Brooke Gondara
Brookney Clair Beaverheart Gondara is an American academic administrator, activist, and advocate for women and minorities in higher education. She is associate dean of professional studies and education at Santa Fe Community College. Gondara served as president of Iḷisaġvik College, the only tribal college in Alaska, from 2010 to 2011.
In 2005, she became the first Northern Cheyenne woman to earn a PhD, earning one in education at Oregon State University. She had served as the dean of student affairs at Chief Dull Knife College from 2000 to 2003.
Early life, education and marriage
Brookney Beaverheart Claire Boston was born to Tana Streeter of Billings, Montana and Monte Boston of Anchorage, Alaska. She is enrolled in the Northern Cheyenne tribe. She dropped out of high school before graduating; she later earned a GED in Montana in 1990. Then a single mother, Boston said that she recognized she needed more education and job stability in order to support her daughter.She pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree in sociology and Native American studies at Montana State University Billings, where she was supported financially by her tribe. She also earned a master of education in curriculum and instruction at the same university. Boston married Robbie Gondara in January 1997 in Billings, Montana.
Career
After completing her master's, she taught sociology and worked as a museum education director at the Western Heritage Center, a regional museum in Billings.From 2000 to 2003, she served as an dean of student affairs at Chief Dull Knife College on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. She was the only female Native American administrator at the time. She was suspended in 2003 for what the college said were incidents of allegedly unprofessional behavior; she filed grievances over this action. Some students conducted a walkout and community protest in support of her.
In 2005, Gondara became the first woman from the Northern Cheyenne to earn a doctoral degree, completing a PhD in education, with an emphasis in community college leadership, at Oregon State University in Portland. Her doctoral studies focused on the experiences of Northern Cheyenne women in education.
Her dissertation was titled Testimonio: Ne`aahtove—Listen to me! Voices from the edge. Educational stories of Northern Cheyenne women. Gondara's doctoral advisor was Betty Duvall. Gondara has also completed post-doctoral studies in college presidential leadership at Harvard University.