It’s important to have mentors, so I asked Professor Nazune Menka if she could share a little bit about her journey in law and life on the Athabascan Woman Blog. I have followed her educational journey and career and admired her drive and tenacity. Professor Menka was born and raised in Anchorage and Chistochina. She is Koyukon Athabascan and Lumbee.
Professor Menka recently joined the Seattle University School of Law as an Assistant Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Center for Indian Law & Policy. She holds a J.D. from the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers School of Law, where she earned a Certificate in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy. In her new role, she will teach and write about Indigenous Peoples and Native Nations, constitutional law, legal history, property law, and environmental law and policy.
Before joining SU Law, Professor Menka held various roles at Berkeley Law, including serving as the Center for Indigenous Law & Justice’s Executive Director, Supervising Attorney in the Environmental Law Clinic, Lecturer, and Tribal Cultural Resources Project Policy Fellow. She has also worked on policy issues in the Alaska and Hawaii state legislatures and has completed various intern and management programs. Read more about her background, published work and other activities from Seattle University.
Continue reading “Nazune Menka – Koyukon Athabascan Lawyer and Professor”“If I have any advice to share it would be to stay true to yourself, follow your passions, and to not be afraid of the challenges that arise along your journey. I left a chemistry Ph.D. program, that I’d dedicated several years to but was unhappy in, to go to law school. It wasn’t a popular decision, and it was a bit scary, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made. And I love what I do now. I want that for everyone.” – Nazune Menka