Two alumnae from the UW–Madison School of Education have been named to the 2026 list of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American leaders, recognizing their work supporting Native communities across the state.
The annual list, published by Madison365, highlights leaders making an impact in education, health, policy, and community engagement.
Lauren Cornelius, a member of the Oneida Nation, is an academic program specialist at the Native American Center for Health Professions in the UW–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, where she focuses on recruiting and retaining Native students in health professional programs. She has been with the center since 2014, when it received its first Indians into Medicine grant from the Indian Health Service. Cornelius is the creator and host of “Medicine Talkers,” a podcast that explores health through an Indigenous lens. She has worked on the UW–Madison campus since 2010, supporting Native students, leading pre-college outreach in tribal communities across Wisconsin, and building partnerships with tribes. She grew up on the Oneida reservation outside Green Bay and earned both her bachelor’s degree in sociology and her master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from UW–Madison.
Tara Tindall, an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, is the Native American teacher leader for the Madison Metropolitan School District, where she oversees the Native American Education Program and federal Title VI program serving Native students from pre-K through 12th grade. She provides professional development for teaching staff on Native curriculum under Wisconsin Act 31, which sets requirements around Native American history, culture, and tribal sovereignty. Tindall also supports the Title VI Parent Advisory Committee, coordinates tutoring programs for Native students, facilitates access to the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and advises Native American student groups in MMSD high schools. She grew up in Black River Falls and holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UW–Madison.
Read more about Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American leaders.