Jepson Leadership Forum presents Stephanie Fryberg and Matika Wilbur

The 2026-27 Jepson Leadership Forum series presents Stephanie Fryberg and Matika Wilbur for the discussion Beyond Invisibility: Changing the Way We See Native America.

Stephanie Fryberg is a member of the Tulalip Tribes and Patricia Telles-Irvin Professor of Psychology, founding director of the Research for Indigenous Social Action and Equity (RISE) Center, and director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) at Northwestern University.

Matika Wilbur is a leading Indigenous voice in contemporary art, education, and storytelling; member of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes; and author of Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America.

The 2026-27 Jepson Leadership Forum focuses on Indigenous Leadership: Tradition, Sovereignty, and Survival. Indigenous peoples around the world manage complex relationships with states while sustaining governance systems that predate colonial boundaries. In the United States, Native nations continue to defend their sovereignty and counter cultural misrepresentation. In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional authorities often bridge customary law and state institutions. Across these and other contexts, Indigenous leaders confront shared challenges: safeguarding land and resources, preserving cultural knowledge, securing legal recognition, and advocating for their communities within national and international frameworks. This forum convenes scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous leaders to examine how these leadership systems operate, how they evolved over time, and why they remain vital today.