Four questions with Ayebah Wilson

April 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 15)
Article by Sarah Dudinetz

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Ayebah Wilson, assistant director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

Ayebah Wilson recently joined the Office of Multicultural Affairs as assistant director. Wilson brings a diverse background to the position, including stints at the University of New Mexico and a Milwaukee art studio. Below, Wilson discusses her passion for working with Native students and how that integrates into her artwork. 

Tell us about yourself. 
My name is Ayebah. I am a citizen of the Navajo Nation, which is where I was born and grew up. We moved back to Michigan after some time away. My bachelor's degree is in anthropology and cultural and global studies, with certificates in American Indian studies and cultural competency from Central Michigan University. Soon, I will graduate with a master’s degree in community-based education from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Before Grand Valley, I worked as an art assistant at Cloud9 Workshop in Milwaukee, giving art lessons and workshops that challenged me to reuse recycled materials. It shifted my brain to think about using different materials and giving them new life. 

I recently worked with the University of New Mexico, and they had a Native languages archive grant. I helped 12 different Pueblo tribes establish their own system of archiving historical records without relying on outside sources that often require subscriptions or contingencies. 

What are some aspects of this role that you’re excited about?
This summer, I’ll get to help put together the Native Youth Leadership camp. I participated in these camps in high school and I know how much that helped me develop my identity and understand my place in other communities.

These camps provide a place for connection in ways that students don’t always have otherwise. Today, I’m still friends with people I met at camp. I also think it helps students see themselves in higher education. Even seeing allies who are there who choose to give up their time in the summer to lead a workshop or lecture at camp shows them, "Oh, they're here for me."

Overall, I’m excited to improve visibility in spaces outside of OMA, asking questions like: How can I hold other spaces and departments accountable for how they might be, intentionally or not, contributing to the invisibility of Native students on campus? Are we considering the ways our students are still being limited? How are they still being pushed off their own land? Really, trying to bring awareness outside of moments where you "expect" to see Native people.

What led you to this role, and why are you passionate about it? 
A lot of what's motivated me is the issues my older siblings faced. My two older siblings passed away from an overdose, and I can see the ways that the system failed them. Services and resources can literally mean the difference between life and death. There weren't any summer camps like the ones I had when my older siblings were around, and there weren’t as many opportunities for Native people in higher education. So it's very real to me to realize that my being in this position could make that difference for others in a similar way.

Overall, I’m excited to present Indigenous frameworks that have proven to help us maintain our identity, sense of belonging and academic success. I'm hoping to bring different things in to help Native students walk that path in a way that is balanced. I think that's key: helping them find balance within themselves so that they can be as successful as possible, and then, hopefully, take that back to their people and so that they can benefit from it, too. 

My phrase has always been: What am I meant to do for my people? I know I have all these skills that I've gained along the way and I'm ready to use them. I'm ready to help. 

What do you like to do when you’re not at work? 
My parents live in Grand Haven, so I love going out to Lake Michigan and just watching the water. I’ve noticed my relationship with water is very strong, which makes sense, since one of my Navajo clans is Tó'aheedlíiniii, which means "water flows together." I’ve always needed to be around water in so many ways, because it’s so inherently a part of me. 

I do my own art as well, jewelry and printmaking. I always enjoy printmaking because it’s very therapeutic. Society is so fast-paced, and you feel like you always have to be doing something productive. It’s a good reminder to slow down and focus. It’s a nice reminder, too, of my own Indigenous ways of not having to be perfect. In Navajo culture, you're actually supposed to make a mistake in your art; otherwise, you risk leaving a piece of your soul in the art. Making a mistake leaves a way out for that piece of your soul. 

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