Native American students and community members make an impact in Iowa City

For University of Iowa third-year student and men’s track and field team member Keith Keahna, growing up on the Meskwaki settlement means his childhood experiences are different from his teammates. Keahna grew up in Tama, Iowa, where the Meskwaki settlement is located. Some of his favorite memories include traditional feasts and celebrations. “My family history dates back to about the 1850s...

Alicia Velasquez, an Iowa transplant, is the first Indigenous woman to open a boutique in Iowa City. The boutique features art and jewelry inspired by Velasquez’s Apache culture. “It's my life,” Alicia Velasquez said about the importance of her culture. Originally from California, Velasquez has lived in Arizona, Idaho, and Oklahoma. She eventually decided to move to Iowa City. “Just...

As the founder of the Great Plains Action Society and a member of Iowa City’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Iowa City’s Sikowis Nobiss works to advocate for Indigenous rights and causes around Iowa City and Iowa. Nobiss is Plains Cree-Salteaux of the George Gordon First Nation, and she founded the Great Plains Action Society in 2015 and serves as the executive director. The goal of this...

For Abigail Buffalo, her identity as an Indigenous person has driven her passion to help others. She is a third-year University of Iowa student majoring in human physiology and minoring in American Sign Language, and a member of the Meskwaki Sac and Fox tribe of Mississippi in Iowa. When she grew up on the settlement, Buffalo enjoyed being in a community that embraced the Native American culture...