:: NDAKINNA STAFF ::

James Bruchac - Founder and Director of the Ndakinna Education Center [e-mail]
Jim is the son of well-known Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac. A licensed wilderness guide, Jim has been teaching tracking and various wilderness skills for the past twenty years. For more information, please visit Jim's website.

John Kirk - Music Director and Muscian in Residence

Trish Miller - Performance Coordinator and Artist in Residence

:: WILDERNESS INSTRUCTORS, CAMP STAFF, ETC ::

Phaedra Zoe Stasyshyn - Wilderness Instructor & Youth Camp Staff
A Licensed New York State guide, Phaedra is both an avid outdoorswoman and photographer. Over the years, along with her Ndakinna training, she has completed training in wilderness travel and survival through Outward Bound as well as basic-advanced animal tracking under Dr. Jim Halfpenny. In addition to being a licensed guide, sheis a certified scuba diver and chimneysweep.

Luke McNally - Wilderness Instructor & Youth Camp Staff
Luke has been taking classes at Ndakinna for seven years. Having done extensive training in all aspects of survival and animal tracking under Jim Bruchac and Ivan Erchak, in the Summer of 2005 Luke completed a class under Dr. James Halfpenny (the Yellowstone Grizzly and Wolf tracking Expedition). Luke studies survival, tracking, plant I.D. & usage, awarness, and primitive craft in his apprenticeship under Ivan. Luke is also a living history reenactor and certified in first aid and CPR. Presently Luke serves as the Education Center's grounds keeper. He mows lawns.

Brittaney Norris - Wilderness Instructor & Youth Camp Staff
Brittaney has been taking classes at Ndakinna for over five years. Having done extensive training in all aspects of survival and animal tracking under Jim Bruchac and Ivan Erchak, in the Spring of 2002 Brittaney completed a class in professional level animal tracking under Master tracker Dr. James Halfpenny. Brittaney is also certified in first aid and CPR. Recently she was on the PBS Television show Wild T.V. Besides her wilderness expertise Brittaney is a first degree black belt in Tenkara Karate.

Casey Assman - Assistant Wilderness Instructor & Youth Camp Staff
Casey has been taking classes at Ndakinna for over four years. In the Spring of 2002, she completed a class in professional level animal tracking under Master tracker Dr. James Halfpenny. Casey is also certified in first aid and CPR. She has appeared on the PBS Television show Wild T.V. - and in her free time, she has earned her Brown belt in Tenkara Karate.

Eric Jenks - Wilderness Instructor and Media Archvist

Eric has worked or volunteered at Ndakinna since 1998. He is skilled at animal tracking, wilderness survival, Native American Storytelling and photography. Eric has studied animal tracking and wilderness survivial under James Bruchac, Vince Walsh, Ivan Erchack, Jim Halfpenny, John Stokes and others across the country. He is certified in wilderness first aid, and CPR. Besides working at Ndakinna, Eric has shared his skills at other locations in the area, including Camp Northwoods, at Skidmore College, and the Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops of Schuylerville. He has also worked as an outdoor educator for C5 Los Angeles while based in Hyattville, WY. Eric graduated from Skidmore College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies concentrated in Biology and Music.

Sara Cahn - Wilderness Instructor

Sara has graduated from various wilderness schools; SUWS (School for Urban and Wilderness Survival), NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), WMI (Wilderness Medicine Institute, and The Tracking Project (a mentorship program directed by John Stokes). Over the years she has been the Wilderness Instructor to various organizations during the summer months while teaching in a Montessori school throughout the school year. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from Humboldt State University, a Wilderness First Responder certification, and a Massage License from the state of New Mexico. Currently, she lives in Jackson Hole and is immersed in  study for her Master’s Degree in Environmental Science.

:: NDAKINNA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS ::

Carol Bruchac - Treasurer
Without Carol, we would not have Ndakinna (or for that matter, its Director, James). She is a constant source of guidance, organizational support, and wisdom. Along with her husband, Joe, she is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center from which The Ndakinna Education Center evolved.

Joseph Bruchac - Executive Director
Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center from which The Ndakinna Education Center evolved. For more information, please visit Joe's website.

John Conroe - Board Chair

John grew up in the north country and backpacked the Adirondacks year round as a teenager and adult. Along with his interest in scuba diving, wilderness survival and tracking, he has extensive canoeing and kayaking experience with trips throughout the Adirondack park and into northern Canada. John not only brings his love for the outdoors to the board, but also his years of finance and banking experience and his involvement in community organizations. He is presently an AVP/Investment Officer with the Adirondack Trust Company.

Marjorie King - Board Member

Marjorie moved to Saratoga Springs from Western New York. She and her husband Sean, and their three daughters have lived in the area for 30 years. Marjorie is a community activist who concentrates her energies in land conservation and historic preservation. She has served on many area not- for- profit boards.  She has also been appointed to sit on several ad-hoc committees by elected officials.  Marjorie became associated with the Ndakinna Educational  Center and the Bruchac Family through her very dear friend Kate O’Connell.

Joseph Kulin - Board Member
Joe brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our board. He recently retired as Publisher of PARABOLA: The Magazine of Myth, Tradition and the Search for Meaning. During his 20 years there he also developed the Parabola Video and Audio Series, acquired distribution rights to such classics as "The Power of Myth," and Peter Brook's "The Mahabharata," and produced an award-winning collection of audios and associated books, "The Native American Storytime Series." More recently, he launched and directed "Cinema of the Spirit Festivals" that have played in a half dozen major cities, and he continues to be involved in producing independent spiritual film festivals. He serves as an advisor to Land is Life, an international organization which advocates for the land and human rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Michael Lambert - Board Member

Michael is originally from New York City and attended Queens College of The City University of New York where he received both his undergraduate (English and Communications) and graduate (Education) degrees. He has over twenty years experience as a special education teacher, and currently teaches English at Gloversville High School. Michael’s lifelong interest in mythology led him to a position as moderator for the Joseph Campbell Foundation’s internet discussion forum, Conversations of a Higher Order, which he’s held since 2002. Michael lives in a log cabin in the forest of Greenfield with his wife, sons and two dogs.

Kay (Ionataiewas) Olan - Board Member
A Wolf Clan Mohawk, Kay grew up on Long Island in New York State. Her summers were spent at Akwesasne (a Mohawk Reservation located under the New York/Canadian border) where Kay's mother was born and raised. Kay completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at SUNY, New Paltz where she earned a B.A. and an M.S. in Education. She taught elementary school for 33 years. Upon retiring from teaching, Kay relocated to the Traditional Mohawk Community at Kanatsiohareke where she worked as Director and as assistant to Mohawk Elder, Tom Porter, for 3 years.

David Gabay - Board Member

Dr. Gabay is a native of Guilderland NY, and did his undergraduate work  at SUNY Stonybrook. He attended Graduate School at New York Chiropractic College. The doctor has been an adjunct professor at Skidmore College, teaching Biomechanics in Exercise Science, and serving as the team chiropractor for 15 years. He is credentialed by the US Olympic Committee, and had the pleasure of serving as the team chiropractor at the US Olympic Training Facility in CO Springs.