Our Team
Lecia Mata - President
My name is Lecia Mata, I’m an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe and a descendent of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. I’m currently a graduate student at Colorado State University majoring in Toxicology and I received my B.A. in Ojibwe Language and B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota in Spring of 2022.
When Natives in VetMed was being discussed, I was in the midst of finishing my last year of undergrad and applying to veterinary school. While I utilized communities and resources on campus, I still felt a distinct lack of community, but I couldn’t pinpoint the reason why I felt this disconnection. Throughout my undergraduate career I volunteered at community-medicine based clinics focused on reservation veterinary care, and this is where I began to form connections with other Indigenous veterinary students and discovered this was the community I was missing.
Through NIVM, I hope to foster a community space that enhances Indigenous voices and bridge connections to further opportunities for Indigenous students.
Summer Lara - Vice-President
Summer DuMarce-Lara is a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate - first and foremost, an Indigenous woman committed to bringing our voices to the table. She is a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine student with previous education in wildlife and conservation biology, and a masters in biomedical sciences. She is known for commitment to diversity and inclusion in S.T.E.M. fields through community-oriented projects, and is involved in multiple organizations on campus that focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Summer is incredibly passionate about accessible veterinary care for underserved communities and letting Indigenous voices lead the way when working with Indigenous communities. She is also Vice President for the 501c3 organization, Chi Maingan's 7th Generation at Four Directions Behavioral Health, an Indigenous-led organization focused on intergenerational trauma healing with the help of the Sunkawakan Oyate (Horse nation)
When not involved in and traveling for various veterinary projects, she is spending time learning and teaching the Dakota language. One day, she hopes to have her own practice that has language and Dakota culture built into the heart of it.
Jerilene Salabiye - Secretary
Yá’át’ééh shik’éí dóó shidine’é. Shí éí Jerilene Salabiye yinishyé. Kinyaa'áanii nishłį́, Mą'ii deeshgiizhinii bashishchiin, ‘Áshįįhi dashicheii, Tódich'ii'nii dashinalí. Ákót’éego diné asdzáán nishłį́. Shimá dóó shizhé’e éí Darlene Manuelito Salabiye dóó Mike Salabiye woolyé. Tóhatchí dęę’ iiyinshi nahshá. Ahéhee’.
Hello my friends and family. My name is Jerilene Salabiye. I am Towering House born for Coyote Pass. My maternal grandfather was Salt People and my paternal grandfather was Bitter Water. In this way, I present myself as a young Navajo woman. My mother’s and father’s name are Darlene Manuelito Salabiye and Mike Salabiye. I am from Tohatchi, New Mexico. Thank you.
Currently, I am a fourth year undergraduate student attending New Mexico State University. I am a candidate for Bachelor’s of Science, major; Animal Science, minors; Equine Management and Chemistry. I have been an active member with Natives In VetMed (NIVM) since the summer of 2023. How I was introduced to this amazing organization was from Summer Lara DuMarce. Summer and I met at the Navajo Technical University Veterinary Teaching Hospital located in Crownpoint, NM. Her and I teamed up, preformed physical exams, and administered vaccines and dewormer to hundreds of sheep and goats in parts of the Navajo Nation reservation. After my internship with the teaching hospital, NIVM offered a volunteer opportunity held at the Lake Traverse Reservation. Not only did I gain knowledge and clinical experience, but I felt that I gained another family. I was able to work side by side with those who made NIVM possible. For that I’m grateful to be welcomed. Thank you and stay curious!
Avery Tilley - Treasurer
Avery Tilley is currently pursuing a doctorate of veterinary medicine at the University of Georgia with a focus on conservation medicine. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a proud indigenous scientist holding two bachelors of science degrees from Michigan State University in fisheries and wildlife management and molecular genetics and genomics. Tilley is passionate about conservation through the lens of wildlife disease and indigenous knowledge, working with tribal nations on collaborative, reciprocal wildlife health research. His most recent work investigates the presence of Echinococcus spp in gray wolves across the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ historic lands. In 2023, Tilley was named an inaugural Braveheart Fellow by the Center for Native American Youth, a Darwin 200 Leader, and was the first Native American to be selected by National Geographic as a Young Explorer. He has used these opportunities to expand and communicate conservation resources for Native American youth, specifically around wildlife health. Tilley has also championed tribal wildlife issues on the national and international stages serving as a panel moderator during the 2023 White House Tribal Youth Forum and as a delegate at the United Nations COP15 in Montreal. Tilley hopes to one day serve as a tribal veterinarian, assisting tribes with wildlife disease monitoring and mitigation across their historic lands.