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Twelve 麻豆原创WCL Students Spend Spring Break Volunteering in Navajo Nation听

Making a Difference: Students Contribute to Real Legal Work in Indian Country 听

By 听|听

Spring Break Trip Photo 1
From left to right: Daniela Dwyer, (Litigation Director at DNA-Peoples鈥 Legal Services), Imani Brooks, Chelsea Naylor, Sierra Kennedy, Taylor Martin, Nia Coleman, Devyn Malouf, Jillian Mayer, Rudy Sanchez (Executive Director at DNA-Peoples鈥 Legal Services), Asad Imam, Autumn Montoya (Outreach Coordinator at DNA-Peoples鈥 Legal Services).

Twelve 麻豆原创 Washington College of Law students spent their spring breaks completing volunteer work in the Navajo Nation. This marks the 11th year 麻豆原创WCL students took part in this Alternative Spring Break Trip as part of the Program on Environmental and Energy Law (PEEL). The students volunteered their time at three placement sites including DNA-People's Legal Services,* the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.听听

This year, Imari (Zaphyr) Brooks, Sierra Kennedy, Asad Imam, Taylor Martin, Chelsea Naylor, Devyn Malouf, Jillian Mayer and Nia Coleman worked with DNA-People's Legal Services; Bruce Leal, Katherine Pratty and Hunter Garcia worked with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice; and Murphy (Yangbin) Chen worked with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.听Mayer and Leal organized the trip.听听

Spring Break Trip photo 2
From left to right: Chelsea Naylor, Nia Coleman, Murphy Chen, Taylor Martin, Sierra Kennedy, Imani Brooks, Jillian Mayer, Devyn Malouf

Mayer was searching for something meaningful and different to do during her spring break.听听

鈥淚 was hoping to travel to somewhere beautiful but not totally go on vacation,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 planned the trip because I wanted to go!鈥 听

Mayer enjoyed the first-hand insight she and the other students received.听

鈥淚t was a wonderful reality check and re-grounding moment,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e were able to learn and contribute to real, active legal work happening in Indian Country.鈥 听

Student Spring Trip image 3
From left to right: Daniela Dwyer, Asad Imam, Hunter Miranda, Nia Coleman, Murphy Chen, Taylor Martin, Katherine Pratty, Jillian Mayer, Chelsea Naylor, Imani Brooks, Devyn Malouf, Sierra Kennedy, Rudy Sanchez

As the faculty advisor for the trip, Professor Ezra Rosser used his long-standing ties with the Navajo Nation to facilitate student placements. Other staff and faculty help came from PEEL Program Coordinator Ingrid Lessemen, Professor William Snape and Professor David Hunter.听Funding for the trip was provided by the Student Bar Association (SBA) and PEEL.听

鈥淎s always, I am grateful that the school and SBA continue to support this alternative spring break trip. Tribes are the forgotten third type of sovereign within the United States and it is great that students get to have this experience during their time at WCL,鈥 according to Rosser.听

*DNA is an acronym for the Navajo phrase "Din茅 be鈥檌in谩 N谩hiilna be Agha鈥檇iit鈥檃hii"听which means 鈥渁ttorneys who work for the economic revitalization of The People.鈥

~Story by Liz Newton.听