From the president
Kendall Tabobandung, a junior at Wagner College, is majoring in History. Kendall, a member of the Haudenosaunee Nation, has been a committed advocate of promoting and protecting the legacy, cultures, and languages of Native Americans. She is a member of the Tyendinaga Youth Council’s Youth Council, where she has been a champion for the needs and interests of young people within the community such as those pertaining to education, healthcare, and cultural preservation. She has also participated in community outreach projects to promote positive change and empower youth voices. Kendall raises awareness about Native Americans and how past injustices continue to harm the communities today at home and elsewhere; both in informal and formal contexts. For example, she published an essay titled “’We have Indigenous Solutions’: Leadership Lessons of Indigenous Trailblazers” in the Wagner College Undergraduate Journal. In 2023, in the campus’ official talk to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Kendall spoke about her experience going to elementary school on the reservation and then transferring to the local town high school. Her willingness to share her own story has had a profound impact on her classmates, since many assume Native Americans are something you only learn about in history classes.
Personal Statement
I am Kendall Tabobandung, a student-athlete, studying and competing at Wagner College. I come from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Ontario, Canada and I carry with me the rich heritage of my Native American roots. My Mohawk name, Yontonkwe’tanónhnha, translates to "She Protects Her People," encapsulating the driving force behind my life's mission. My journey is dedicated to protecting the legacy of my people by preserving our culture and language. As an advocate for Indigenous rights, I am committed to amplifying awareness on critical issues such as Truth and Reconciliation for Indian residential/boarding schools and addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. I am deeply invested in protecting our land base and upholding our treaty rights. At Wagner, I actively make an effort to raise awareness through educational talks and presentations, drawing from my upbringing on a reservation surrounded by tradition, language, and culture. I also strive to spread knowledge in my daily interactions, by contributing my Indigenous perspective in class discussions and incorporating my cultural teachings into my lacrosse team's everyday life. I believe that everyone has a voice, it's how we choose to use it that decides whether or not we will be heard.