Culture Bearers & Staff

Alisia is a mother of five, a daughter, sister, auntie, and proud First Generation Mexican American and Oglala Lakota woman. She holds an Associate’s degree in Human Services and serves as the Vice President of Spirit Reborn, an organization dedicated to supporting Indigenous families impacted by incarceration and systemic oppression. Born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Alisia was raised by her parents and her Unci Annie, growing up within the Kangi Numpa Tiwahe on land passed down from her Great Grandfather, a Carlisle Indian Industrial School survivor. Fluent in the resilience of her dual heritage, Alisia’s life has been shaped by the rich languages and traditions of Guanajuato, Mexico, and the Oglala Lakota Nation. Her professional background spans family support, foster care, and juvenile justice advocacy, where she serves as a voice for the Indigenous confined population. She is also a co-owner of Tiwahe Unkaga Pi (Family Creations), a family business that honors the artistry of her confined relatives and family. Alisia first connected with Healing Ribbons as a participant in the Art of Healing program in 2025 and officially joined the team in 2026. Driven by a deep commitment to transforming intergenerational trauma into intergenerational healing, she is passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces where Indigenous women can lead and heal. A believer that “culture is the cure”, Alisia views her work and life as a spiritual journey dedicated to honoring the prayers of her ancestors.

Trinity is a mother of three, daughter of many mothers, published author, Knowledge Keeper, community volunteer and an artist. She has an Associate’s degree in Human Services, is a SPARK Fellow for the Fabric Lab and is proud of her Navajo and Oglala Lakota heritage.  Born in Farmington, New Mexico and raised in foster care and the Social Services system, her experiences molded her into an advocate for marginalized people (especially BIPOC), an agent for change and a proponent for cultural revitalization.  She is an apprentice Culture Bearer and Cultural Resilience Ally that is passionate about increasing and sharing her cultural knowledge.  She dedicated her career and volunteer activities to empowering and uplifting BIPOC communities while encouraging cultural growth and empowerment among Indigenous women and children.

Samantha is a first-generation college graduate, born and raised in South Omaha. She is part of the Bear Clan and an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Samantha obtained her Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in Education of Human Sciences, with minors in Native American Studies and Psychology. After graduating college, she began working in child welfare and social services. From there, she saw how much families and children struggled in the system. When working with Native families and individuals, she observed how the system lacked resources and knowledge of Native culture; the disconnect affected them profoundly. Over the past ten years, she has worked with Native organizations to spread awareness, education, culture revitalization, and traditional art to provide spaces where Native people can heal and grow. Samantha continues to learn traditional arts from all tribes on Turtle Island and teaches others those arts. Cooking for her community and family makes her heart happy because she has seen how much food brings people together. She is excited to be a part of the Healing Ribbons team to help grow the organization in its mission and goals for our community.

Judy Genovesi is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Nation. Judy attended Boarding School at Marty in South Dakota. She spent twenty-five years as a beautician and business owner.  Looking for a change and wanting to make a difference by caring for and helping heal people she earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse (RN).  Judy spent twenty-five years as a RN at Douglas County Health Center until she retired. Judy engages in a variety of artistic pursuits but sewing is her passion.  Judy is primarily self taught, using sewing videos to advance her skills. Judy is a genuine servant leader, she loves helping others and sharing her sewing and cultural knowledge with others. As a lifelong learner, she is always interested in learning from others as well.

Valery is a business owner, realtor, Culture Bearer, play writer, author, beadwork artist and regalia maker.  She is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) where she majored in Studio Arts (2002) with a concentration in Graphic Design and a minor in Native American Studies. Valery shares her knowledge through cultural instruction workshops  at the Joslyn Art Museum, Boystown, Union Pacific, Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha Children’s Museum, Lincoln Public Schools in Indian Education, Center Point in Lincoln NE, UNO and Lester’s Beading Class. Since 2012 she founded and coordinates the Native American Prime Time Family Reading, a family literacy program for Native American families funded by the Humanities Foundation of Nebraska.

Loretta Jordan (Standing Rock Sioux) was born and raised on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota and on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Maternally, she is from the Walking Eagle-Agard tiospaye and paternally from the Flying Cloud-Zahn tiospaye. She is mother to four sons, grandmother to four grandchildren and one grandchild. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Bachelor Degree in Sociology and a minor in Native American Studies. Loretta had the privilege to learn from two of the top therapists in South Dakota, the late Madonna Blue Horse (Oglala Lakota) and Eileen Lunderman (Sicangu Lakota). Both therapists were proficient in experiential and drama therapy techniques as applied to historical and generational trauma. Loretta dedicated her life to helping her people heal from addiction and generational trauma within a culturally appropriate context. Loretta retired in 2009 as the Clinical Supervisor for the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, Inc. Despite her retirement she remains an active volunteer as a mentor, researcher, behavior health expert and Culture Bearer. She co-authorized a Lakota story for a meditation app. Using an intergenerational and divested colonialist deficit approach, she is researching and developing a trauma response tool kit to aid persons who need to manage destructive behaviors stemming from survival tactics and trauma-response driven (fight, flight, freeze, dissociation).

Renee is a proud member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. she was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. Growing up as a non-Caucasian in an adoptive, Caucasian family, she faced many hardships. The feeling of being alone, and apart from her community was constant.  But this experience shaped her into the person that she is today – someone who is dedicated to helping others, especially those within the Native American population. As an independent healthcare consultant, she works tirelessly to provide support and resources for individuals working in the urban Native American population. She also serves as a Boystown Independent contractor as a Common Sense Parenting Trainer and collaborates with the Society of Care to develop culturally responsive Native American curriculum for the Lincoln Police Department. Her professional accomplishments are numerous, including serving as a Program Coordinator for the Ponca Tribe Of Nebraska’s supervised visits for domestic violence families, Project Coordinator for Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, Inc., and Clinic Supervisor for Nebraska Urban Indian Medical Center. In each role she endeavors to make a difference in the lives of Native American families.

Stephanie Two Crow - Isna Maka Glakinyan Mani Win (Woman Walks Across Earth Alone) - comes from Northern Cheyenne, Cheyenne River, Rosebud, and Oglala Lakota bloodlines and was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She resides in Little Wound (Kyle), SD, in the American Horse Creek Community. Stephanie shares, “I feel very fortunate to have grown up in my grandparents’ generation and to have lived in ceremony, our traditional life ways, and to have the Lakota Language as my first language.” From a young age, she learned beadwork, quillwork, and cultural values from her grandmother and respected women in her community. Following her grandmother’s footsteps, she now teaches and supports relatives in cultural preservation through art, education, and community work. Since 2017, Stephanie has served as an adjunct instructor at Oglala Lakota College and has led numerous cultural preservation efforts across Pine Ridge and the surrounding He Sapa and Rapid City communities. Her work includes collaborations with Columbia University on blending science and traditional knowledge to preserve plant relatives, as well as partnerships with the University of Nebraska and the University of Michigan on sexual violence prevention programs that are youth-focused. Stephanie holds multiple degrees from Oglala Lakota College, including Office Technology, Human Services, Tribal Law, a BA in Lakota Studies, and a Certificate in Lakota Language. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree and hopes to one day earn her PhD. An active board member and advocate for Indigenous health and well-being, Stephanie supports Elders, Youth, MMIP, LGBTQIA2S+, unhoused relatives, sexual violence prevention, and Wamakanskan (animal) rights. She says, “Most importantly, I am a granddaughter, daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin, and friend.” She has been an artist and instructor with Oglala Lakota Artspace for several years and is honored to be at First Peoples Fund.