New member of CWU’s board of trustees dedicated to connecting cultures

When she was 16, Emily Washines would walk alone from Toppenish High School to the

“Then other kids started going,” she said. “There was like this big trail following me.”

Her trail was symbolic for what was to come later: helping lead the way in bridging communities to bring a better understanding of indigenous peoples.

She’s served as an ambassador for her tribe in 1999-2000 as Miss Yakama Nation, and then for indigenous communities across the country as Miss National Congress of American Indians.

She helped devise a statewide a curriculum on tribal sovereignty and regularly assembles online education programs for the public about tribal fisheries — a cornerstone of the Yakamas’ culture.

Her efforts, knowledge and passion for tribal culture is why Gov. Jay Inslee recently appointed her to the board of trustees of Central Washington University, where in 2006 she received bachelor’s degrees in public policy and political science.

Read the entire article online at the Yakima Herald-Republic.