Leaders in the Academy Spotlight on Natalie Avalos Cisneros

A “transnational” Native American/Chicana upbringing has given 2012 FTE Doctoral Fellow Natalie Avalos Cisneros a deep sensitivity to themes and biases that define culture in religion. A student of Native American religion and philosophy, and Tibetan Buddhism, Natalie studies the way that religious praxis empowers individuals and communities, and shapes political mobilization for transnational Tibetan and Native American peoples in the U.S. She is inspired to use her knowledge to forge alliances that can guide the global community to an understanding of what it means to live in God’s grace and to nurture love and compassion for one another.

“I plan to teach Indigenous Religious Traditions and Tibetan Buddhism as a tenured professor at a public or private university.”