About Us

The Association on American Indian Affairs is the oldest non-profit serving Indian Country protecting sovereignty, preserving culture, educating  youth and building capacity. The Association was formed in 1922 to change the destructive path of federal policy from assimilation, termination and allotment, to sovereignty, self-determination and self-sufficiency. Throughout its 98-year history, the Association has provided national advocacy on watershed issues that support sovereignty and culture, while working on the ground at a grassroots level with Tribes to support the implementation of programs that affect lives on the ground.

The Association is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland and is governed by an all-Native American Board of Directors from across Indian country. As a membership organization, the Association speaks with unified voices from all over the country, both Native and non-Native together, to protect sovereignty, preserve culture, educate youth and build capacity.

The Association's Board of Directors

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President Frank Ettawageshik (Odawa)
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Vice President Jonathan Perry (Wampanoag)
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Treasurer Joseph Daniels, Sr. (Forest County Potawatomi)
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Secretary DeeAnn DeRoin, MD (Ioway)
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Board Member Alfred R. Ketzler, Sr. (Athabascan)
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Board Member John Echohawk (Pawnee)
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Board Member Brad Keeler (Cherokee)
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Board Member Sandy White Hawk (Lakota)
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Board Member Rory Wheeler (Seneca)

The Association's Staff

Shannon O’Loughlin, Chief Executive and Attorney, is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Shannon is a former Chief of Staff to the National Indian Gaming Commission, where she assisted in the development and implementation of national policy throughout the agency, and oversaw the agency’s public affairs, technology, compliance and finance divisions.  Shannon has also served Indian Country in the private sector​ as an attorney​, leading a large national firm’s Indian law practice group ​and ​bringing more than 18 years of Indian Country legal and policy work to strengthen, maintain and protect Indian nation sovereignty, self-determination and culture. Shannon was appointed by Secretary​ of the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee in 2013, and was appointed by President Barack Obama as the first Native American to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee within the State Department in 2015; she was fired by President Trump in 2019. ​Shannon received a B.A.​ in American Indian Studies​ from California State University, Long Beach and joint M.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Arizona​ in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy​. 
Colleen Medicine, Program Director, is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and her family roots come from Mackinac Island, Michigan. Colleen has spent her entire career working within Indian Country and has held several positions within Tribal governments and non-profits. Most recently, Colleen served the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians as the Director of Language & Culture and NAGPRA Designee. Colleen has extensive experience working in Repatriation and sees no greater honor than assisting in the return of Ancestors and their objects. Colleen holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration, with a minor in American Indian Studies from Central Michigan University. Colleen also holds a Master’s Degree in International Administration with a focus on International Repatriation, also from Central Michigan University. Colleen is also very proud to be an Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor and a lifetime Anishinaabemowin language learner.
River Kerstetter, Public Affairs & Outreach Coordinator, is an artist, writer, and citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. River believes that art and storytelling are important for us to connect and heal, especially in Indigenous, Two-Spirit, and LGBTQ+ communities who fight to be seen and safe every day. She has taught art for eight years, including at the Chicago Center for Arts & Technology, Columbia College Chicago, and Working Classroom in Albuquerque, NM, and has worked as a freelance designer for a decade. River is a co-founder of TIES, a reading series that celebrates Indigenous Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ writers. Her writing has appeared in a variety of publications including Sweeter Voices Still, an anthology of Midwestern queer and trans writers from Belt Publishing. River holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Book & Paper Arts from Columbia College Chicago and a BFA from the University of New Mexico.
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Van Tran, Program Assistant, began her career working her way up in corporate America. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Accounting and a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. After eight years in the corporate field, Van decided that she wanted to concentrate on non-profit value driven efforts. Van has always been passionate about helping others and strives to make the world a better place in her personal life. At the Association, Van utilizes her knowledge and experience in business management to administer the Association’s scholarship and summer camp programs, public education, operations, office system strategies, donor management, and organization growth. Van plans on continuing her lifelong dream of working in the nonprofit field and helping protect Indian Nation sovereignty and culture.
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​The Association's Council of Advisors

​The Council of Advisors is comprised of individuals who are interested in furthering the work of the Association. They hold a wealth of knowledge and various interests, and are prominent in their own fields. The Council’s primary initiatives consist of raising the profile of the the Association's work, assisting in planning our fundraising events, and supporting the Association to network with individuals who can assist programmatically and financially.  

Nadema Agard, Cherokee/Lakota/Powhatan        Gail Bruce                                                               Kimberly Guerrero, Colville/Salish-Kootenai/Cherokee
John Haworth, Cherokee                                            Dennis Hirschfelder                                             Alli Joseph, Shinnecock
Hattie Kauffman, Nez Perce                                      Kerry Kennedy                                                      Dr. Francesca Kress
Jody Naranjo, Santa Clara Pueblo                            Jane Safer                                                               George Stonefish, Lenape
Tommy Orange, Cheyenne & Arapaho                  Martha Redbone, Cherokee/Choctaw             Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Blackfeet
Josh Spear                                                                     Gloria Steinem                                                      DeLanna Studi, Cherokee                                         
Lynn Taylor-Corbett                                                   Howard B. Teich                                                    Kathleen Wall, Jemez Pueblo