Culture Bearers
Our Culture Bearers are Indigenous women who volunteer their time, talent and cultural knowledge to help make our programming possible. Meet the incredible women who help make Healing Ribbons mission possible:
Judy Genovesi
Culture Bearer
Judy Genovesi is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Nation. Judy attended Boarding School at Marty in South Dakota. She spent twenty-five years as a beautician and business owner. Looking for a change and wanting to make a difference by caring for and helping heal people she earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing and became a Registered Nurse (RN). Judy spent twenty-five years as a RN at Douglas County Health Center until she retired. Judy engages in a variety of artistic pursuits but sewing is her passion. Judy is primarily self taught, using sewing videos to advance her skills. Judy is a genuine servant leader, she loves helping others and sharing her sewing and cultural knowledge with others. As a lifelong learner, she is always interested in learning from others as well.
Renee Geller
Culture Bearer
Renee is a proud member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. she was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. Growing up as a non-Caucasian in an adoptive, Caucasian family, she faced many hardships. The feeling of being alone, and apart from her community was constant. But this experience shaped her into the person that she is today – someone who is dedicated to helping others, especially those within the Native American population. As an independent healthcare consultant, she works tirelessly to provide support and resources for individuals working in the urban Native American population. She also serves as a Boystown Independent contractor as a Common Sense Parenting Trainer and collaborates with the Society of Care to develop culturally responsive Native American curriculum for the Lincoln Police Department. Her professional accomplishments are numerous, including serving as a Program Coordinator for the Ponca Tribe Of Nebraska’s supervised visits for domestic violence families, Project Coordinator for Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, Inc., and Clinic Supervisor for Nebraska Urban Indian Medical Center. In each role she endeavors to make a difference in the lives of Native American families.
Valery Kills Crow Copeland
Board Member, Culture Bearer
Valery is a business owner, realtor, Culture Bearer, play writer, author, beadwork artist and regalia maker. She is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) where she majored in Studio Arts (2002) with a concentration in Graphic Design and a minor in Native American Studies. Valery shares her knowledge through cultural instruction workshops at the Joslyn Art Museum, Boystown, Union Pacific, Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha Children’s Museum, Lincoln Public Schools in Indian Education, Center Point in Lincoln NE, UNO and Lester’s Beading Class. Since 2012 she founded and coordinates the Native American Prime Time Family Reading, a family literacy program for Native American families funded by the Humanities Foundation of Nebraska.
Trinity Eden
Apprentice Culture Bearer and Cultural Resilience Ally
Trinity is a mother of three, daughter of many mothers, published author, Knowledge Keeper, community volunteer and an artist. She has an Associate’s degree in Human Services, is a SPARK Fellow for the Fabric Lab and is proud of her Navajo and Oglala Lakota heritage. Born in Farmington, New Mexico and raised in foster care and the Social Services system, her experiences molded her into an advocate for marginalized people (especially BIPOC), an agent for change and a proponent for cultural revitalization. She is an apprentice Culture Bearer and Cultural Resilience Ally that is passionate about increasing and sharing her cultural knowledge. She dedicated her career and volunteer activities to empowering and uplifting BIPOC communities while encouraging cultural growth and empowerment among Indigenous women and children.
Alex Lovrien
Culture Bearer
Alex Lovrien, dedicated indigenous matriarch and proud Sicangu Lakota Tribe member. Her journey began at Metropolitan Community College in 2017 as a Career Skills Coach, evolving into her current role as Director of Workforce Training and Advisor for the Native American Cultural Student Association.
Alex previously served as Hardship Assistance Coordinator at Heartland Family Service, supporting individuals in crisis. She's a first-generation graduate with an AAS in Human Services and holds a BGS with an emphasis in Psychology and Native American Studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Guided by Aristotle's wisdom, she emphasizes nurturing both intellect and spirit, fostering remarkable community growth. She volunteers for Healing Ribbons, Native American Primetime Reading Time program, and has served on the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition Board of Directors.
A Mental Health First Aider, Alex's commitment extends to holistic well-being, shaped by foster care experiences alongside her siblings, which drives her aspiration to make a difference in others' lives and connect with her heritage.
In her personal life, she's a proud mother of five and shares her journey with a dedicated partner of 22 years. Creatively, she enjoys family time playing games and expressing artistry through beading and sewing.