SHI selects student Barbara Laman for 2025 Judson L. Brown Leadership Award

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has selected a student as the recipient of the 2025 Judson L. Brown Leadership Award. 

Barbara Laman

Barbara Laman, who is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling with a specialization in substance use and addictive disorders at Grand Canyon University, was chosen for her long-standing leadership within the Tlingit and Haida Tribal Child Support Unit (TCSU) and her future plans to serve tribal communities through culturally grounded behavioral health services.

Laman has advanced through several roles at TCSU over the last eight years, beginning as a Case Specialist and now serving as department manager. Her leadership has focused on improving systems for tribal families, uplifting coworkers and restoring Indigenous family-centered practices. She has also helped relaunch Fatherhood is Sacred and Mother is Sacred, programs aimed at strengthened family bonds through cultural values.

After graduation, Laman plans to work as a counselor within a tribal health or wellness program, where she hopes to combine clinical tools with traditional teachings and cultural knowledge. Her long-term goal is to develop recovery and prevention programs rooted in tribal values and to mentor future Native behavioral health professionals.

Laman said her leadership is grounded in service, cultural pride and a commitment to justice. “I am committed to being a source of strength, inspiration and transformation so that together, we rise, reclaim our stories and heal as one,” she wrote.

The Judson L. Brown Leadership Award, established by Chris and Mary McNeil in 2006, honors the legacy of Chris’ uncle, Tlingit leader Judson Lawrence Brown. Brown was the first chair of the Sealaska Heritage Foundation — now known as Sealaska Heritage Institute — and a strong advocate for education and leadership development. The $5,000 award supports students who demonstrate exceptional leadership and academic achievement and a commitment to preserving Native culture and languages.