OWENS VALLEY INDIAN WATER COMMISSION STAFF
Teri Red Owl
Executive Director
Teri Red Owl is building a movement, skillfully coordinating the legal, educational, scientific, and political fronts all at once. As Executive Director of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission (OVIWC) and an enrolled citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, she has been at the forefront of efforts to negotiate tribal land and water rights for the Bishop, Big Pine, and Lone Pine tribes, working closely with the tribal leadership and their representatives on the OVIWC board.
But the work doesn’t stop there. On any given day, you can find Teri and her OVIWC staff organizing community workshops, trainings, and youth camps; monitoring water quality and groundwater levels; or advocating for policy change in Payahuunadü, in Los Angeles, and at the state and federal levels. Teri goes above and beyond in service to her community, serving on the Inyo County Water Commission and working to make space for more Indigenous voices in decision-making forums.
She reminds us that we all have a part to play in educating ourselves and taking action, recognizing that Indigenous rights are not just a legal matter but also a matter of social and environmental justice for current and future generations.
(760) 937-2426
Rosanna Marrujo
Environmental Assistant
Rosanna Marrujo is an enrolled member of the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe in Nevada and has been a dedicated member of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission since 2003, serving as an Environmental Assistant. Raised on her family’s ranch near Fallon, Nevada, Rosanna pursued higher education at Western Nevada Community College and Cerro Coso Community College.
Her career has been diverse, with roles at the State of Nevada, Sacramento City Unified School District, Job Opportunities in Nevada, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, and the Commercial Driver License office. At the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, Rosanna focuses on Land and Water Issues, supporting the Bishop Paiute Tribe, Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley, and Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation.
Over the past 20 years, Rosanna's role has evolved significantly. She now takes on multiple responsibilities, including water monitoring, bookkeeping, youth counseling, and active participation in the land back campaign for Three Creeks. She has also earned certifications in Permaculture Design, Principles of GIS, Zero Waste Management, Solid Waste Programs, and the General Assistant Program (GAP).
(760) 937-4937
Kyndall Noah
Communication Specialist
Kyndall Noah is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and has worked as the Communication Specialist/Project Coordinator for the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission for the past four years. He has a wife from Owens Valley and two children who are half Choctaw and half Paiute.
He graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU), a unique and diverse inter-tribal university committed to the advancement of sovereignty, self-determination, and the inherent rights of tribes, with a degree in Indigenous American Indian Studies. Kyndall received his master’s degree in Social Work from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St Louis where he specialized in working with American Indian/Alaskan Natives.
Kyndall has a strong background in community engagement and working with underserved communities to address environmental and social injustice issues. He continues his advocacy by developing relationships with a coalition of allies to bring awareness to the injustices in Payahuunadü. He is committed to the people, to the land, to the water and all our relation ensuring the story of Owens Valley is inclusive and told from the perspective of Indigenous people.
(760) 937-8289
Santeena “Teena” Pugliese
Santeena “Teena” Pugliese is a dedicated youth mentor, filmmaker, and performance/digital activist, focused on land stewardship, water protection, and building belonging & community with people, place, and planet. As a board member of Restoring Lifeways and a mentor and facilitator for the Indigenous Youth Council at Earth Guardians, Teena actively engages in meaningful work that bridges cultural and environmental advocacy.
The prayer camps at Standing Rock in 2016 profoundly transformed and activated her to protect the water and build community wherever she is. She showed up in allyship to support the return of Three Creeks—a 5-acre healing center and educational oasis in Payahuunadü—to the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission. Now a partner in the Three Creeks project, led by the OVIWC, she listens deeply in prayer, discerning how best to continue to support the water, the people, and the land.
Santeena holds a BA in Theatre/Directing and is passionate about exploring storytelling, the arts, and performance as powerful pathways for healing, connection, and social activation. Her curiosity about the transformative power of imagination drives her to explore how "make-believe" can make new beliefs and co-create new community systems of care. Committed to collective liberation, she is deeply grateful for collaborations that restore our relationships with one another and the natural world while creating cross-cultural spirit-led spaces for healing and reconciliation. She is committed to supporting the long-term vision and work of the OVIWC and the community of Payahuunadü to help return water and land back to the people and all beings.
Partner in Three Creeks Land Return/Intirum Manager of Three Creeks
(323) 523-3039
Amber Richards
Manuhuu my name is Amber Richards, this is my intro as I come in a good way so you get to know me, and what I'm up to these days. I have been chosen for a part-time Steward position under OVIWC, to work with the Three Creeks Collective. Which is located just miles south of my home.
I am from Big Pine, and I am a proud Paiute/Shoshone mother of these 2 amazing teenage boys, Jaxon & Chase Witman. I love them so much! They are my two favorite human beings ever, forever and ever! My mother is Cheryl Richards and my father is Thomas and his wife Kathy Jackson. I have a total of four sisters and three brothers, we all live here in the Owens Valley. I was born here in Bishop, and raised in the area until the last 2 years of high school. I graduated from Alameda High School and returned home afterward. I went back to the bay years later completed a Massage Therapy program at NHI. Upon returning home I was able to work with Toiyabe and Tanf where I provided massage and instructed yoga to our community for a couple of years. Which I loved and am thankful for holding that knowledge and holistic way of living.
Today, I am back and get to experience a new position which holds many responsibilities. I am so grateful for this door of opportunity to have opened up at the right moment in time. A time of healing spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally.
Last year I made a decision to walk the red road of recovery. And in coming home from the Friendship House I was afraid of falling back into old ways and making bad choices. Instead I have discovered that good choices, a successful treatment program/s, strong will, value of myself, my family and my community and a power greater than myself/creator.
