Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizens Nancy Deere-Turney and Ashleigh Fixico were among 10 students from 8 tribes and 9 universities have been selected as 2017 Native American Congressional Interns by the Udall Foundation.
The Udall Interns will complete an intensive, 9-week internship in the summer of 2017 in Washington, D.C. Special enrichment activities will provide opportunities to meet with key decision makers. From 1996 through 2017, 255 Native American and Alaska Native students from 117 Tribes will have participated in the program. Five Udall Interns have been members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Nancy Deere-Turney will intern with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, majority
Nancy is a senior majoring in political science at Oklahoma State University. Nancy is a We R Native Youth Ambassador, Mvskoke Nation Youth Council Language and Culture Committee Chair, 2017 Center for Native American Youth Champion for Change, and founder of the Youth Enrichment Camp. Nancy represents various organizations nationwide with the intention of gathering information to improve Indian Country through policy-making. After graduation, Nancy plans to run for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Council, and while serving in the legislative branch, find innovative ways to improve Tribal Governments.
Ashleigh Fixico will intern with the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
Ashleigh is currently a junior at Dartmouth College pursuing a degree in government and Native American studies. She actively volunteers for the Tribe, serving as a representative to the 2016 White House Tribal Youth Conference, a member of the Mvskoke Nation Youth Council, and as Jr. Miss Muscogee (Creek) Nation from 2010-2011. Ashleigh is a member of the National Indian Health Board’s Tribal Youth Advisory Board. Her goals are to restructure, strengthen, and implement policies that support Tribal self-governance, the well-being of Tribal members, and the longevity of Tribal nations for generations to come.
The Native American Congressional Internship Program provides Native American and Alaska Native students with the opportunity to gain practical experience with the Federal legislative process in order to understand firsthand the government-to-government relationship between Tribes and the Federal Government. The Udall Internship is funded by the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy.
More Information
The Udall Foundation was established by Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall’s lasting impact on this nation’s environment, public lands, and natural resources, and his support of the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to honor Stewart L. Udall and add his name to the Udall Foundation.
The Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy (NNI), founded in 2001 by the Udall Foundation and the University of Arizona, serves as a self-determination, governance, and development resource for Native Nations providing rigorous, accessible research on governance and development and delivering comprehensive leadership training on Indigenous nation building.
For additional information about the Internship program, please contact Jane Curlin at 520-901-8565 or curlin@udall.gov.