Lily Joy

I'm Lily Joy Winder, a Diné and Southern Ute activist currently attending Stanford University. While I advocate broadly for Indigenous rights, my work specifically focuses on issues at the intersection of tribal sovereignty, environmental justice, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People epidemic, and the fight to end the use of Native mascots. I began my public advocacy through social media, where I've built a community of over 300,000 followers on TikTok (@sheshortnbrown). I went on to found #PeopleNotMascots, a movement dedicated to retiring offensive Native mascots from public schools across the United States. The movement has garnered attention from outlets such as Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Indian Country Today, the Harvard Institute of Politics, and Newsweek.

Since then, I've worked with national non-profits including Gen-Z for Change, RISE, Seeding Sovereignty, FEMINIST, NCAI, Lakota Law, and others, continuing to advocate for Indigenous issues. As I move forward, I plan to expand my advocacy into acting as a means of increasing representation for Native American people. At just 22, I'm committed to dedicating my life to shedding light on Native experiences, cultures, and voices.