Aiyanna Tanyan-Johnson of Haskell Indian Nations University

Aiyanna Tanyan-Johnson is Seminole and Muscogee Creek and a student at Haskell Indian Nations University where she majors in business administration. Aiyanna is a senior and has a passion for preserving traditional farming practices and tribal foods. She is a student worker with the USDA Equity Grant, where her knowledge and expertise in greenhouses have grown tremendously, reaching beyond the Haskell and Lawrence communities to the local tribal reservations, such as the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Aiyanna has given multiple presentations to the new student orientation class about her internship experiences. During these presentations, she encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and to be comfortable with discomfort. She shared that, coming from a small town in Oklahoma, it took courage to apply for internships in states like Florida and Louisiana. In addition to her knowledge of agriculture, Aiyanna was recognized by her Seminole tribe for her skill in designing and sewing traditional patchwork and was invited to teach tribal youth how to sew patchwork patterns. After Haskell, Aiyanna aims to further her education in agriculture with the goal of helping her tribe and other tribal communities achieve food sovereignty.