Continuing Tradition

Daanzho shi’kee (Greetings relatives!)

My name is Nevaeh Ramon, I am Lépai-Ndé Tche Shä (Lipan Apache, Sun Otter Clan), Comanche, and Chicana originally from Denver, Colorado. I became enamored with history while listening to my relatives share stories of their past, the joy and sorrow - and hearing about the relationships they had built over time. As I have grown, my appreciation for tangible belongings identifiable of these memories became a footprint for the work I do in my professional and academic careers.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in History and Art History from Metropolitan State University of Denver (Go Roadrunners!) in May of 2024 and quickly began my graduate studies at Michigan State University in August of 2024. In May 2026 I received my MA in Arts, Cultural Management & Museum Studies and graduate certificate in American Indian and Indigenous studies, completing my thesis “NDNS IN MUSEUMS: Braiding Indigenous Knowledge into Memory Institutions.” As a first-generation graduate I have carried the lessons and ways of living and relating that my family has instilled in me as the most valuable knowledge I have gained.

Currently I am living and learning in Nkwejong in Michigami (East Lansing, MI) working as the History Specialist with the Michigan History Center, working in community to remove barriers to the preservation of community stories by community leaders.

Reaching the Future, Walking Through the Past

In the midst of developing my masters thesis, I found myself looking for a space to heal when the history became overbearing. My art was that space. This piece was a reflection on my first experience at the Field Museum. Recognizing that I had a multifaceted experience - mourning, celebration, privilege, and appreciation, I created a piece that poured this feeling onto the paper.

Artwork, History, and Collections

NDN’s in Museums, beads on Pellon

Influenced by the traditional beadwork I was caring for in museum collections, I began developing my artistic style to take the same position as a marker of identity, time, and place. My first piece entered into exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, was titled NDN’s In Museums, reflects on the identity of individuals who find themselves feeling torn between tradition and collection.