Native Nations Institute (NNI) welcomes Eugenia P. Tashquinth (Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham), as the new Administrative Assistant. Tashquinth comes to NNI from the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Tribal Gaming Office and has worked for the Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Tohono O’odham Community College, and the United States Department of Agriculture. She is passionate about tribal governance and is excited to bring her experience to NNI, where she can help empower nations to practice self-governance and practice their sovereignty. In her role as Administrative Assistant, Tashquinth is essential to the logistical tasks like travel, event planning, communication, and plays a key role in ensuring our partners, guests, and staff are informed and are given adequate support.

Tashquinth also plans on completing her bachelor’s degree here at the University of Arizona.

In her free time, Tashquinth is an elite competitive powerlifter who is internationally ranked within the women’s super-heavyweight division. She is the Arizona state record holder for the heaviest squat and deadlift, the number one ranked female lifter across all female weight classes in Arizona, and is ranked number 11 in the world for her division! She also enjoys time with her bloodhound dog, Jetson, who enjoys car rides, following scents, and chasing rabbits.