Read the full article by Nancy Joseph on the College of Arts & Sciences website. Start reading below…
Sherri Berdine (BA, 2008) had a rocky start as a University of Washington undergraduate. She was the first in her family to attend college and struggled to find her community at the UW. All that changed when she joined First Nations @ UW, a student organization that focuses on cultural traditions and concerns in the Native community. Berdine also found support from a faculty mentor in the Department of American Indian Studies (AIS).
“I really think those things led me to where I am now,” she says.
Berdine is referring to her current role as the UW’s Director of Tribal Relations. Reporting directly to the UW’s President and to the Vice President for External Affairs, she manages the government-to-government relationships between the UW and the American Indian tribes throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest. All her previous experiences — including her UW education — have prepared her for this leadership opportunity.
Following Her Interests
Berdine was raised in Bremerton, Washington with Indigenous values and traditions. Her heritage is Alaska Native (Aleut & CIRI Descendent). She met AIS Professor Dian Million, also of Alaska Native heritage (Tanana), at a low point during her first year on campus.
“She sensed that I was struggling,” Berdine says of Million. “She took me under her wing and suggested courses that I might be interested in and successful in. She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. I think it was really because of her guidance and patience and humility that I was able to quickly get back on track and feel confident in my abilities to complete my degree.”
“Taking on this role now, it feels like I’ve come full circle.”
Sherri Berdine (2008)UW Director of Tribal Relations
Long intrigued by policy, Berdine took classes that interested her — mostly in sociology, AIS, and political science — without considering a major. When she finally met with a UW adviser about declaring a major, she was told she’d already completed all the requirements for the sociology major. By the time she graduated, determined to work with Native communities, she was one course shy of a second major in AIS.
