⚖️  ICE’SHAY PENNEY ⚖️

Tribal Spokesperson • Founder

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, I come from a lineage of strength, survival, and sovereignty. I am of Inuit descent from the Chukotka region of Russia, and I am a proud mother to five children of Tulalip, Muckleshoot, and Nez Perce ancestry.

My journey into advocacy began long before it became my profession. After discovering all five of my children were on the Autism Spectrum, I too was later diagnosed as a Level 1 Autistic adult. Navigating courts, schools, and systems as a mother and advocate became my calling.

For over 15 years, I’ve fought through Family Law, Guardianship, Dependency cases, and IEP advocacy; first for my own family, then for others.

I began my education at Western Washington University and went on to earn my B.A. in Tribal Governance from Northwest Indian College (2016). I’ve always held a passion for sovereignty, culture, and the rights of Indigenous people, which led me to take and pass the Tulalip Tribal Bar Exam in 2025, allowing me to become an Admitted Tribal Spokesperson for Tulalip Tribal Court.

In addition to my legal work, I serve as a Peer Support Specialist and Recovery Coach, blending lived experience with spiritual alignment and trauma-informed care. I founded NDN Advocacy, a nonprofit rooted in cultural inclusion and neurodivergent justice, and have worked in both Tribal government and community systems.

My mission is simple but sacred: to speak for those still finding their voice, and to protect what’s sacred: our children, our communities, and our sovereignty.