Digging In - Underground Scholars at UCR
By Art Valles
Art Valles (Chihene Nde) graduated this past spring from UC Riverside with his BA in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Native American studies. He was recently accepted to complete a Master’s in Public Policy & Administration at the University of Redlands, and plans to start the program this fall. Art was President of both Underground Scholars and the Native American Student Association (NASA). Art was incarcerated, and has dedicated his education and organizing to improving the lives of other formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students and the Native American communities who have been so devastated by western carceral-colonial systems. This devastation has taken the form of Spanish missions, anti-Indian loitering laws, indentured servitude/slavery, removal, reservations and rancherias (initially managed by the US Department of War), borders, the criminalization of Native life through racialized laws and policing, and of course mass incarceration in public and private prisons. In this moment, when the carceral state is ramping up its violence, detentions, and exclusions in an explicitly white supremacist demographic project, and referencing quandaries about Native American US citizenship to justify its actions, it is important to listen to stories such as Art’s. We celebrate Art’s accomplishments and his ongoing work.
Art Valles (left) at Native Grad Dinner with Shannon Rivers in June 2025.
Growing up Native, prison was normalized. My grandparents came to the city to find a better life, to find work. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother and at church as my mom tried her best to raise me as a single mom. Again and again, I was told I was a bad kid in school, a message that stuck with me. In reality, it was a learning disability that made school difficult for me.
In the city many other things can pull us in. Many of my family members, faced with the pressure to assimilate to a local culture , ended up in the gangs in LA and took part in activities that landed them in prison. Even though I stayed away from the gangs I still found myself getting into trouble. I didn't fit in and felt different from everyone around me. Eventually, I made a mistake and found myself facing a life sentence.
People do not realize how easy it is to make a small mistake; it only takes twenty seconds and you could spend a lifetime paying for it. It can happen to anyone. And while anyone can make a mistake that lands you in prison, some communities are often targeted more. I ended up going to prison for a little over eight years. I didn’t want to risk a life sentence, so I pleaded out and was sentenced to thirteen years. While I was in prison, I took as many classes as possible to get time off, which was one of my motivations. By the time I was released, I had four AA degrees: in anthropology, psychology, arts and humanities, and social behaviors. The college that I went to made sure that they set us up for success and that our classes would transfer when we got out of prison. The school also informed me about programs such as Underground Scholars that help formerly incarcerated people at universities.
Art and his mother while he was in prison.
Returning home, I had all kinds of plans, but most didn't work out. I wanted to go to UCLA but ended up at Riverside. When I arrived, I reached out to the Underground Scholars campus office, an office that offers support for formerly incarcerated students in higher-ed, and they helped me set up my housing on campus, enroll in classes, and gave me a scholarship. Soon after, I learned that Underground Scholars had two different components: the campus office and the entirely student-run student organization. I started attending the Underground Scholars student meetings after a student in one of my classes invited me, and while the campus office helped me access certain resources, the student org is where I found a community of other formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. The community is larger than you might think. Maybe we don't talk about it or we don't think about it, but it still impacts people’s lives.
The goal of the Underground Scholars student org is to help formerly incarcerated people succeed in higher ed, while, at the same time, working to tear down that school-to-prison pipeline. We want to lower recidivism rates through higher education, and build communities of support. Though I was on my road to success, I faced a lot of challenges after coming out of prison. I was working a full time job and attending school full time. I struggled with imposter syndrome. I was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. I was socially awkward. I was institutionalized. I didn't know how to talk to other people. I would shut down. The learning disability that got me called a “bad kid” when I was younger still affected me.
UCR Underground Scholars Francine Phillips (left) and Alikoi Parra table for the Undergrad Scholars student organization.
As a formerly incarcerated individual, I understand firsthand the challenges formerly incarcerated individuals face when returning home, no matter how hard we have worked to transform our lives. And I am not alone. Many formerly incarcerated people face discrimination and stigma in spaces of higher ed. Criminal records make it difficult to secure housing, find employment opportunities,and some people, dependent on their crime, may find it difficult to secure financial aid or scholarships. Despite my credentials and readiness for employment, I encountered barriers such as company policies that claim to support second chances but, in practice, created those barriers that kept formerly incarcerated individuals like me out of the workforce. Even though I took classes to get my Associate’s degree in prison, I hadn’t been around technology for a long time and I struggled to catch up once I was out. Formerly incarcerated people also often have to navigate parole and probation requirements that get in the way of class schedules.
I still have a hard time writing. I get bad writer's block. I don't know how to ask for help. But through programs like Underground Scholars, I was able to find the help and community that I needed. I was directed to go to the Student Disability Center where I was finally able to receive accommodations. I became President of the Underground Scholars student org for the 2024-2025 academic school year, I led the board, and held weekly Org meetings to check in with individuals who are incarcerated or impacted. I worked to recruit other students who have been incarcerated or impacted. I have tabled on campus and at events. I’ve lobbied legislators with local nonprofits to bring awareness and change public policy that can help incarcerated people. I organized symposiums and spoke on panels on behalf of formerly incarcerated students in higher education. I spoke on my own experiences to inform people that as a Native I can succeed after the mistakes I made in my life. Showing that my life has been improved through higher education, I hope to open a pathway for those who come after me that do not know that this program exists.
Art (second from left) speaking on a panel at the Western History Association's annual conference. He was joined by ....
Many Native Americans are incarcerated at a high rate. It is my belief that it may be due to generational trauma, often made worse by colonization. I have had the ability to bridge the gap between formerly incarcerated students, Native American people, and our communities. I believe that if other formerly incarcerated or impacted Natives were to know about the program they would take advantage of it and use it to change their lives. We can take what we learn and direct it in a way that benefits our tribal people. Although there are those of us that have self-doubt, who maybe believe that we are not good enough to succeed in society off the rez, who have felt we don’t fit in with schools because of a family history with boarding schools, it's never too late to get educated and do something grander for our communities.
Art at UCR graduation in June 2025.
Now that he has graduated, Art plans to create a non profit organization that donates traditional medicines to incarcerated Native people and advocates for them to be able to pray in traditional ways. He wants to help provide reentry services and resources to formerly incarcerated Natives, and help communities recover from intergenerational trauma, mental health challenges, and drug/alcohol addiction. If you are interested in donating or getting involved, please reach out to Art via email: wecomeinagoodway@gmail.com or instagram.
For anyone interested in finding out more about Underground Scholars, please follow these links:
