Stewart Indian School

Cultural Center Staff

Chris Ann Gibbons began with the Nevada Indian Commission in 2005 and is currently the Curator for the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum. As Curator, Chris primarily works on organizing and preserving the archival documents, photographs, and artifacts that tell Stewart’s history and feels very fortunate to be part of the team responsible for opening the Cultural Center & Museum in December 2019. Chris is a graduate of Southern Oregon University with a degree in History and minors in both Native American Studies and Art History. In addition, she has a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Before coming to the Commission, Chris worked in educational outreach and programming for the Southern Oregon Historical Society.

Melissa Melero-Moose began her work with the Stewart Indian Commission in 2014, speaking about the Great Basin Native Artists (GBNA) at the Nevada Indian Territory Tribal Conferences. In 2019, Stewart asked her to be a part of the design consulting for the planning process of the Stewart Museum and then gallery curator for the Great Basin Native Artists (Wa-Pai-Shone) Gallery.
She is a mixed-media visual artist, writer and curator. She is a Northern Paiute enrolled with the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe with ties to Fort Bidwell Paiute, California. She lives in Hungry Valley, Nevada working as a professional artist, contributing writer for First American Art Magazine and founder/curator of the art collective the Great Basin Native Artists. She is a descendant of Stewart Alumni dating back from 1911 – 1974.

I am an enrolled tribal member of the Yomba Shoshone Tribe
located in the Reese River Valley in Nevada and a descendant of the Washoe Tribe.  In 1918 my grandmother, Alice Kawich Hooper, was the first in our family to attend Stewart Indian School. Being punished for speaking Newe daygwan, she spoke English in the home while my grandfather, Art Hooper, spoke Newe daygwan. My grandmother stressed the importance of education but also instilled knowing who I am and where I come from. I am a Humboldt State University alumnus where I was trained by the Indian Teacher Education Personnel Program, earned my BA degree, and completed my teaching credential program. I received a culturally rich education at HSU, and I am fortunate to continue to learn from my elders. I recently earned my certification as an iNaturalist through the California Tribal College. As the Education Curator, I assist with creating learning opportunities for guests who may not have known about the boarding school experience. I also work with community members who provide classes to help us to remember our past, and celebrate our future.

Stewart Cultural Advisory Committee

Josie Becerra, Walker River Paiute Tribe
Leah Brady, Western Shoshone
Ralph Burns, Pyramid Lake Paiute
Donna Cossette, Fallon Paiute
Fawn Douglas, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe
Herman Fillmore, Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California
Billie Jean Guerrero, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Reynelda James, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Linda Eben Jones, Paiute
Angelea Kizer, Washoe and Walker River Paiute Tribe
Ron Lewis, Pima Tribe
Gloria McDonald, Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute Tribe
Melba Rakow, Washoe Tribe of Nevada & California
Shawn Marie Sam, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Janice Eben Stump, Paiute
Aletha Tom, Moapa Band of Paiutes
Bill Turner, Bishop Paiute Tribe
Dianne Williams, Walker River Paiute Tribe

Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum Volunteers

Judy Anderson
Lorraine Cook, Apache
Marilyn (Max) Symonds
Linda Eben Jones, Paiute
Janice Eben Stump, Paiute
Shawn Marie Sam, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Renee Kolvet
Tera Bruhn, Puerto Rico Taino
Dale Bennett, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
Frank Joe, Western Shoshone
Teri Burns, Fallon Paiute Shoshone
Shelly Gould, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe
Harriet Brady, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Katie Yezek
Sarah Bruce
Ebieny Crawford, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
Gabriel Bruhn
Gabe Crounk
Marlon Melero, Reno Sparks Indian Colony
Kathie Geiser
Carol Glazier, N. Paiute
Lisa Callan
Beverly Mobley, Eastern Cherokee
Michelle Wise Ballard
Ike Bennett, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
Patti Bennett, N. Paiute
Dianne Williams, Fallon Paiute
Marissa Marsh
Daryl Crawford, Navajo and Hopi
Rosemary Hanson, Shoshone