NICH was founded at a Tribal Summit on Hydropower in Spring 2026 hosted by Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group and American Rivers. At that summit, Tribal and Indigenous participants selected an advisory group, called the Stewards, to guide and inform the development of NICH moving forward. The Stewards represent the geographic regions participating to date. Also at that summit, participants selected the current facilitators to continue to co-convene NICH. Learn more about the history of NICH here.

Conveners

Kelly Catlett works to advance policies and practices that protect rivers, uphold Tribal sovereignty, and support healthy communities. For nearly two decades, she has partnered with Tribes, conservation organizations, and local communities to reform hydropower policies and improve the way rivers are managed. She is particularly proud of her work supporting the movement to remove dams on the Klamath River alongside Tribal Nations whose leadership and persistence made restoration possible.

Kelly is the Hydropower Reform Program Director at American Rivers, where she helps Tribes and partners navigate hydropower licensing and policy processes, build advocacy strategies, and advance solutions that benefit rivers and the people who depend on them. Kelly holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Davis and a J.D. from California Western School of Law.

Kelly Catlett, J.D.

A woman with long brown hair, wearing glasses, a white top, and an orange and yellow patterned scarf, smiling outdoors with green foliage in the background.

Dr. Stephanie Quinn-Davidson is a fisheries scientist with more than a decade of experience working to protect fisheries and the communities that depend on them. An enrolled member of the Brothertown Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, her work focuses on advancing Tribal sovereignty, sustaining traditional fishing practices, and elevating Indigenous perspectives in natural resource policy, management, and advocacy.

Stephanie brings extensive experience partnering with Tribes. She is the Science and Policy Director at Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Organization. Stephanie holds a Ph.D. in Limnology and Marine Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has served in numerous leadership roles supporting fisheries, conservation, and Tribal communities.

Stephanie Quinn-Davidson, Ph.D.

Woman standing on the shore near a body of water with boats and an all-terrain vehicle in the background, wearing a purple jacket and jeans.

Meet the Stewards

  • Tom Iverson

    Yakima Nation Fisheries

    PNW representative

  • Delores Larson

    United Tribes of Bristol Bay

    Alaska representative

  • Adrian Herder

    To Nizhoni Ani

    Southwest representative

  • Chyenne Klemme

    Grand Canyon Trust

  • Tera John

    Midwest respresentative