Building Connection Through Conversation: The Elder in Residence at CR

Published on May 6 2026

In a space filled with conversation, laughter, and the steady rhythm of students coming and going, Pyuwa Bommelyn, Manager of the Native American Success & Support Program, is focused on something simple and powerful: connection.

At College of the Redwoods, the Elder in Residence program is not built on formal lectures or rigid structure. Instead, it centers on something far more meaningful, bringing community knowledge directly to students through shared space, lived experience, and conversation.

“We bring in an elder from the community,” Bommelyn explains. “It’s really about having good conversation with our students.”

That simplicity is intentional. Each week, an elder joins students on campus, offering not only insight, but presence. The format is flexible. Sometimes it is centered on a topic. Sometimes it is shaped by whatever conversations emerge organically. What remains consistent is the goal: creating a place where Native students feel seen, supported, and connected.

Last year’s Elder in Residence, Maria Tripp, brought a deep well of experience, from tribal leadership to years of service on community boards. This year, students are connecting with Frank Tuttle, a psychologist, artist, and traditionalist whose work bridges culture, identity, and contemporary life.

“He does a great job of making connections,” Bommelyn says. “Looking at what’s going on and seeing the deeper meaning behind it.”

But beyond credentials and accomplishments, what matters most is how students respond.

There is a shift that happens when an elder enters the space.

“You can totally tell,” Bommelyn says. “Students react differently.”

That reaction is especially important in moments when learning becomes personal. In courses like Native American Studies, students often encounter histories that are difficult, emotional, and, at times, overwhelming. The Elder in Residence program creates space to process those experiences, grounding them in perspective.

Bommelyn recalls a student who left class feeling fired up and ready to demand immediate change. The response from an elder offered both encouragement and reality.

“It took us 20 years to get certain things done,” the elder shared. “It takes persistence.”

That balance between urgency and patience, frustration and resilience, is something only lived experience can teach.

And that is the heart of the program.

“It’s about building community,” Bommelyn says. “Creating that sense of belonging.”

The weekly gatherings, held Thursdays at noon, are intentionally welcoming and informal. Students can stop by, listen, ask questions, or simply be present. Food is often part of the experience, reinforcing the sense of gathering rather than programming.

The impact extends beyond campus.

In a region where community ties run deep, those connections matter.

“Our community is big, but it gets small real quick,” Bommelyn says with a smile. “Every opportunity to connect strengthens it.”

That idea shapes his long-term vision for the program. While it is currently centered on the Eureka campus, Bommelyn hopes to expand it to other locations, including Del Norte.

A network.

A support system.

A community.

For Bommelyn, that is the goal. “Just come by,” he says. “Say hi. Make a connection.”

Because in the end, the Elder in Residence program is not just about honoring knowledge from the past. It is about strengthening relationships in the present and shaping a more connected future for the students who walk through those doors.