Biography

Shawna Hotch is from Jilkáat Kwáan and is a member of the Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan. Her work focuses on nation building efforts to improve the health and wellness of the people in the Chilkat Valley through land stewardship, tribal sovereignty, and community-led initiatives to protect and preserve the Jilkáat Kwáan for generations to come. Shawna is inspired and empowered by previous Tlingit generations who uphold the community-focused tribal values of Haa Kusteeyí “our way of life” and Áat Yaa Awuné  “respect for all things.” As a mother, sister, granddaughter, and tribal councilwoman, Shawna has experientially learned these values and the importance of community building, community engagement, and cultural transmission through traditional ways of knowing.

Shawna holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Fort Lewis College and a masters degree in Public Health with a focus in Community Health Sciences from North Dakota State University. As a Tribal Liaison, Shawna learned the importance of community togetherness and tribal sovereignty in real time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and engaged stakeholders across federal, state, and local levels to respond to and mitigate COVID-19 in Klukwan. Through federal COVID-19 relief acts, Shawna recognized nation building and recovery efforts as the means for Klukwan to create sustained change in the Chilkat Valley. Shawna continues to study development strategies to help Klukwan as a Masters of Rural Community Development student, with a focus on working in native communities and nonprofit management.