President’s Native American Advisory Council

The University of California President’s Native American Advisory Council advises senior UC leadership on a broad range of issues that affect the the experience of Native American members of the UC community — students, faculty and staff. This council is convened by the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

PNAAC Berkely Meeting

 Relevant areas include:

  • Treatment of Native American human remains and cultural artifacts
  • Recruitment and retention of Native American students, faculty and staff at UC
  • Academic and co-curricular issues related to UC’s Native American community
  • Opportunities for university engagement with Native American communities in California

PNAAC-supported efforts include:

  • Guidance on UC Policy on Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation
  • Advocacy for the development of the Native American Opportunity Plan

 

Membership

The Council comprises educators, scholars, tribal leaders, policy makers and UC faculty and staff who can speak on issues pertaining to the Native American community. Members are appointed by the president of the university. Council members serve two-year terms and may be reappointed to a successive term, not to exceed four years.

President's Native American Advisory Council Roster 2023–2024

Randall Akee (Native Hawaiian)
Associate Professor of American Indian Studies, UCLA

Phenocia Bauerle (Crow Nation)
Director, Native American Student Development,
UC Berkeley

Olivia Chilcote (San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies,
San Diego State University

Wallace Cleaves (Gabrieleno-Tongva Tribe)
Associate Dean and Director, University Writing Program, UC Riverside

Johnny Hernandez (San Manuel Mission Band of Indians)
Vice Chairman San Manuel Mission Band of Indians

Elena Hood (Absentee Shawnee, Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians, Choctaw)
Asst. Professor, Faculty, American Indian Studies
Palomar College

Amy Lonetree (Ho-Chunk)
Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

Jim McQuillen (Yurok Tribe)
Education Director,
California State Board of Education (SBE) Member

Rudy Ortega, Jr. (Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians)
President Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians

Lorelle Ross (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)
Tribal Vice Chair
Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Jesus Tarango (Wilton Rancheria)
Chairman Wilton Rancheria

Ricardo Torres (Winnemem Wintu)
Professor Emeritus, CSU Sacramento

President's Native American Advisory Council Roster 2022–2023

Randall Akee
(Native Hawaiian)
Associate Professor, Public Policy and American Indian Studies, UCLA

Cutcha Baldy
(Hoopa Valley Tribe)
Associate Professor, Native American Studies,
Humboldt State University

Phenocia Bauerle
(Crow Nation)
Director, Native American Student Development,
UC Berkeley

Olivia Chilcote
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies,
San Diego State University

Wallace Cleaves
(Tongva Tribe)
University Writing Program, Associate Director,
UC Riverside

Jeff Grubbe
(Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)
Tribal Chair, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Elena Hood
(Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians)
Director of the Intertribal Resource Center,
UC San Diego

Amy Lonetree
(Ho-Chunk)
Associate Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

Valentin Lopez
(Amah Mutsun Tribal Band)
Tribal Chair, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Merri Lopez-Keifer
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Director of the Office of Native American Affairs, California Dept. of Justice Attorney General's Office

Mark Macarro
(Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)
Tribal Chair, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

Cody J. Martinez
(Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Tribal Chair, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Nicole Myers-Lim
(Pinoleville Tribal Nation)
Executive Director, California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

Terria Smith
(Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla)
California Indian Publishing Director, Heyday; Editor, News From Native California

Stanley Rodriguez
(Kumeyaay — Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation)
Tribal Council Member, Santa Ysabel Tribal Government

Niki Sandoval
(Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians)
Senior Strategic Development Manager, WestEd

Christina Snider
(Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians)
Executive Secretary, Native American Heritage Commission

Wendy Teeter
Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum, UCLA

Ricardo Torres
(Winnemem Wintu)
Faculty/Counselor, Cal State Sacramento

President's Native American Advisory Council Roster 2021–2022

Randall Akee
(Native Hawaiian)
Associate Professor, Public Policy and American Indian Studies, UCLA

Cutcha Baldy
(Hoopa Valley Tribe)
Associate Professor, Native American Studies, Humbolt State University

Phenocia Bauerle
(Crow Nation)
Director, Native American Student Development, UC Berkeley

Olivia Chilcote
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, San Diego State University

Wallace Cleaves
(Tongva Tribe)
University Writing Program, Associate Director, UC Riverside

Jeff Grubbe
(Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)
Tribal Chair, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Elena Hood
(Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians)
Director of the Intertribal Resource Center, UC San Diego

Amy Lonetree
(Ho-Chunk)
Associate Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

