Michaela Demmert

Michaela Demmert

2020 – 2021

Sealaska Board Youth Advisor

Juneau, AK

“Be a good relative. Be a good ancestor!”

Michaela (Tlingit, Blackfeet, Nez Perce) is Raven of the Taakw.aaneidí (Sea Lion Clan), child of the Shangukeidí (Thunderbird Clan), and grandchild of the Kaax‘oos.hittaan (Man’s Foot Clan). She carries the name Xo sáats. Michaela is the daughter of Sarah and Travis Dybdahl and the late James (Little) Williams. Michaela’s family roots are from Klawock, Alaska; Kamiah, Idaho; and Browning, Montana. She currently lives in Juneau with her parents and two little brothers Orion and Elias Dybdahl.

Michaela graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018 receiving her BA in anthropology with a minor in Native American studies. In the summer of 2018, she returned to Juneau to work for Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. She works for the Tribal Court as the youth healing to wellness specialist. She has assisted in developing the tribe’s Wellness Courts and promotes wellness and growth for Indigenous youth and their families across Southeast Alaska. This experience has allowed her to explore her passions in serving our communities. She will be pursuing her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Washington this fall. She aspires to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCWS) so she can serve as a clinician who promotes healing through culture.