From left: Mitchell Hamline students Corrina Kingbird, Christopher Parisien, Tashina Emery, Case Guinn, Ashley LaFriniere, Rachel Evangelisto, and Kylan Hill. Not pictured: Leo John Bird and Adrianna Rivera.
The Minnesota Native American Bar Association (MNABA) celebrates student accomplishments and awards scholarships to upper-year law students at their annual Fall Feast. This year, all nine scholarships were given to students at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Mitchell Hamline offers a dedicated path of study rooted in the Native American Law and Sovereignty (NALS) Institute and has the largest enrollment of Native law students of any law school in the nation—42 students in fall 2025, including 37 enrolled members of Tribal Nations. Native students find support and community through two student groups, the Native American Law Student Association and Indigenous Women’s Law Society, and organizations like MNABA.
“These scholarships support hardworking law students who represent Tribal Nations and communities,” said NALS Director, Professor Angelique EagleWoman (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate). “They are each so deserving, and the scholarships support them on their legal educational journey.”
Recipients included Leo John Bird (Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Tribes); Tashina Emery (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community); Rachel Evangelisto (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe); Case Guinn (Cherokee Nation and Delaware Tribe); Kylan Hill (Red Lake Band of Chippewa); Corrina Kingbird (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe); Ashley LaFriniere (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa); Christopher Parisien (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa); and Adrianna Rivera (Native Hawaiian). They come from Minnesota as well as Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.
MNABA President Veronica Newcomer (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) graduated from Mitchell Hamline in 2013 and was a past scholarship recipient.
“Our scholarships help Native students stay in law school so they can focus on obtaining their law degree and mitigate some of the financial strain they experience,” said Newcomer. “MNABA provides scholarships and mentorship to ensure Native law students not only enter law school, but graduate and become lawyers.”