What a magical place I have been blessed with to assist in my recovery feed my spiritual well being, enable me to finally gain knowledge of traditional values and education, understand culture lost through historical generational trauma. I'm enjoying getting to participate in groups which help guide me to grow and heal, just like the plants that are out here. Learning the importance of belonging to the land instead of the land belonging to us. In moving forward to a more healthy, happy, sober lifestyle I hope to encourage others to also choose to be positive role models and involved community members.
Be the change!
Manahuu!
Three Creeks Foodways Coordinator
Three Creeks Cultural Coordinator
Jeanine Lomaintewa
Manahuu, my name is Jeanine Lomaintewa. I am so thankful to introduce myself to you as the Cultural Coordinator at Three Creeks! I have had the honor of working with Three Creeks for about 2 years now, and have learned so much about the water, the land, and the place that I call home. From weaving and learning more about our plant medicines to listening and advocating for our water rights, there is so much amazing work that we are doing out here at Three Creeks!
Born and raised in the valley, more specifically in Bishop, I have been able to be engaged with the community. I grew up with close friends and close relatives, finding my passion for the outdoors and my culture through various activities and events. I eventually left Bishop for a little while to pursue my passion for higher education and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2023, receiving my B.A. in Environmental Studies and a minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies (AIIS). I met so many friends and good connections, building a home with the indigenous students on campus.
Right after graduating, I have had the privilege to work with the Yosemite Ancestral Stewards (YAS) crew for 4 years and running! It is an all-indigenous crew that primarily focused on forest and meadow restoration through a cultural lens. We have repaired culturally significant sites, and worked with various agencies in the park to continue growing TEK and indigenous presences within the parks system. After the season ends, I continue to work for my community through Three Creeks, where I can learn from my community and be an advocate for our homelands.
I am always curious and want to learn more about my culture, my community, and how to best hold myself accountable in learning more about my identity. I am in no way an expert in anything, but love to listen and get hands-on with my journey. I am curious and I feel like I have so much to give and learn. During my time here, we have held various events such as willow processing, hide tanning, niputchi processing, handgames, beading circles, and so much more! I would love to continue building up our knowledge together, and hold space for teachers that are willing to share with us. I am so thankful to be here at Three Creeks and cannot wait to meet everyone and learn more about the place we call home!
(760)258-7728
Julia Morales
Three Creeks Community Care Coordinator
Julia Morales is an enrolled member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe with Kiowa and Mexican heritage. Born and raised in Payahuunadü, the Land of the Flowing Water, she has a deep connection to the Owens Valley and the people, land, and waters that make it home.
Since joining Three Creeks in September of 2023, Julia has helped coordinate volunteer stewardship days, community events, and community outreach efforts that strengthen relationships between people, land, and water. As Community Care Coordinator, she is passionate about creating welcoming spaces where people can connect with one another, the land, and the ongoing work of restoration and healing.
Drawing from a background in hospitality and community service, Julia believes that meaningful change begins with relationships. She is grateful to be part of the Three Creeks Collective and the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, supporting efforts that strengthen community, honor Indigenous stewardship, and protect the waters of Payahuunadü for future generations.
(760) 920-2714
Neveah Baros
Three Creeks Steward
My name is Nevaeh Baros, and I am a Steward at Three Creeks. I feel very blessed to have this position. Through this work, I hope to deepen my knowledge of native plants, the land, and the relationships that support healthy homelands. I am especially interested in learning from people who are committed to food sovereignty, cultural revival, and giving back to our people and tribes. I grew up in Big Pine and graduated from Big Pine High School in May 2025. I am Paiute and Lakota Sioux. My childhood was not always stable, which taught me independence and resilience. I often relied on my grandparents for support, but as I got older I felt a strong responsibility to work and provide for myself.
Every summer, my family traveled to South and North Dakota to visit my Lakota relatives and participate in Sundance ceremonies. For me, Sundance is a sacred tradition that seeks blessings for health, prosperity, and spiritual strength for our tribe and people. These experiences strengthened my desire to build a deeper connection with my spirituality and cultural identity. Working at Three Creeks has helped me strengthen that connection to both spirituality and the land. I was first hired through the summer youth WEX workers program. After the program ended, I developed strong relationships with Teena and Jen. I worked with Teena on films/youth projects and helped Jen in the gardens. I valued the work, the learnings, and the sense of community within the team. With support from the staff, I was eventually offered a contract and officially became a Steward. This June marks one year of working at Three Creeks.
At the beginning of 2026, I also began a part-time position with the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission Office, where I assisted with a variety of projects and office needs. I am grateful for the opportunity because I want to learn more about our water history and the ongoing efforts to protect and defend our water for our people and for this valley. I also think it is very important for the youth to be involved and have this knowledge because we are the future and we need to fight for what is right.
I attended Cerro Coso Community College for a short time, studying Administration of Justice with the goal of pursuing work in Fish and Game or wildlife-related fields. Balancing school and work became difficult, so I chose to step away from classes and focus on employment and saving for the future. Since becoming eligible to work, I have participated in the WEX program each year. Those experiences led to many of my first jobs, including work at Owens Valley Career Development Center (OVCDC) and as a cashier/cook at Brewed Awakening, our local coffee shop. Before joining Three Creeks, I worked as an equestrian at McGee Creek Pack Station. That opportunity came through riding lessons with Carissa, where I developed a strong mentor relationship and eventually worked with her at the pack station and on her ranch. Through all of these experiences, I have learned the value of hard work, community, and cultural connection. My goal is to continue growing my knowledge of native plants, water, land stewardship, and tribal sovereignty so that I can contribute to a healthier future for our people, our homelands and my future family.
(760) 920-0789
payaadmin@oviwc.org
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