INDIGENOUS STUDIES

Stephen Wall, IAIA Faculty

Biography:

Stephen Wall is an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe/White Earth Reservation. Stephen was born in Roswell, New Mexico and was raised on and near the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in southern New Mexico. After graduating high school he attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Upon completing his B.A. in Anthropology, Stephen attended law school at the University of New Mexico and graduated in 1975. Stephen has worked with the American Indian Law Center as research analyst, worked with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board as a community development specialist and served as Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Tohono O’odham Health Department in Sells Arizona. In Mescalero, New Mexico, he served for 11 years in the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court as the Prosecutor and Chief Judge. He is currently the Tribal Justice Specialist for American Indian Development Associates (AIDA) and is adjunct professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

"Techno-Dodems™ 2" created exclusively by Stephen Wall and Laura Fragua-Cota

Education:

University of New Mexico BA Anthropology
University of New Mexico JD

Major Professional Activities:

Stephen is an artist who works in jewelry and sculpture. His jewelry has won awards at the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Show and the Santa Fe Indian Market. He works primarily with silver and a variety of stones, including turquoise, coral, lapis lazuli and wood. Stephen sculptures primarily in stone and generally in limestone and marble. One of Stephen’s pieces, “Techno-Dodem”, is currently included in a nationally touring show, Native Views: Influences of Modern Culture through the Artrain USA.

Teaching Statement:

I would first like to state that it is an honor to teach here at IAIA: because of the schools historical tradition and because of the potential for its future. Second, I would state that teaching is a sacred act. Its purpose is to prepare a person to face whatever their future holds, to give them the tools they need to be successful and positively contribute to the society in which they chose to live. Third, learning does not come easily and often one must struggle to learn and it is the role of the teacher to create the environment in which that struggle takes place. Lastly, I would state that education is a mechanism for change and growth which affects both the student and the teacher.