Neena Shell ’26 Named Udall Tribe Public Policy Scholar

Neena Shell ’26 has been awarded a scholarship to study tribal public policy from the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. The prestigious Udall Undergraduate Scholarship program identifies future leaders in the fields of environment, tribal public policy, and health care.

Shell, a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow specializing in Native American and Indigenous Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, said the news left her speechless.

“It confirmed that studying Native American and Indigenous studies and dedicating my life to serving the communities where I live was the right choice,” says Shell, a citizen of the Diné, or Navajo, Nation.

Shell was among 55 students selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants based on their leadership potential, record of public service, academic achievements and commitment to careers in environmental protection, tribal public policy or Native health care. The scholarship offers networking opportunities, workshops and up to $7,000 for academic expenses.

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It confirmed that studying Native American and Indigenous studies and dedicating my life to working in the communities where I live was the right decision.

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Neena Shell ’26

A flautist and lifelong ballerina, Shell intended to study music and dance. But she also considered law, and during a gap year before college, she solidified her plan.

One of her cousins ​​attended Dartmouth, and when she learned about the community and the educational opportunities, “it just felt like a perfect fit,” says Shell, who hasn’t given up her ballet shoes though—she’s now the president of Dartmouth Classical Ballet Theater.

At Dartmouth, her inspiration came from N. Bruce Duthu ’80, Samson Occom Professor and Chair of the Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies.

“Professor Duthu is one of the best Native lawyers in the world, so it’s truly an honor and a privilege to have him as a mentor,” says Shell, whose future plans include a doctoral program or law school and working for the Navajo Nation. “To see him give back to his community, both at home and here at Dartmouth, is truly special and something I’d like to do someday.”

As an associate at the Energy Justice Clinic, working with the Mapuche-Williche indigenous community in Chile, Shell gained a global perspective on indigenous law. And her classes on women, gender and sexuality helped her imagine a better future for how indigenous people are treated in the U.S. legal system, she says.

This summer, the 2024 Udall Scholars will meet in Tucson, Arizona, for orientation and begin building a network, “which is really important in this type of work,” Shell says. “You have to make those, in a sense, kinship, professional connections to support each other.”

Reflecting on this opportunity, Shell expresses gratitude to the Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies, the Native American Program directed by Adria Brown, and her peers and family for “constantly motivating and supporting” her.

“Without their support, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do at Dartmouth.”

The Udall Foundation, named for former U.S. Rep. Morris Udall, a Democrat from Arizona, and former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, who served in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, honors the brothers’ legacy of distinguished national leadership on environmental policy and Native American issues.

For information about how to apply for Udall and other programs, contact the Dartmouth Scholarship Advising Office.