Janelle Cronin, M.S.

Navajo Nation

Janelle Cronin, M.S., is an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation from Gallup, New Mexico. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Haskell Indian Nations University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Ecological Sciences and Engineering and Curriculum Studies at Purdue University. Her research explores giving back and the experiences of Indigenous faculty.

Janelle is a George Washington Carver Fellow and an Alfred P. Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership Scholar. She recently received the 2026 Elouise Cobell Dissertation Fellowship and the Purdue College of Education Dean’s Dissertation Scholarship.

Her leadership experience includes serving on the National Indian Youth Council Board and as an Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Student Ambassador at Purdue. Through mentorship, community engagement, volunteer work, and annual fundraisers, Janelle remains committed to supporting the next generation of Native scholars.

Jason Felihkatubbe

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Jason Felihkatubbe is an educator, researcher, and community leader committed to advancing Native education and ensuring Native voices and perspectives are represented in educational settings. He is pursuing a doctorate in Education and Behavioral Studies on the Educational Psychology Track.

Jason serves as a Lead Professional Representative and Ethnic Minority Representative for United Teachers of Wichita. He has also been elected twice as a delegate to the Kansas National Education Association Representative Assembly.

Beyond the classroom, Jason chairs the education committees for the Wichita Genealogical Society and the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, working to promote greater understanding of Native peoples and histories. He hopes to bring his experience in education, advocacy, organizational leadership, and community engagement to the NIEA Board of Directors.

Kamahaʻo Halemanu

Native Hawaiian

Kamahaʻo Halemanu is an ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) leader and advocate committed to advancing the education, values, and sovereignty of his lāhui. He is a second-year student at Amherst College, majoring in Educational Studies and American Studies with a focus on Indigenous Studies.

At Amherst, Kamahaʻo authored a resolution supporting Kamehameha Schools’ culture-based admissions policies amid federal legal challenges. He graduated summa cum laude from Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi, where he served as Student Body President, and was later appointed by Hawaiʻi County Mayor Dr. Kimo Alameda to serve as a commissioner.

Kamahaʻo has also supported culture-based education and youth civic engagement through the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and the “Our Kaiāulu Votes” initiative. He hopes to pursue educational administration and advocate for meaningful Indigenous youth representation in national education policy.