Advancing Native Education With Vision, Advocacy, and Heart
During the Philanthropono Spring 2026 Hōʻike, Dr. Casie Wise stepped into the Hōʻike with humility, gratitude, and a powerful story of Native education advocacy.
As Senior Program Director for the National Indian Education Association, Dr. Wise presented a case for support focused on NIEA’s Tribal Communities and Schools program. But before she made the case for funding, she took the audience back to 1969, to the Civil Rights Movement, the American Indian Movement, and a convening of Native scholars, educators, economists, and artists who came together to address long-standing challenges in education.
Out of that gathering, three scholars decided to create an organization that would advocate on behalf of Native parents and Native educators, ensuring they had greater voice, control, and influence over Native education. NIEA was officially born in 1970, and some of the same leaders were instrumental in the writing and passage of the Indian Education Act of 1972.
Dr. Wise’s presentation made clear that this history is not distant. It is living work.
For more than 50 years, NIEA has focused on federal policy advocacy, yet many of the challenges that shaped its founding still remain for Native youth and communities today. Dr. Wise spoke from that intersection of history and urgency, acknowledging progress while making it clear that there is still much more to do.
Her presentation focused on building support for a long-range vision. During feedback, Olani Lilly noted the strength of Dr. Wise’s “10-year long-range plan,” calling it exciting. Dr. Wise also received feedback about potential partnerships with organizations working in related advocacy spaces, and she responded with openness, noting the importance of bridging policy work back into programming.
That exchange revealed something important about Dr. Wise’s leadership: she is both visionary and receptive. She brought a real pitch, welcomed feedback, and held the complexity of national Native education work with grace.
Her case for support was not only about one program. It was about Native students, Native families, Native educators, and the right of communities to shape education systems that reflect who they are.
Dr. Casie Wise is a Changemakers hero because she carries forward a legacy of advocacy while building toward a future where Native education is not defined by systems that exclude Native voices, but by communities who know what their children need to thrive.
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Read more and watch other participants and the entire Spring 2026 Kaʻiʻi Hōʻike presentation.
