Robin Maxkii Explained

Robin Maxkii
Birth Date:8 November 1990
Years Active:2014–present

Robin Maxkii (born November 8, 1990) is a Native American technology activist, filmmaker, and writer.[1] Maxkii is known primarily for her work on broadening the participation of Native Americans in education and technology.[2] [3] She co-starred in the Microsoft-funded[4] PBS series "Code Trip"[5] showcasing diversity within the technology industry. In 2016 Máxkii organized and directed the first national American Indian collegiate hackathon,[6] focused on addressing the digital divide and access to technology in rural and under served communities. Two years later, Google launched a documentary about her journey in technology.[7]

Personal life

Robin Máxkii is of Stockbridge-Munsee, Navajo, Mohican and Spanish descent.[8] Maxkii taught herself to code using public library computers [9] from the age of eleven[10] and began running various websites utilizing free Web hosting services. In 2014 Maxkii graduated [11] from Diné College, a tribal college, and later Salish Kootenai College located on the Flathead Indian Reservation.[12]

Career

2014–2018: Early work

In 2014, her blogging network "Blood Quantum Reform" was shortlisted to join the United Nations Global Partnership for Youth. Maxkii used her blog to raise awareness on issues within Indian country primarily related to blood quantum, education access, and tribal sovereignty.[13]

Around 2014, while still a tribal college student, she co-produced and narrated a segment of the Navajo Oral History[14] project which is now archived in the Smithsonian.[15]

In 2015, she was invited to introduce Dr. Jill Biden at a national Conference.[16] [17] [18] Dr. Biden praised Maxkii's writing, encouraging people to read her work.[19]

Maxkii had participated in a number of hackathons before being cast in the Microsoft funded documentary series Code_Trip,[20] which premiered nationally in 2016. She, along with two other people, traveled across the country interviewing people in the technology industry.[21] Maxkii used this platform to gain support for events focused on American Indians in technology.

In November 2016, Maxkii successfully directed the first national American Indian Collegiate hackathon,[22] focused on addressing the digital divide and access to the Internet by rural and underserved communities.[23]

2018–present

In 2018, Google produced and launched a documentary about her journey in technology for their 20th anniversary.[24] Marking only the 2nd time a living Native American featured on the Google Homepage.[25]

Highlighting diversity in technology and celebrating sisterhood, Maxkii appeared on the Girls Who Code "Sisterh>>d" album,[26] which also featured tracks by Lizzo, Tiffany Gouché, and DJ Khalil. It launched on October 11, 2018.[27]

The American Indian College Fund and work with Indigenous rights

Maxkii was named an ambassador to the American Indian College Fund (AICF) in 2016,[28] and began work with the 'Think Indian' campaign. The AICF 'Think Indian' campaign seeks to "tell the story of how America’s 32 accredited tribal colleges and American Indian students are combining traditional Native solutions with modern knowledge to solve contemporary problems."[29] She has spoken out on education disparity, including speaking before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and has advocated for equal opportunity among students of color, Indigenous students in particular.[30] She also appeared in a series of ads for the College Fund which included a billboard spot in New York's Times Square.

Literary works

Contributor to Tribal College Journal,[31] The Chronicle of Higher Education,[32] Michelle Obama's Better Make Room[33] [34] [35] campaign, and various online publications. She was a recipient of the Native American Journalists Association Award in 2018.[36]

