EWU ‘Aunties’ are Ready to Make a Difference for Students

For Native American students leaving home to attend college, separation from close-knit families and tribal relationships can be tough. At Eastern Washington University, there’s now a new option for helping them feel more at home.

Meet the “Aunties,” a group of EWU faculty and staff members of varying tribal affiliations dedicated to assisting Native students in navigating the college experience. From answering questions for newly arrived freshmen to helping seniors reach the finish line, the Aunties are poised to make an impact.

Cola Boyer, an EWU alumna who now serves as director of tribal relations for EWU, came up with the idea based in part on her own experience at Eastern years ago. The name “Aunties,” she says, was a natural for the group because aunties are like second moms to people from tribal and other backgrounds.

“You are always looking for guidance from aunties — people that aren’t necessarily moms, so to speak, but somebody you can go to,” Boyer says.

In addition to Boyer, the group of volunteer mentors includes Margo Hill, associate professor of urban planning and interim director of American Indian Studies; Christy Gilchrist, director of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program; Evanlene Melting Tallow, program coordinator and recruiter for American Indian Studies; Lori Falcon, director of the Transition to Teaching Program; and Ernestine Jim, American Indian Studies media and public relations assistant.

Tiger Peone, Spokane Tribal councilman and EWU alumnus, Margo Hill, Spokane Tribal member and American Indian Studies director, Rick Mathews, Spokane Tribal member and president of Wilmer & Associates, Dave Browneagle (Spokane tribal elder, EWU alumni, and lead for Smudge Ceremony) Aly Stensgar, Spokane tribal member and director of Education for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Cola Boyer, Shoshone Bannock and director of tribal relations and organizer for the smudge ceremony. — Tiger Peone, Spokane tribal councilman and EWU alumnus, Margo Hill, Spokane tribal member and director of American Indian Studies, Rick Mathews, Spokane tribal member and president of Wilmer & Associates, Dave Browneagle, Spokane tribal elder, EWU alumnus, and lead for Smudge Ceremony, Aly Stensgar, Spokane tribal member and director of education for the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Cola Boyer, Shoshone Bannock and director of tribal relations and ceremony organizer.

Their tribal affiliations include the Spokane Tribe of Indians, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, First Nations Blackfeet Tribe, Tlingit, and Yakama.

Boyer says group members know firsthand how isolating and intimidating it can be when moving from a tribal community to an unfamiliar college campus.

“The university experience coming from the reservation is often a lonely experience,” Boyer says. “You are coming from a community that you are very familiar with. You have all of your relatives — your sisters, cousins, aunties, uncles — and then you come to a university campus that is very foreign.”

Adjusting can be extra challenging for Native students who are the first in their families to attend college, she adds, because they often lack someone with whom they’re close to answer questions or provide guidance regarding higher education.

So far, the Aunties have planned activities that include brown-bag luncheons with guest speakers (among them campus and community experts on budgeting, internships and resume creation), along with networking opportunities with tribal alumni working in various professional roles.

“We have some wonderful tribal alumni that have done great out in the business world, so what does networking look like?” she says.

Boyer and the McNair Program’s Christy Gilchrist kicked off the academic year by staffing a table at the Pass Through the Pillars barbecue. Among their other interactions with students, they distributed informational fliers about a smudge ceremony, an Indigenous ritual aimed at clearing negative energy and creating positive thoughts, gratitude and purpose.

Cola Boyer and Christy Gilchrist greet students at the Pass Through the Pillars barbecue.

Led by Dave Browneagle of the Spokane Tribe, the Sept. 25 smudge ceremony, the first of its kind to kick off the first day of classes at Eastern, drew students, tribal leaders and members of the campus community.

The Aunties are now working through EWU’s Native American Student Coalition to encourage students to get involved with 2026 Homecoming activities — including encouraging tribal artists to participate in the window painting tradition.

“We really want our tribal students to get involved if possible. With the Aunties, what we are trying to accomplish is a sense of belonging and engagement. We really want our students to feel that sense of belonging again.”

Boyer says that although the Aunties are uniquely suited to help tribal students, they welcome all students.

“Let’s say maybe a non-tribal student identifies with a tribal community,” Boyer says. “Come and see us. We’re not closing the door to anybody.”

If you would like to reach out to an auntie to ask questions or schedule a visit, send an email to ewuaunties@ewu.edu.