The People Behind the Mission
At the heart of Triangle Native American Society is a dedicated team of leaders, staff, and community members who work every day to uphold our mission of supporting and empowering Native people in the Triangle area. Our staff brings passion, cultural knowledge, and a deep commitment to service, while our Board of Directors offers guidance, oversight, and a shared vision for the future. Together, we honor the traditions of our ancestors while building pathways for generations to come.
Meet the people who make our work possible.
Meet the Team
Jesalyn Keziah
Executive Director
Jesalyn Keziah, an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, is the Executive Director of Triangle Native American Society. Jesalyn earned her Masters in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill with a focus on Native mental health and holistic community wellness. Jesalyn brings 15 years of statewide experience in community engagement and organizational development through previous roles at UNC American Indian Center, Resourceful Communities/The Conservation Fund, and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, among others. She has served on numerous boards and advisory groups focused on food sovereignty, environmental justice, philanthropy, and arts and culture. Jesalyn lives in Durham on a 100-year-old farmstead tending an orchard and medicinal garden and making pottery.
Sheena Dial-Seymour
Administrative Consultant
Sheena Sinclair was born and raised in North Carolina’s Triangle area. She grew up within the Triangle Native American Society community and maintains strong ties to the people and culture that shaped her. In addition to her professional work, she proudly volunteers as an advisor and administrative support with the North Carolina Native American Organization.
With over five years of experience in travel and event coordination, she brings a deep passion for logistics, organization, and community-driven work. She has supported Triangle Native American Society in various roles, including administrative support, voter engagement, and operational development. Her work is rooted in creating streamlined workflows, building effective forms, and integrating digital tools—leveraging platforms such as Google Workspace, Zapier, and other systems to improve efficiency and impact.
Giving back to her Native community is not just a passion—it’s a driving force behind everything she does. Whether planning a large-scale event or supporting civic engagement efforts, she approaches each project with a commitment to service, collaboration, and cultural integrity.
Trey Roberts
Outreach manager
Trey Roberts is the Outreach Manager for Triangle Native American Society and an enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe. He holds a bachelor's degree in Communications from William Peace University and has a strong background in community outreach, event organizing, and creative programming. Trey is the lead organizer behind the Dix Park Inter-Tribal Pow Wow in Raleigh, which brings together tribal nations and community members from across the region to celebrate Indigenous culture, art, and tradition.
Beyond his work with TNAS, Trey creates safe, joyful spaces for marginalized communities. His work bridges cultural celebration, social advocacy, and creative expression, with a focus on building connection and visibility for Native people in urban spaces.
Idalis Dial
Program coordinator
Idalis Dial is an enrolled citizen of the Coharie Tribe and serves as Program Coordinator for Triangle Native American Society. She holds an associate degree from Sampson Community College and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s in American Indian Studies with a minor in Medical Sociology at UNC Pembroke.
With a background in healthcare and a lifelong passion for helping others, Idalis is dedicated to supporting and uplifting Native communities in the Triangle. A lifelong participant in North Carolina’s Native community, she is also a dancer and artist who shares Indigenous culture through education and performance. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, making art, and spending time with her husband and their dog, Nova.
Board of Directors
Wanda Burns-Ramsey
President
Wanda Burns-Ramsey, an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and graduate of UNC Pembroke, began her career with the NC Commission of Indian Affairs, serving 13 years in various roles focused on individual and Tribal economic development. She later founded Ramsey Realtors Team, Inc. of Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston. A lifelong advocate for Native communities, Wanda has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the NC Indian Resources Association, Wake County Indian Education, and the NC Indian Economic Development Initiative. She has also served on the Lumbee Tribal Council and the NC Commission of Indian Affairs. A founding member of TNAS, Wanda is married to Calvin Ramsey, with two daughters and four grandchildren.
Mary Oxendine
Treasurer
Mary Oxendine is the Lumbee and Tuscarora granddaughter of rural sharecroppers and a cultivator of relationships and traditional Indigenous foodways. Mary is the owner of Rooted Reciprocity LLC, preserving traditional Indigenous foodways and worldview, and is the Project Lead for the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network at Farm Aid. Mary was a 2024 Aspen Global Innovators Group Healthy Communities Fellow and in the inaugural wave of the Rematriating Economies Apprenticeship. Mary works at the intersection of food, finance, and justice.
Alisa Hunt-Lowery
Vice President
Alisa Hunt-Lowery is a Systems Engineer at JMP Statistical Discovery. Alisa graduated from NCSU with a MS in industrial engineering.
Alisa is a member of the Lumbee Tribe. She is member of the Johnston County Indian Education Parent Committee; she helped to found the NC State University American Indian Alumni Society; she served on the State Advisory Council on Indian Education and is a former chair; she has been a member of AISES; serves as an adjunct Lecturer in the NC State University.
Brandi Jacobs
Secretary
Brandi Jacobs is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe and lives in Raleigh. She attended UNC Pembroke for undergraduate and UNC Chapel Hill for her graduate degree. Her days are spent as an Elementary School Counselor with Wake County Public Schools. Outside of work, she serves on the TNAS Board, served on the State Advisory Council on Indian Education, and is actively involved in Alpha Pi Omega Sorority (the oldest indigenous Greek Letter organization). She adores spending time and creating memories with her husband and two daughters.
