Gathering of Academic Indigenous and Native Americans (GAIN)

gain logo The Indigenous and Native American Faculty and Staff Affinity Group seeks to:
  • build community
  • promote visibility
  • provide support for SJSU’s Indigenous and Native American Faculty and Staff through campus activities and initiatives.

Event Images

Visit our page for GAIN events images, including:

  • 11-30-2023. Assemblymember Ash Kalra presents GAIN with Leadership in Education Award
  • 11-23-2023. Native American Heritage Spartan Football Game
     

Recent News

Updated Presidential Directive

San José State University’s Protocol for Curation, Inventory, and Repatriation of Native American Remains Subject to the Native American and Graves Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and CalNAGPRA (California NAGPRA)
Presidential Directive (PD-2023-01)

Respecting the dignity of our Native American and Indigenous communities – past, present and future – is of the utmost importance for the CSU system in general, and San José State in particular. Our university maintains an extensive collection of Native American artifacts and human remains that is protected by state and federal laws. While a state auditor earlier this year commended SJSU for its compliance with these laws, there is still a need to ensure the continued protection of these items and ancestors until we reach our goal of complete repatriation.

GAIN Outputs

Guillory-Lacy, V., Malloy, K. J., Warren, J., Aquino, E., & de Bourbon, S. (2025). Survivance of Native American and Indigenous students at a four-year Hispanic-Serving institution. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 1–20.

Guillory-Lacy, V.,  Warren, J., Malloy, K., Aquino, E., & de Bourbon, S. (2024) Decolonizing Qualitative Research: “A TribalCrit Approach to the Study of Native American and Indigenous Students at an MSI” SAGE Diversifying and  Decolonizing Research methods. Accepted early 2024. 

Malloy, K. J., Lacy, V. S., de Bourbon, S. L., Aquino, E., & Warren, J.-A. (2023). Native American and Indigenous Student Experience at San José State University [pdf] Internal Report to SJSU Administration.

GAIN Officers

2026/2027 Academic Year

President:
Martha Behler (Marty)  |  martha.behler@sjsu.edu
Vice President:
Grace Skalinder  |  grace.skalinder@sjsu.edu
Secretary:
Alisha Marie Ragland  |  alisha.ragland@sjsu.edu
Treasurer:
Neil Kep'o Ordinario  |  neil.ordinaro@sjsu.edu
Past President:
Veneice Guillory-Lacy  |  veneice.guillory-lacy@sjsu.edu

SJSU Students

Get involved!

Contacts

GAIN is open and available to all who are interested to participate, regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin.  For information about joining GAIN, SJSU faculty and staff group, please contact:

Martha Behler "Marty"
GAIN President
King Library/AACNA Advisory Board
CFA STATE Co Chair NAIPC
KIN Lecturer
martha.behler@sjsu.edu  |  SPX 170

Alisha Marie Ragland
NAGPRA Tribal Liaison
Anthropology Lecturer
GAIN Secretary
alisha.ragland@sjsu.edu  |  408-924-5703  |  Clark Hall 404N

Veneice Guillory-Lacy
Assistant Professor
GAIN Past-President 
EDCO DEPT
EdD Core Faculty
UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program)
Connie L. Lurie College of Education
veneice.guillory-lacy@sjsu.edu