Meet the Storytellers | November 21

Dawn identifies as Indigenous/ Native American and uses the pronouns She/Her. Dawn is a Melanin Stories Matter storyteller alumna returning for her second show.

Dawn is an educated Apache/ Diné woman born and raised on the Navajo Nation and San Carlos Reservation. Her passion and desire are to help educate and bring awareness of gut health and wellness to our Indigenous/ Native communities. 

She loves to spend time with family and enjoys hiking and the outdoors as a direct connection to Mother Earth. Dawn has developed a deeper understanding and passion for our cultural healing medicines in order to share and revitalize the movement to reclaiming our own wellness journey.

A walk to Hopi with Waylon Pahona

Moon is a native Hawaiian and uses he/him pronouns.

Moon is a Veteran of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, MP Investigator and Drill Sergeant. He left that career to attend college and played two seasons of Division II football at Jacksonville State University located in Calhoun County, Alabama. 

After graduating with his Bachelors in Police Science, Moon returned to Fed Government work with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Talledega, AL. In addition to 25+ yrs of Law Enforcement, Moon's background includes earning his Masters in Public Administration, working in the US Marshal Service, contracting as a Traffic Photo-Radar Consultant with the Scottsdale Police Dept. and, recently, the Director of Operations at the KoOlina Resort, Oahu, HI.  Presently, Moon has also turned his expertise toward addressing Human Trafficking.

An Indigenous Hawaiian, Moon was raised to stay away from others who were not pure Hawaiian. So he grew up dodging his friends who were Black, Samoan, Japanese, or "Howlies." But Moon found himself in college smack dab in the middle of the mainland's Bible Belt as a brown Person of Color. That was a huge cultural change as he dealt with own melanin and his struggle to learn English because not many Southerners speak native Hawaiian. 

Bonus: Moon will honor us by sharing some of his original music in the show! 

Donna is Sicangu and Diné/Indigenous and uses Wiƞyan/she/her pronouns.

Donna serves as Co-chair of the Denver American Indian Commission. Donna is a mother of five children and a native of Denver. She works as a legal professional for a law firm in downtown Denver. She stays active in the Native community by volunteering and participating in several community organizations. Donna is a public speaker and has been presenting historical information about Lakota people to schools and organizations for over 40 years. Education is not only a passion but a purpose for Donna. Her commitment to education is evident by her service on several committees for one of the Metro Denver school districts.

Sovereign Bodies Institute

Chinook Fund

American Indian College Fund

Waylon is Hopi, Tewa and Maricopa Piipaash and grew up on the Hopi reservation. 

Waylon founded Healthy Active Natives, a community of healing, health, and wellness in 2013. He is a health and wellness activist and advocate for Indigenous Peoples. This year, Waylon is walking to raise funds and awareness for the water quality on the Hopi reservation. He will be walking from Phoenix to the Hopi reservation. He believes that everyone throughout the reservation deserves clean water.

Pamela is a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She is a mother of two, and was born and raised in Northeast Oklahoma. She is self-employed in Non-Emergency Medical Transports and has previous experience in law enforcement and the medical field. 

Pamela is an advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and works behind the scenes for the non profit Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA

Crossroads K-9 Search And Rescue

Missing: Aubrey Dameron

Michael Smith had dedicated his life to serving the Navajo Code Talkers personally and physically. A descendent of Navajo Code Talker, Samuel “Jesse” Smith, Sr., 4th Marine, Michael attended Navajo Code Talker Meetings and volunteered to address varies assignments from the men.

After high school graduation, Michael entered the United States Marine Corps bootcamp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego in the third all Navajo platoon in the history of the Marine Corps, the 1981 Navajo Code Talker Commemorative Platoon and graduated Honorman of the Navajo Platoon. 

For the last 20 years, Michael has continued to serve the Navajo Code Talkers. In 2005, he founded the Navajo Code Talker Day in Window Rock, Navajo Nation. This event celebrates all 418 Navajo Code Talkers has become the largest exclusive Navajo Code Talker event.

Rezfuge

The Navajo Code Talkers