Nizhoni Tallas

Yá’át’ééh (Hello). Nizhoni is a proud member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in Rough Rock, Arizona. After high school, she attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and graduated with her B.S. in natural resources with an emphasis on outdoor recreation management. She recently graduated with her master’s in natural resources and is now in a Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona. Her master’s work focused on understanding interpretative signage throughout parks, national monuments, and recreational areas in the Southwest region. She analyzed language usage in interpretive signage to see how these various outdoor locations were sharing Indigenous histories and stories.

Nizhoni spends most of her summers participating in internships and other development programs to enhance her skills and gain knowledge she can use in her future career. She recently completed an internship as a water advocacy intern at the Grand Canyon Trust. She continues to advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous voices and knowledge within climate change and natural resource management. Nizhoni enjoys being outside, traveling, and finding the nearest boba shop wherever she goes.