media. Ka-ow-dthu-ee cares deeply about giving back to her Indigenous Community and transforming spaces through visual narratives and Indigenous-focused scholarship and methodologies. Dr. Cheromiah earned her PHD in higher education from the University of Arizona (Tucson) in 2021. Authenticity is important. Learn more about Dr. Cheromiah at amandacheromiah.com, connect with her on TikTok | Instagram | X | LinkedIn @drcheromiah.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Higher Education • 2021

Center for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Arizona, Tucson

 

Dissertation: The Indigenous Revolt in Education: Indigenous Feat – A Scholar’s Pace (347 pages)

Synopsis - Privileging Indigenous-based frameworks of Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) (Brayboy, 2005) and the spider web (Dozier, Enos, 2017), the purpose of this body of work is to understand how ten American Indians – students, staff, and faculty – conceptualize their collective and individual self-determination in higher education, and how they used running to navigate the academy (academic institutions). The dissertation is based off Dr. Cheromiah’s original documentary, Indigenous Feat – A Scholar’s Pace available at https://bit.ly/indigenousfeatfilm (65-minutes)

 

Notable Awards and Honors in Graduate School

  1. 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Indigenous Higher Education Research Award - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community

  2. Spring 2021 University of Arizona College of Education Outstanding Graduate Student Award – The University of Arizona Commencement Speaker

  3. 2020-2021 Outstanding Graduate Service Award – University of Arizona Native American Student Affairs

  4. Raised over $85,000 in scholarship funding to finish graduate school debt-free

 

Study Aboard Experiences

February 2020 | Red Star International Tribal Leader Indigenous Water New Zealand Guardianship Exchange – Traveled to New Zealand with Arizona tribal leaders to learn from Māori leaders about water rights, laws, and policies for protecting waters sources in New Zealand.

Reflection: Land and Water Protectors https://bit.ly/nzwaterprotectors (6-minutes)

 

Summer 2019 | Australia and New Zealand Indigenous Cultural & Educational Exchange Study Abroad – Learned about the educational, cultural, social, and political structures of Aboriginal and Māori people. Co-Created Reflection: Indigenous Brilliance https://bit.ly/indigenousbrilliance (28-minutes)

 

Summer 2018 | Australia Indigenous Cultural & Educational Exchange Study – Learned about the educational, cultural, social, and political structures of Aboriginal people and communities. Reflection: Out to Country https://bit.ly/studyabroadindigenous (16-minutes)

 

Master of Arts, Higher Education • 2015

Center for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Arizona, Tucson

 

Bachelor of Arts, Communications; Minor, American Indian Studies • 2008

The University of Arizona, Tucson

INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING 

I actively increase the digital imprint of Indigenous narratives through digital stories. Below are selected videos I have created and a few collaboration projects. I was the director and leading content creator for The SOAR HIGHER video, which showcases the Native Student Outreach Access and Resiliency (SOAR) Indigenous mentoring program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. I served the program in various capacities for over 10 years. The rumor is that the White House would have selected our SOAR HIGHER video submission for Michelle Obama's Near-Peer Mentoring Challenge. Still, the University of Arizona's 2015 graduation commencement conflicted with Mrs. Obama's schedule. So, our video was not chosen as the winner. Mrs. Obama sent us a letter from the White House thanking us for our submission...we felt special! The Indigenous Educators Unite (IEU) Dear Indigenous Students video is a collaboration with Arizona educators. We made this video at the onset of the pandemic to encourage Indigenous students. The remaining videos showcase various experiences I have encountered. 

Out to Country: Amanda Cheromiah's study abroad experience in Tasmania and Australia
15:27
SOAR HIGHER: Tradition Meets New Knowledge-2015 First Lady Near-Peer Challenge
04:58
Land and Water Protectors
05:18
IEU Dear Indigenous Students
03:39
Grocery Shopping in Nome, Alaska
02:59
#2 Processing COVID 19 with Kia
34:58

Selected Digital Stories

MENTORING STORYTELLERS

As mentioned, I served in various roles with the Native SOAR program at the University of Arizona. For over eight years, I served as one of the instructors for the three-unit undergraduate service-learning class. From 2014 until 2021, I taught hundreds of college students, especially Indigenous undergraduates, how to share their narratives through digital stories and photography. Now, the Native SOAR YouTube channel has hundreds of stories featuring students' narratives, especially stories from Indigenous storytellers.Below are selected digital stories from previous Native SOAR students I mentored.  

Fall 2017 Native SOAR Digital Story – Hannah Throssell
03:18
Native SOAR - Tony Viola IV
06:18
My Native SOAR Spring 2018 Experience - Myriah Cypriano
02:35

Selected Digital Stories

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Contact
Carlisle, PA
email: cheromia@dickinson.edu

© 2025 Dr. Amanda Royce Josanaraae Cheromiah

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