I am honored to step into the role of Executive Director of the NACA Inspired Schools Network. I do so with deep respect for what this community has built and with a steady commitment to strengthening the foundation that will carry NISN into its next chapter.
I was fortunate to grow up in my Pueblo community surrounded by matriarchs. My mother and I lived in my grandmother’s trailer, with my great-grandmother in the home next door. Watching my young mother raise me while she was still growing up herself instilled values that continue to guide me today–most profoundly, the value of education. For a long time, I believed that education existed within the four walls of a school. It took a while for me to understand that our feast days, ceremonies, and hours spent at the table with relatives were the true education that would sustain me on this path.
My other educational journey took me across parochial, BIE, public, and private schools throughout my K–12 experience. Through every transition, one message remained constant: I had to go to college. My mother was not afforded this opportunity, so achieving it became a personal mission. In the fall of 1998, I enrolled at Stanford University–an experience that shaped the trajectory of my life and career. It was there, within the Native community on campus, that I found a renewed sense of belonging and a deeper clarity about who I was, where I came from, and what I carried with me.
The education that I received at home–hearing the Keres language, listening to traditional stories, and learning through relationship to land and community, was something I had taken for granted. It took leaving home to understand the gifts of my identity development and cultural grounding were not afforded to all. Many Indigenous students I befriended in college did not have that same experience growing up due to the policies, practices, and historical trauma enacted on Indigenous People of this continent.
At the same time, I began to see my own experience more fully. I recognized both the strength of being able to remain rooted in my homelands and the gaps in my academic preparation for college. These realizations reshaped my understanding of education, not just as access, but as preparation, affirmation, and responsibility.
Those lessons are deeply connected to why NISN exists.
NISN is grounded in the belief that Indigenous students deserve education that is academically rigorous, culturally sustaining, and connected to community, and that Indigenous educators and leaders must be at the center of designing and leading this work. Our role is not to impose solutions, but to weave together what already exists: community knowledge, language, culture, strong instruction, and systems that support rather than undermine this work.
As Executive Director, my focus is on strengthening the conditions that allow our schools and leaders to thrive by deepening partnerships, reinforcing systems, and ensuring our network is positioned for long-term sustainability and impact. This next chapter is about listening closely, honoring the wisdom within our communities, and working collectively to meet this moment with care and intention. I believe in this work and it is the reason why I send my own child to a school within the NISN network.
Together, we can continue to create learning environments where Indigenous students know who they are, feel a sense of belonging, and are challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
I am grateful for the trust placed in NISN and in me as its leader. I look forward to bringing the teachings of my matriarchs, and those who came before me, to guide this organization into the future.
With gratitude,
Valerie Kie
Executive Director
NACA Inspired Schools Network
