Featured Speakers and Entertainment

Edgar Villanueva will participate in a keynote conversation with AISES CEO Sarah EchoHawk during the opening ceremony of the 2019 AISES National Conference, scheduled for Thursday, October 10. Villanueva will provide insights into the major imbalances that exist in society. In his newest book Decolonizing Wealth, he offers compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonization in the philanthropic and social finance sectors, pointing out that diversity in philanthropy is inadequate and more resources are needed in communities of color. 

A leader with impressive experience, Villanueva oversees grant investment and capacity-building supports for education-focused justice campaigns across the United States. He is vice president of programs and advocacy at the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and currently serves as chair of the board of directors of Native Americans in Philanthropy and is a board member of the Andrus Family Fund and the NDN Collective. 

Villanueva holds two degrees from the Gillings Global School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. 

A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Lillian has worked in Washington, D.C., for nearly 20 years, devoting her career to supporting the educational pursuits of Native American students, protecting the rights of Indigenous people, and empowering tribal communities. In 2010, Lillian was appointed by President Obama, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, to serve as commissioner for the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Native Americans. In this role she worked on programs and policy, including impacting Native languages, education, and social and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

Prior to her service at ANA, Lillian served as the executive director of the National Indian Education Association, where she focused on education policy and appropriations impacting Indigenous students. A former staff attorney at the National Congress of American Indians, Lillian has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being named one of seven young Native American Leaders by USA Today Magazine, one of “40 Under 40” by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, and American Indian Woman of the Year. A graduate of Morgan State University and Georgetown University Law Center, Lillian lives in Baltimore, Md., with her husband, Corey, and son, Connor.

Christian Takes Gun Parrish is “Supaman”, a Native American dancer and innovative hip hop artist who has dedicated his life to empowering and spreading a message of hope, pride and resilience through his original art form. A member of the Apsaalooke Nation, he lives on the Crow reservation in Montana. 
  
Supaman was the recipient of the 2017 MTV VMA Award for "Best Fight Against the System". He has received numerous accolades, awards, and honors such as a Native American Music Award, North American Indigenous Image Award, and seven-time Tunney Award. He was named The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award in Canada for best video, and was voted MTV’s new Artist of the Week. His 2018 nominations brought home awards for Best Hip Hop Album and Best Producer for the Indigenous Music Awards. His latest video’s Prayer Loop Song and Why have gone viral and have received millions of views on YouTube. With close to a quarter million Facebook followers, he is in high demand touring extensively throughout North America and internationally. He has performed for Google at the Google headquarters in San Francisco. He recently was asked to audition for America’s Got Talent and the Broadway play, Hamilton. He is collaborating with Taboo from the multi-Grammy award winning group Black Eyed Peas on a project due in the coming months.
  
Supaman’s unique presentation combines Native American culture, comedy, and urban hip hop culture which dazzles audiences and captivates listeners. He has gained the respect of his community and generation. His communicative talent along with a compassion that exudes from his music allows him to connect with people from all walks of life. His uncanny ability to motivate, encourage, and inspire through dance, and hip hop music keeps him at the forefront among his contemporaries, which gives him a platform to educate others on global Indigenous issues.