Awards

Her work has also earned various awards including invitations to events at the White House under the Obama Administration.[37] In 2016 she was nominated to attend the United State of Women Summit hosted by the White House as a changemaker.[38]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Native Student Attributes Success to Community College. March 14, 2015. Indian Country Today. Indian Country Today Media Network. Landry. Alysa. 23 December 2016.
  2. News: Trippy Techies. September 14, 2015. Navajo Times. Yurth. Cindy. 23 December 2016.
  3. News: Inspiring Natives to Take Computer Science Classes. PowWows. Brown. Toyacoyah. 23 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Roadtrip Nations Code Trip Sponsored by Microsoft Youthspark is on the Move. July 31, 2015. Microsoft.
  5. Web site: CodeTrip Official Website. 2015.
  6. Web site: Inspires and Excels. KPAX. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170104002648/http://www.kpax.com/clip/12877579/montana-tribal-college-student-inspires-and-excels. 2017-01-04.
  7. Web site: How a self-taught coder became an advocate for her community Google. www.google.com. en. 2018-12-09.
  8. Web site: Mohican News. Stockbridge-Munsee.
  9. Web site: Hacking her way past Google. IndianCountryToday.com. en. 2018-12-09.
  10. News: Latest Detour Takes Her Across America. September 14, 2015. Missoulian. Devlin. Vince. 23 December 2016.
  11. Web site: Dine College 2014 Graduation Ceremony. May 1, 2014. Dine College. December 28, 2016.
  12. Web site: Steering Her on Her Journey. October 1, 2016. American Indian College Fund. December 28, 2016.
  13. Web site: Global Call on Youth. February 20, 2015. United Nations. December 28, 2016.
  14. Web site: Preserving the Wisdom: The Navajo Oral History Project. 2014-02-07. Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education. en-US. 2018-12-09.
  15. Web site: Clarifying connections: Navajo Oral History – Smithsonian Libraries Unbound. en-US. 2018-12-09.
  16. Web site: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Dr. Jill Biden. February 20, 2015. National Archives. whitehouse.gov. December 28, 2016.
  17. News: Native Student Attributes Success to Community College. March 14, 2015. Indian Country Today. Indian Country Today Media Network. Landry. Alysa. 23 December 2016.
  18. Web site: National Science Foundation. 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170104000530/https://www.nsf.gov/mobile/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=134705%2F. 2017-01-04.
  19. Web site: Achieve the Dream Speech. 2015. YouTube.
  20. Web site: Microsoft Blog: CodeTrip The Road Trip of a Lifetime. 2015.
  21. News: Summer of Exploration. November 3, 2016. Indian Country Today. Indian Country Today Media Network. Landry. Alysa. 23 December 2016.
  22. Web site: American Indian Science and Engineering Society. 2016.
  23. Web site: Student Serves as Inspiration to Others. November 11, 2016. KTVQ. December 28, 2016.
  24. Web site: How a self-taught coder became an advocate for her community Google. www.google.com. en. 2018-12-09.
  25. Web site: Finding community this Native American Heritage Month. 2018-11-09. Google. en. 2018-12-09.
  26. Girls Who Code Shares Soundtrack to Female Empowerment With 'Sisterh>>d' Visual Album. Billboard. 2018-12-09.
  27. Web site: Girls Who Code Drops a New Digital-Visual Album to Celebrate 'Modern Sisterhood'. www.adweek.com. en-US. 2018-12-09.
  28. Web site: 2016 - 2017 Annual Report. Issuu. en. 2018-12-10.
  29. Web site: Think Indian public service advertisement campaign launches. 2009-01-26. American Indian College Fund Native American Scholarships. 2018-12-10.
  30. Web site: Help Combat Anti-Indigenous Racism By Becoming An Ally. www.indigenouspeoples-sdg.org. en-us. 2018-12-10.
  31. Web site: Tribal College Journal: Authors. June 14, 2016. Tribal College Journal. December 23, 2016.
  32. News: Why I Attended Tribal College. Máxkii. Robin. 2017-09-17. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2018-12-09. en-US. 0009-5982.
  33. Web site: How Tribal College Education Became My Medicine. 2016-11-08. Better Make Room. 2018-12-09.
  34. Web site: The First Lady Announces 'Better Make Room' Campaign. 2015-10-19. Black Enterprise. en-US. 2018-12-09.
  35. Web site: Michelle Obama Recruits TV, Digital Heavyweights For 'Better Make Room' Campaign. 2015-10-19. Variety. en. 2018-12-09.
  36. Web site: NAJA announces 2018 NAJF class - Native American Journalists Association. www.naja.com. 2018-12-09.
  37. News: Blood Quantum Who Says Who You Are. December 21, 2016. Valley Journal. Beeks. Kathi. 21 December 2016.
  38. Web site: The 2018 USOW Summit. The United State of Women. en-US. 2018-12-09.

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