Amy Stretten

Wingapo! Amy Stretten is a strategic communications leader, journalist, and Native American change-maker with more than 15 years of experience delivering compelling, culturally resonant storytelling across sectors. A proud citizen of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe and a bilingual communicator (English and Spanish), she brings a proven track record of elevating Indigenous voices, shaping public narratives, and driving mission-aligned marketing—especially within entertainment, government, and nonprofit spaces.

As the Director of Marketing and Communications at United American Indian Involvement (UAII), Amy leads efforts to elevate the visibility of Los Angeles’ Urban Native community and position UAII as a trusted voice in Native health and wellness. Prior to joining UAII in this role, she was first a client of the Workforce program and later a community partner. With UAII’s support and as part of an 18-month artist fellowship with The Center for Cultural Power, she organized a free Native American women’s health and wellness retreat that brought 40 UAII clients to Big Bear for a weekend of culturally grounded healing practices including powwow yoga, forest bathing, community supported self-love, and walking meditation.

Amy is also a columnist for Reckon News, where she writes about body liberation, self-acceptance, and decolonizing health and wellness. Her work explores the intersections of Indigeneity, Femme identity, queerness, and body sovereignty, while challenging stereotypes and amplifying the diversity of contemporary Native life—particularly for urban Natives living in large cities.

Amy is the founder of The Chief of Style, a cultural fashion platform that celebrates personal expression, body liberation, and Native representation in fashion through an Indigenized lens. Her fashion and journalism work has been featured in several books and magazines, including DapperQ: Ungendering Fashion (HarperCollins) and Divas Magazine in the UK.

Her career spans journalism, federal Indian policy, government, entertainment, public relations, and fashion—bringing a wealth of experience in storytelling, advocacy, and narrative change. Amy has worked with major media outlets including the Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN) in Canada, ABC/Univision’s Fusion TV Network, Snapchat News, Reckon News, APTN National News, and the New York Post. Her reporting and commentary have also appeared on CNN, ABC News, CBS, and Fox.

Amy holds a Master of Arts in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in New York City, a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Spanish from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and has completed graduate coursework in Federal Indian Policy at American University in Washington, D.C.