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OCTOBER 15, 2022
9
Tribal member Izayah Hall named Hatfield Fellow
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Grand Ronde Tribal member Iza-
yah Hall has been named the 23rd
Hatfield Fellow for 2022-23 and
becomes the 11th Tribal member
to be honored as a fellow.
Hall, 22, is a graduate of the Uni-
versity of Oregon where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies
with a double minor in Sustainable
Business and Native American
Studies. He also is an honorary
member of the National Society of
Leadership and Success.
During his first year at the Uni-
versity of Oregon, Hall was ac-
cepted into the Native American
and Indigenous Studies Academic
Residential Community in the
Kalapuya Ilihi dormitory. His
time and experiences there had an
immense effect on his educational
path and passion in life.
Hall said he watched his Indige-
nous peers and friends slowly drop
out of school and learned that the
Native American and Indigenous
community had the highest rate of
dropouts and students withdrawing
from the university.
“I knew this was an issue,” he
said. “I saw just how capable and
motivated every Indigenous stu-
dent was in the community. I was
puzzled at the rate at which my
peers were dropping out of school.
There is where my compassion
and desire to find a way to help my
people slowly integrated into my
education. I knew that I wanted
and needed to become a bridge for
Indigenous and Native students
hoping to further their education.
“Indigenous students are not
only unprepared for the transition
from their community to higher
education, but the resources they
need to succeed are not present and
severely underfunded. Especially
when accounting for a first-gener-
ation college student.
“It is for this reason that I was
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal Council member Jon A. George greets Izayah Hall, the 2022-23 Hatfield
Fellow, in Tribal Council Chambers on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Hall is the 23rd
Hatfield Fellow and the 11th Tribal member to be honored as a fellow.
Past Hatfield Fellows
1998: Pete Wakeland (Grand Ronde)
1999: Direlle Calica (Warm Springs)
2000: Alyssa Macy (Warm Springs)
2001: Bodie Shaw (Warm Springs)
2002: Kevin Simmons (Grand Ronde)
2003: Bryan Mercier (Grand Ronde)
2004: Joseph Hostler (Grand Ronde)
2006: Dennis Worden (Coeur d’Alene)
2007: Rebecca Knight (Grand Ronde)
2008: Francene Ambrose (Grand Ronde)
2009: Stacia Hernandez (Grand Ronde)
2010: Shana Radford (Nez Perce)
2011-12: Darrel L. Lawrence (Grand Ronde)
2013-14: Rudy Soto (Sho-Ban)
2014-15: Mary Bodine (Warm Springs)
2015-16: Maria Givens (Coeur d’Alene)
2016-17: Robert Ahern (Warm Springs)
2017-18: Karlen Yallup (Warm Springs)
2018-19: Traven Joseph (Koyokan Athabascan/Gros-Ventre)
2019-20: Cholena Wright (Klamath)
2020-21: Simone Auger (Grand Ronde)
2021-22: Samuel Riding In (Grand Ronde)
2022-23: Izayah Hall (Grand Ronde)
drawn to the opportunity of partic-
ipating in the Hatfield Fellowship
program. I feel this opportunity will
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allow me to explore how the higher
education curriculum is influenced
by policy at a federal level.”
The Grand Ronde Tribe estab-
lished the Mark O. Hatfield Fellow-
ship in 1998 as a tribute to Hatfield
to honor his accomplishments as
Oregon governor and U.S. senator.
Each year, Spirit Mountain Com-
munity Fund sponsors a Native
American to serve as the fellow
and intern in an Oregon congres-
sional office, enhancing the mutual
understanding between leadership
in Washington, D.C., and Indian
Country.
Hall will begin his fellowship on
Oct. 31 with a month-long orien-
tation at the American Political
Science Association in Washington,
D.C. He will then work in Rep. Earl
Blumenauer’s office.
“The Hatfield Fellowship offers
a unique and unparalleled insight
into the legislative process while
keeping Sen. Hatfield’s strong
legacy of public service alive,”
Blumenauer said. “I look forward
to welcoming the next Hatfield
Fellow into my office this winter.
At a time when Tribal communities
are facing unique challenges – from
recovering from the disruption of
the COVID-19 pandemic to dealing
with the ongoing climate crisis – it
is essential that we maintain and
strengthen partnerships between
Congress and Tribal governments.”
“I am extremely excited to have
an opportunity to further my jour-
ney through the Hatfield Fellow-
ship program,” Hall said. “I believe
it will serve as the perfect opportu-
nity to continue my education and
develop higher levels of critical
thinking that can be used to benefit
Indigenous communities. I hope to
find ways to distribute the benefits
of this incredible opportunity back
to the Tribes and create positive
change for the younger generation
of Indigenous students.”
Previous Grand Ronde Tribal
members who have been Hatfield
Fellows include Tribal Council
Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez and
Bryan Mercier, who is the regional
director for the Bureau of Indian
Affairs’ Portland office overseeing
the Northwest. 