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My Story

About Dr. 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 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. 

  • TikTok
  • Amanda Cheromiah's YouTube
  • Instagram
  • X

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. 

SOAR HIGHER: Tradition Meets New Knowledge-2015 First Lady Near-Peer Challenge
04:58

SOAR HIGHER: Tradition Meets New Knowledge-2015 First Lady Near-Peer Challenge

---This is The University of Arizona's Native SOAR submission for the 2015 First Lady Near-Peer Mentoring College Video Challenge-- Visit the Native SOAR website at: http://nativesoar.wix.com/native-soar-ua#!meet-don/ctvq NATIVE SOAR (Student Outreach, Access, and Resiliency) at The University of Arizona in Tucson is a service-learning program where college students mentor Native American high school students. The Native SOAR program is designed where University of Arizona (UA) Native American college students mentor Native American high school students. The high school students are selected by their high schools to participate because of their interest in attending college and their high academic achievements. The high school students participation requires him/her to attend one-on-one meetings with their mentor. One-on-one meetings will take place at the child’s high school during a time that is convenient for both, the UA mentor and mentee. Alongside its mentoring aspect, Native SOAR also encourages families to take part in this experience by participating in our Campus Visits. The campus visits and one-on-one mentoring are designed to encourage and motivate college-going by providing strategies on how to navigate the college experience and processes. Native SOAR Campus Visits entail a day full of useful information, food, and fun! The first on campus visit will take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 and the second will be on Saturday, April 11, 2015. Through their own experiences the Native SOAR mentors present innovative and engaging workshops on topics such as what high school students and their families could to prepare for college. In all of its operations, Native SOAR maintains much respect and inclusion for the diversity of cultures and traditions of all Native American communities we serve. The Family Education Model (FEM) and the eight pillars of the American Indian Well-Being Model are pivotal to the program and services Native SOAR offers.
Land and Water Protectors
05:18
IEU Dear Indigenous Students
03:39

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.  

Selected Digital Stories

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