Serena Chandler of Aaniiih Nakoda College

Serena Chandler is an enrolled member of the Aaniiih tribe who graduated from Aaniiih Nakoda College in the spring of 2024 with an associate’s degree in American Indian studies. In 2025, she returned for two semesters to complete the associate’s degree in Aaniiih Nakoda language, making her one of the first graduates of the then new program. Serena is quiet, intelligent, humble and a talented young lady who does not announce her accomplishments. In 2024 and 2025, she graduated with the highest cumulative GPA of 4.0. In 2024, she became a member of ANC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She was also the captain of ANC’s stickgame team, taking first place at the 2024 AIHEC handgame tournament and first place as a team member of the 2025 AIHEC hnowledge bowl team. Serena is passionate about culture, language, and most of all art, even doing the logo for the Aaniiih Nakoda language forums, among other things. As a student at ANC, Serena helped to put on a conference for Indigenous science with partners from University of Montana. She also did meaningful internships working with youth at the Whiteclay Immersion School and with the ʔíítaanɔ́ɔ́nʔí /Tatag’a Buffalo Research and Education Center.

Serena’s goals include transferring to a university and majoring in American Indian studies and/or art and possibly obtaining a teaching degree. Someday she plans to move home to become an art, language, and an Indian studies teacher, teaching both college students at Aaniiih Nakoda College and the elementary students in the White Clay Immersion School. In an essay, she stated, “I want to teach students the traditional arts of our people; quillwork, beadwork, sewing, painting with natural earth paints, using natural dyes, parflesh painting, rawhide work, and so on.” She added, “The biggest goal that I have is to integrate the Aaniiih and Nakoda language into all of my curriculum, as well as creating language tools for others to utilize in the community. Of course, I will be an artist on the side, creating painted art pieces and traditional art.” Serena is currently enrolled at the University of Montana and is majoring in studio arts. Serena is a remarkable inspiring lady who is already achieving her goals.