Katie Shea is the National Parks Conservation Association’s Tribal Co-Management Policy Fellow. Katie is a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Prior to joining NPCA, Katie served the National Park Service as a Cultural Diversity Internship Program member at both Redwood National Park and the Office of Native American Affairs (IR-1). Following her back-to-back appointments, Katie continued working with the Northeast Region as a learned professional contractor. Through each of her stints, Katie’s work has evolved to focus on the shared stewardship strategy and capacity building for long-lasting success.
Katie’s passion for stewardship and building relationships is largely influenced by her participation the Potawatomi Leadership Program, where she learned the values of culture and political sovereignty, and the unique obligations to celebrate and further uphold those rights. This experience inspired her to study Indigenous Peoples Law at the University of Oklahoma and apply that knowledge to protect Native American heritage in the National Park Service.
Katie firmly believes her closely held values of stewardship is reflected in her Potawatomi name, Nanawgam Kwe (Middle of the Lake Woman). Which symbolizes her steadfast nature to strike balance and harmony on the boundless paths she ventures in life.