Our Founder, Onawa L. Haynes, Esq. (Diné/Mescalero Apache), was born and raised on the border of the Navajo Nation in Gamerco, NM. She has dedicated the entirety of her educational and professional career to developing solutions for some of Indian Country’s most pressing issues.
She attended the University of New Mexico where she received her Bachelor’s degrees in Native American Studies and English/Pre-law as well as her Juris Doctorate from UNM School of Law focusing on Federal Indian Law and Tribal-State Relations. As a licensed attorney, Onawa’s professional journey took her from the courtroom as a Public Defender for the 11th Judicial District of New Mexico (McKinley County) to advocating for tribal communities by curating grant proposals to fund critical programming for tribes in New Mexico.
Onawa founded her for-profit grant writing firm, Hozhonigo Consulting LLC to provide grant support services exclusively for Tribes and Native-led nonprofits in 2022. To date, Onawa and her team have secured over $150M for critical programs and infrastructure projects in Indian Country.
Recognizing the enormous racial wealth gap experienced by Native Americans, especially Native American women, Onawa was determined to expand her work by developing solutions that will create an equitable future for Tribal communities.