Native American Indian Association of TN

Seeds for Community Resilience

Eleanor’s roots in Middle Tennessee go back six generations, with a majority of those generations running a family farm in Smith County. Eleanor has had the privilege to work with Indigenous groups across the continent, from teaching Indigenous Latin American migrants to read and speak Spanish to mentoring Native youth on navigating higher education systems, and currently as a volunteer board member and Treasurer of the Native-led 501c3 nonprofit the Native American Indian Association of Tennessee (NAIA). As Treasurer of the NAIA, Eleanor has aided in charitable grant funding for cultural revitalization efforts, essential services for Native people in need, job training and vocational supportive services, the Annual Tennessee Indian Education Pow Wow, and the planned Circle of Life Indian Cultural Center. Eleanor has been involved in creating community gardens for schools and at low barrier shelters for the unhoused. She believes in the healing power of plants for not only the Earth but in our relationships with each other. Her Doctoral work focused on diagnosing all things that can make plants sick - from environmental and soil nutrient conditions to nematodes, insects, and pathogens - her expertise is plant pest problem solving. Eleanor ran the UTK Extension plant pest diagnostic laboratory for 2.5 years, giving Tennessee plant growers guidance on correct identification and management of insect and pathogen pests. On the Grants Committee of the Cumberland Seed Commons, Eleanor is invested in how our effort can gain community, governmental, and Tribal participation that is reciprocal and supportive of Tribal priorities in our efforts to preserve biodiversity and center our waterways across the Cumberland River watershed, and create ways for all community members to participate.