
Dr. Gabrielle Tayac
Associate Professor of History,
George Mason University
Member, Piscataway Indian Nation
Dr. Gabrielle Tayac, Associate Professor of History at George Mason University and a member of the Piscataway Indian Nation, is an activist scholar committed to empowering Indigenous perspectives. Gabi earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Harvard University, and her B.S. in Social Work and American Indian Studies from Cornell University. Her scholarly research focuses on hemispheric American Indian identity, multiracialism, indigenous religions, and social movements, maintaining a regional specialization in the Chesapeake Bay. Gabi served on NMAI's staff for 18 years as an educator, historian, and curator. She engages deeply in community relationships and public discourse. She just returned from a two year journey to uplift the voices of indigenous elder women leaders, sponsored by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Gabi has now settled back into the local landscape as a Principle Investigator the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. She lives in Takoma Park, Maryland, with her children, Sebastian and Jansikwe.