Student Staff

Zoe Cire  is a visual artist born and raised on Treaty 6 territory of central Alberta, currently residing as a guest on the territories of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Niantic, Quinnipiac, and other Algonquian speaking peoples. Cire’s works talk with the culture that raised her, her kokom’s Cree lineage of Beaver Lake Cree Nation and moshom’s Métis lineage. These conversations are expressed through forms of painting, beading and textile work. With a focus on the terrains of material association, Cire’s practice speaks with language and memory, where it can be found, and what it says when it reaches.  Cire completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts and minored in Curatorial Studies from Emily Carr University. Upon graduation, Cire was awarded the Vancouver Art Attack Award where she went on to have a solo exhibition, Berrypicker (South Main Art Gallery). Since then, she has exhibited in Discovery (Seymour Art Gallery) and tântê ê-wî-itohtêyahk (Deer Lake Gallery) and now is currently a Graduate student at Yale School of Art.

Silliman ‘25

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Major: Architecture

Native Nation: Mexico, China, and Sweden 

Naima is a junior studying architecture. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California but has roots in Mexico, China, and Sweden. She is a passionate artist, athlete, organizer, activist, and learner. She has been engaged in community visual and performing arts her entire life. Her artistic endeavors span personal drawing, murals, and set design. Recently, she became very interested in archival work which interested her in the NACC Arts Liaison position since it bridges many of her interests!

Mikiala Ng – Head of House Staff 

Pierson ‘24

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Waialua, Oʻahu

Major: Art (Painting/Printmaking)

Native Nation: Hawaiian

Mikiala Ng (she/her) is a senior from Hawaiʻi and is a proud member of both the artistic and Indigenous communities at Yale. Through her art, Mikiala advocates for environmental issues, Native rights, and the celebration of Indigeneity. She also loves making art as gifts, decorations, or a relaxing activity at the end of a long day. While at home, Mikiala enjoys surfing, going to the beach, and spending time with her family and two dogs.

Nyche´ Andrew

Branford, ‘25

Pronouns: she/her

Hometown: Traditional lands of the Dena’ina Elena Athabascan, now known as Anchorage, Alaska

Major: Political Science

Native Nation: Yup’ik and Inupiaq

Hello! My Native names are Skavaq Sivulluiqti, my English name is Nyche Tyme Andrew. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. I got to Yale through a mix of passion, starry-eyed dreaming, and the endless help and prayers from my loved ones. Since being here, I have found community as a general member in the Native and Indigenous Student Association at Yale (NISAY, which is closely pronounced as my name “Nish-ay”). I get to build on my interests through my past membership of the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association, and currently as a research assistant for the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. I am excited to be with the amazing, beautiful, spectacular community members of the Native American Cultural Center as house staff this year!

Hello everyone! My name is Kyra Kaya and I am a current sophomore in Davenport College studying Computer Science and Psychology (which is one major, but still double the fun!). I am Native Hawaiian and my family is from Ke’anae, Maui, but I was born and raised in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. At Yale, you can find me making spam musubi in the NACC kitchen, performing comedy improv with the Viola Question, and putting on amazing events with NISAY and YAISES. Outside of Yale life, I like to spend my time reading anything and everything, playing my ukulele at odd hours of the night, and spending time with my suitemates!

Dane Keahi

Davenport, ‘27

Native Nation: Diné

Yá’át’ééh everyone! My name is Taylor Dineyazhe I’m a first year in Ezra Stiles (GFM!!) if you know you know. I was born and raised in Gallup, NM, just outside the Navajo Nation. Growing up next to the Navajo Nation my whole life is what sparked my interest in Environmental Engineering and has made me develop a strong passion for environmental sustainability, water security, and those in my community. Aside from that, I love to spend my free time online shopping, going on runs, grabbing a drink at Starbucks, and rewatching The Office or Gilmore Girls.