Valeria Atanacio

Valeria Atanacio is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and serves as a member of the Grand Ronde Tribal Council. She has ancestral ties to the Shoshone-Bannock, Chinook, Northern Ute, Umpqua, and Tututni peoples and is also of Mexican and Colombian descent. She is the proud daughter of late Tribal member Kateri Atanacio, granddaughter of Beryle Langley and Angel Contreras and great-granddaughter of Roy Langley and Delia LaRose. 

Valeria was born in Vancouver, Washington and spent much of her childhood and adolescence in and around Grand Ronde, most recently returning in 2024 to live, work, serve and raise her children. Valeria is bilingual in English and Spanish, learning Chinuk Wawa and continues in her own journey of reclaiming Indigenous way of being for her own family, children and her future descendants.  

As a mother, educator, and lifelong advocate for children and families, Valeria’s leadership is grounded in relationship, service, and responsibility to the Grand Ronde people and future generations. Valeria brings more than 15 years of experience spanning education, social services, Tribal and state government, policy, community engagement and systems change. She is the founder and owner of Native Mama Scholars, a grassroots consulting firm dedicated to strengthening Indigenous, family-centered, and culturally grounded practices within education and community.

As a Tribal Council member, Valeria brings a strong focus on education, housing, health and wellness, good governance and long-term sustainability. She is deeply committed to listening to and representing the voices of the Grand Ronde membership, strengthening communication and accountability, and supporting thoughtful decisions that care for Tribal people today while helping create a strong future for those yet to come.