Valentin Lopez
(Amah Mutsun Tribal Band)
Tribal Chair, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Merri Lopez-Keifer
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Director of the Office of Native American Affairs, California Dept. of Justice Attorney General's Office

Mark Macarro
(Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)
Tribal Chair, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

Cody J. Martinez
(Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Tribal Chair, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Nicole Myers-Lim
(Pinoleville Tribal Nation)
Executive Director, California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

Terria Smith
(Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla)
California Indian Publishing Director, Heyday; Editor, News From Native California

Stanley Rodriguez
(Kumeyaay — Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation)
Tribal Council Member, Santa Ysabel Tribal Government

Niki Sandoval
(Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians)
Senior Strategic Development Manager, WestEd

Christina Snider
(Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians)
Executive Secretary, Native American Heritage Commission

Wendy Teeter
Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum, UCLA

Ricardo Torres
(Winnemem Wintu)
Faculty/Counselor, Cal State Sacramento

Cliff Trafzer
(Wyandot)
Professor of History, Chair in American Indian Affairs, UC Riverside

President's Native American Advisory Council Roster 2020–2021

Randall Akee
(Native Hawaiian)
Associate Professor, Public Policy and American Indian Studies, UCLA

Phenocia Bauerle
(Crow Nation)
Director, Native American Student Development, UC Berkeley

Joyce Burel
(Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians)
Marriage and Family Therapist

Jeff Grubbe
(Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)
Tribal Chair, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Nicole Lim
(Pinoleville Tribal Nation)
Executive Director, California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

Amy Lonetree
(Ho-Chunk)
Associate Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

Valentin Lopez
(Amah Mutsun Tribal Band)
Tribal Chair, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Merri Lopez-Keifer
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Director of the Office of Native American Affairs, California Dept. of Justice Attorney General’s Office

Mark Macarro
(Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)
Tribal Chair, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

Cody J. Martinez
(Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Tribal Chair, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Greg Sarris
(Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)
Tribal Chair, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Terria Smith
(Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla)
California Indian Publishing Director, Heyday Editor, News From Native California

Christina Snider
(Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians)
Executive Secretary, Native American Heritage Commission

Wendy Teeter
Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum, UCLA

Ricardo Torres
(Winnemem Wintu)
Faculty/Counselor, Cal State Sacramento

Cliff Trafzer
(Wyandot)
Professor of History, Chair in American Indian Affairs, UC Riverside

President's Native American Advisory Council Roster 2019–2020

Randall Akee
(Native Hawaiian)
Associate Professor, Public Policy and American Indian Studies, UCLA

Phenocia Bauerle
(Crow Nation)
Director, Native American Student Development, UC Berkeley

Dino Beltran
(Koi Nation of the Lower Lake Rancheria)
Vice Chairman, Koi Nation of Northern California

Joyce Burel
(Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians)
Marriage and Family Therapist

Jeff Grubbe
(Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)
Tribal Chair, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Matthew Hanks Leivas
(Chemehuevi Indian Tribe)
Director, Chemehuevi Cultural Center

Nicole Lim
(Pinoleville Tribal Nation)
Executive Director, California Indian Museum and Cultural Center

Amy Lonetree
(Ho-Chunk)
Associate Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

Valentin Lopez
(Amah Mutsun Tribal Band)
Tribal Chair, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band

Merri Lopez-Keifer
(San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians)
Director of the Office of Native American Affairs, California Dept. of Justice Attorney General’s Office

Mark Macarro
(Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)
Tribal Chair, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians

Cody J. Martinez
(Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation)
Tribal Chair, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Desiree Martinez
(Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe)
Archaeologist, Cogstone Resource Management

Marshall McKay
(Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation)
Commissioner, Native American Heritage Commission

Greg Sarris
(Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria)
Tribal Chair, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Terria Smith
(Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla)
California Indian Publishing Director, Heyday Editor, News From Native California

Christina Snider
(Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians)
Executive Secretary, Native American Heritage Commission

Wendy Teeter
Curator of Archaeology, Fowler Museum, UCLA

Ricardo Torres
(Winnemem Wintu)
Faculty/Counselor, Cal State Sacramento

Cliff Trafzer
(Wyandot)
Professor of History, Chair in American Indian Affairs, UC Riverside

Leadership


Advisory councils, special work groups and affinity groups


Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation Policy

UC’s systemwide Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation Policy strengthens practices and procedures facilitating the repatriation of Native American and Native Hawaiian human remains and cultural items.

View the policy (PDF)

See UC Advisory Group on Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation of Human Remains and Cultural Items

Watch a short video on how the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and UC archeologists rediscover ancient native practices of land stewardship and preservation.