swaia Team
Jamie Schulze
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Northern Cheyenne / Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate
Originally from Montana, Jamie R. Schulze (Northern Cheyenne/ Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) brings a wealth of diverse experiences to her role as a business leader. Having relocated to New Mexico 30 years ago, she has developed a deep appreciation for the land and its people. With a background in the hospitality industry as a former owner of The Bavarian Lodge & Restaurant in Taos Ski Valley, NM, Jamie understands the intricacies of managing successful enterprises and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Jamie is a certified business and life coach with a leadership training certification, demonstrating her commitment to personal and professional
development. Her passion for uplifting others and fostering growth aligns perfectly with her new role at SWAIA (Southwestern Association for Indian Arts) as the Executive Director.
LONI BERNALLY
ARTIST SERVICES
DINÉ
Loni Bernally is Dine and is from Shiprock, New Mexico. She is born of the Towering House clan and the Weaver Zia Clan. A graduate of Shiprock High School earning a BFA in Indigenous Liberal Studies with a minor in museum studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and a certificate of Tribal Court Advocacy from Phoenix Community College (PCC). Working within the non-profit art sector has been one of my biggest accomplishments helping ensure the continuation of Indigenous arts and the narrative behind those creations is a vital part of my job. I absolutely love working with all the artists and learning about their own personal stories behind their creations.
Mona Perea
ARTIST SERVICES
San Ildefonso Pueblo
Ramona Perea is from San Ildefonso Pueblo. She has been in education majority of her life along with many other positions like administrative, event planning , coaching, athletic director etc.. She has three beautiful children and one amazingly cute grandson. She plans to work diligently with SWAIA to deliver excellent assistance to artists and to help make the Santa Fe Indian Markets a success!
AMBER-DAWN BEAR ROBE
FASHION COORDINATOR
SIKSIKA NATION
Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, from Siksika Nation, Alberta, Canada, achieved an MA in American Indian Studies and a second MA degree in Art History, both from the University of Arizona. Currently, she is Assistant Faculty of Art History in the Museum Studies department at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM.
Presently, Bear Robe is curating a fashion exhibition for the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, opening August 2022, and producing the annual Indigenous fashion show for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA).
Walk with Pride, a documentary film short on the 2018 Indigenous fashion show produced by Bear Robe, won a regional Emmy, September 2020. She is an acting trustee for the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) board, CO, and the Wheelwright Museum board, NM, and sits on the curatorial committee for Vital Spaces, NM. Previously, she was the Director/Curator of Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Winnipeg, Canada.
Sheyenne Lacy
Finance Coordinator
Navajo Nation
Sheyenne Lacy is a Navajo finance professional specializing in developing and implementing data-driven strategies to drive business growth. Sheyenne thrives in fast-paced environments and has a keen eye for detail, ensuring projects are delivered on time and exceed expectations.
Sheyenne holds an Associate’s degree in Marketing and Communication, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She further honed her skills with a Master’s Degree in Management as well as a Master’s Certificate in Digital Strategy, from Harvard University.
Juliana Romano
VOLUNTEER + MEMBER SERVICES
Originally from New Haven, CT, Juliana moved to Santa Fe in 2022 after decades of visiting NM as a child with her history teacher father and art teacher mother as well as an adult.
A graduate of Sacred Heart University and Quinnipiac University School of Law, CT she earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice and J.D. in Law. She previously worked as a public defender for 18 years practicing criminal defense and child protection law.
An active member of the community, she is a volunteer with IFAM, Santa Fe Opera House, Santa Fe Playhouse and CASA. She is overjoyed to join SWAIA and embrace the Santa Fe community.
Steele Campbell
Executive Assistant
Steele Campbell comes to SWAIA after garnering experience in a myriad of careers. Raised on a cattle ranch in the snowy climes of Idaho, he studied English and Philosophy at Utah Valley University, then was trained as a professor of American Literature at Auburn University. He left Academia to be a carpenter to Nashville’s elite and the personal assistant of bell hooks. Eternally seduced by language and the stories of those around him, Steele then put his pen to work as a ghostwriter, telling the tales of others to worldwide audiences.
Steele and his family chose to put down roots in Santa Fe because of the raw beauty, the weather, the deep ties to culture, and the creative permission an art city affords. He is excited to lend his expertise, curiosity, and dedication to SWAIA as the Executive Assistant.