About us
Our Hualapai community, like many Indigenous nations, contends with the compounded health impacts of historical trauma and disrupted food sovereignty. The prevalence of conditions like diabetes and heart disease underscores the critical link between well-being, cultural connection, and access to traditional, nutrient-rich foods.
Walapai Roots is a step toward holistic restoration. By building our local food infrastructure and reconnecting our people to the land and its sustenance, we create a foundation for healing — enabling tribal members to reclaim agency over their health and cultural vitality.
"Walapai" is an alternate spelling of Hualapai, meaning "People of the Tall Pines" — a name carried by this land itself, where high desert meets the Grand Canyon and forests of ponderosa pine.
Our community's history lives in this land — from traditional stone-and-earth homes and juniper-pole wickiups to places like the old Peach Springs Trading Post, its stone pillars and painted signs still standing, now home to the Hualapai Game & Fish Department.
Walapai Roots grows from that same ground: a working farm in the heart of our community, built to serve the people who live here today and the generations to come.
Walapai Roots is committed to healthy, sustainable farming practices and growing traditional crops that honor Hualapai cultural and environmental values while building food sovereignty and economic strength within our community. Every decision we make on the farm is guided by these values:
Leadership rooted in the Hualapai community, with the experience to grow something that lasts.
A proud Hualapai tribal member from Peach Springs, Cheyenne founded Walapai Roots from a deep understanding of her community's needs. Her background in Sustainable Agriculture, Indigenous Studies, Health Advocacy, and Business Management is matched by five years of practical experience — from community organizing and marketing to hands-on gardening.
This combination of strategic knowledge and grassroots experience informs her leadership in creating a food system that nourishes health, culture, and economic resilience.
A Hualapai tribal member with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Geology, from NAU. She consults in strategic planning, infrastructure, project management, risk assessment, and economic development for Tribal sovereignty initiatives.
Previously, she served as an IT Systems Engineer at the United Nations in Vienna, the Peace Corps, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Sariah brings expertise in infrastructure, security, risk assessment, and project leadership to help build a resilient, sustainable farm for the Hualapai community.
A devoted Hualapai tribal member, Marilyn brings decades of community leadership and deep cultural grounding to the Walapai Roots board. She has served on numerous tribal boards and committees and stays closely connected to the developments, news, and events affecting the Hualapai people — ensuring her voice remains informed, inclusive, and rooted in the community's real-world needs.
Deeply committed to the next generation, she keeps her son actively engaged in Hualapai culture and volunteers extensively with youth programs. Her vision is a community that thrives holistically — economically, culturally, and spiritually.
Laura is a dedicated renewable energy professional who brings over a decade of strategic project management and operational expertise to the Walapai Roots board.
With a career focused on sustainability and efficiency, Laura has managed strategic solar energy projects, coordinated multi-departmental teams, and optimized workflows to reduce costs and improve outcomes. Her skills in stakeholder relations, budget management, and process improvement are driven by a deep commitment to environmental stewardship.
A proud Hualapai member and mother of four, Lakota brings over a decade of small business ownership and community-centered care to the board. A self-employed entrepreneur, hairstylist, and dedicated student of cranial sacral healing, she blends entrepreneurial expertise with a deep, intuitive understanding of holistic wellness and naturopathic herbal remedies.
She regularly volunteers her services to underprivileged community members and is an outspoken activist for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children movement, as well as the protection of Hualapai water and ancestral lands.
MacGregor is a Hualapai tribal member, bringing both his professional expertise and lifelong community commitment to the Walapai Roots board. A strategic operations leader, he holds a degree in Global Logistics Management and applies his experience as a Chief Operating Officer overseeing complex systems and supply chains.
His deep community roots are shown through his service as a Tribal Liaison at Grand Canyon West and as a Cultural River Monitor for the Colorado River. His dedication to supporting the community is personal and unwavering.
A Hualapai tribal member and acclaimed actor from the Peach Springs community, Kiowa is a prominent figure in global Indigenous representation, using his platform to champion Native narratives, climate justice, and youth empowerment.
An expert in brand imagery and Indigenous advocacy, he serves as a powerful motivational speaker, traveling across Turtle Island to inspire students at universities, high schools, and tribal communities. His dedication to cultural visibility and environmental action brings strategic insight and a spirit of hope to the Walapai Roots mission.
Whether you're a community member, a funder, or a friend of the mission — there's a place for you here.