Board Members
Danny Bell is Lumbee and Coharie. He attended East Carolina Indian School and East Carolina College. Danny then served for 31 years combined in the US Army and the 440th Army Band, NCARNG. He worked for the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs for 14 years, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 27 years, where he maintained a focus on American Indian students, American Indian & Indigenous Studies, and engagement between UNC and N.C. Tribes and communities. Danny served 8 years as a member of the NC State Advisory Council on Indian Education and served on the NC Archaeological Society.
Gwen Locklear is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Pembroke and currently serves as the Coordinator of the Wake County Indian Education Program. She served as a member of the State Advisory Council on Indian Education. She is a storyteller and has demonstrated her craft at the American Indian Heritage Celebration at the N.C. Museum of History. Gwen lives in Garner.
Kerry Bird is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and of Lumbee tribal heritage. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Masters of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Bird is President of National Indian Education Association, the oldest and largest organization that works to advance culturally relevant educational opportunities for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students. He also serves as board member of NC Humanities.
He is a past President of the Triangle Native American Society and continues to serve the community through various roles. He is a member of the Dix Park community committee, the local advisory board for the Ackland Art Museum, the N.C. Botanical Garden Foundation Board, and the UNC World View Council of Advisors. He currently serves on the Alumni Committee for Racial and Ethnic Diversity and formerly served on the Board of Visitors for UNC Chapel Hill. Kerry and his husband, Ken, split their time residing in Durham and Carolina Beach, North Carolina.
Thank You to Our Funders
Boards and Committees We Participate In
Each of the following Boards and Committees has one representative (one seat) for the Triangle Native American Society, unless otherwise stated.
North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs (NCCIA)
The Commission of Indian Affairs consists of 21 representatives of the American Indian community, two representatives appointed by the General Assembly, one representative or their designee appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Administration, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and the Commissioner of Labor.
Learn more about the Commission of Indian Affairs on their website.
Wake County Indian Education Program (WCIEP)
The Wake County Indian Education Program (WCIEP) is a federally funded Title VI grant open to any kindergarten through high school student enrolled in the Wake County Public School System (not charter or private) who is affiliated with any federally recognized or state recognized tribe. Some programs/events sponsored by the WCIEP include tutoring, cultural programming, ACT/SAT prep workshops, ACT/SAT guides and social activities.
The WCIEP grant funding is directly related to the number of students with completed 506 forms on file and not with the number of students who self-identify as Native. Completion of this 506 form is vital to the continuation of the program.
Visit the WCIEP website to learn more!
State Advisory Council on American Indian Education (SACIE)
North Carolina General Statute 115C-210 established an advisory council to the State Board of Education (SBE) to be known as the "State Advisory Council on Indian Education" in 1987. Subsequently, the SBE developed a policy to implement the establishment of the Council as an advisory body to the SBE on matters on Indian education.
To learn more about SACIE you can visit the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website.
North Carolina Native American Youth Organization (NCNAYO)
The North Carolina Native American Youth Organization (NCNAYO) was established in 1979 to support all American Indian youth in the state of North Carolina. NCNAYO is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. NCNAYO provides various opportunities to support NC American Indian youth through an annual leadership conference in June, a youth executive committee and other leadership opportunities. American Indian youth not only have the opportunity to network across the state, they also are afforded the opportunity to work with and serve with the NC Commission of Indian Affairs as well as the United Tribes of North Carolina.
Visit their website to learn more about the organization!
North Carolina Indian Housing Authority
The N. C. Indian Housing Authority was created in 1977 by the State Legislature under Section 157-66 of the N. C. General Statutes. The Authority is empowered to provide housing for low income Native Americans. The Authority has statewide jurisdiction, except that no project shall be undertaken in any area where a city, county or regional Housing Authority is in operation, unless the local authority adopts a resolution declaring a need for the Indian Housing Authority to exercise its powers within the area already operated by local government.
Learn more about the NC Indian Housing Authority on their website!
United Tribes of North Carolina (UTNC)
United Tribes of North Carolina (UTNC) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation established in 1982 to provide greater coordination and unity among the American Indian tribes and organizations of the State of North Carolina. We work to promote educational, economic, religious, charitable and cultural activities for American Indian people.
Check out their website to learn more!
American Indian Heritage Celebration Advisory Board
The North Carolina Museum of History hosts an American Indian Heritage Celebration (AIHC) at the Museum annually. Several of our members participate in the planning of the event and offer advice and assistance to ensure the event is great.
You can visit the AIHC website to learn more about the event!
Dix Park Conservancy
The City of Raleigh owns and operates Dorothea Dix Park. Dix Park Conservancy exists to support the City in its efforts, serve as its philanthropic and community engagement partner, and ensure the creation and long-term success of Dorothea Dix Park as a place for everyone – a transformative public space for community, health, and celebration that will enrich our quality of life in North Carolina. Dix Park Conservancy is governed by a board of directors with a legacy committee and a community committee providing insight and input from a diverse voices. Triangle Native American Society has two members who serve on the community committee as representatives for the American Indian community living in the Triangle.
Please read more about the Dix Park Conservancy on their website!
Follow us on Instagram to see the heart of our community in action—events, stories, and cultural moments that keep our heritage alive.
Stay Connected
