Chief Erelu Awo (Dr. Natalya Mills)
The Èrèlú Awo of Iwaro Oka Àkókó
Dr. Natalya Mills, a distinguished native of Trinidad & Tobago, has been crowned and appointed as the Èrèlú Awo of Iwaro Oka Àkókó in Ondo State, Nigeria. She collaborates with His Royal Majesty, Oba Akande Omiyejola, the Asin of Okà Land. Natalya Mills, who also bears the names Ifáfunmilayo and Eégúnniwura, is a mother, Ìyánifa (female Ifá priest), Ìyá Agan (Eégúngún/ancestor Priestess), and art/Yorùbá philosopher. Her expertise spans art philosophy, curatorial, Caribbean culture, dress and costume history, identity, and Black Body Politics. Her scholarly contributions intricately weave together elements of Yorùbá culture with Caribbean philosophy, Trinidad Carnival arts, and Caribbean history. She is the Spiritual Head of Ile Ijosin Ifá Otito Ile Aye Temple in New York City, an institution dedicated to (re)membering and (re)claiming West African identity for children of the African diaspora. She is also the founder of the nonprofit organization Ifá Otito Ile Aye Inc. (IOIA Inc.), which focuses on connecting, reclaiming, and preserving West African Yorùbá culture in the African diaspora through cultural exchange, innovative educational programming, and the arts.
She has served as a keynote speaker, moderator, and panelist at various international academic conferences such as Black Portraitures at Harvard University, Firenze Italy, CAA Advancing Art and Design Annual Conference, the Caribbean Studies Association, and the West Indian Literature Conference. She has additionally held the role of creative director and contributor for arts, cultural, and nonprofit organizations, including CaribBEING and YARD CONCEPT#1. She has also contributed to the New York Public Library-Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's "From the Reading Room" series and several podcasts. As an educator, Mills has taught a variety of subjects at the City University of New York (Brooklyn and Staten Island campuses), including Caribbean Studies, History, Philosophy, Caribbean/Trinidad Carnival, and Dress & Identity. Natalya Mills' extensive body of work reflects a deep commitment to exploring, understanding, and demystifying concepts of Caribbean and Yorùbá cultural traditions, philosophy, and artistic expressions. She bridges academic and community-based practices to foster a richer understanding of identity and cultural heritage.
Mills has her Ph.D. in Art Theory and Philosophy from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Mills was honored as a 2017 David Driskell Fellow. She holds an MA in Costume Studies: Visual Culture, a BS in Visual Arts Management, and an AAS in Display and Exhibition Design. Mills has been conferred the title "Leadership & Cultural Catalysts in the Caribbean Community" by Congresswoman Dr. Una Clarke and Yvette Clarke. Additionally, she has been honored with a Proclamation from New York State Senator Parker in recognition of her significant contributions to the Caribbean community. Mills has collaborated with numerous museums and cultural institutions in the United States and internationally, including the Brooklyn Historical Society, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, El Museo Del Barrio, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Spelman Museum of Fine Arts, Wyckoff House Museum, Brooklyn Arts Council, Weeksville Heritage Center, the United Nations Headquarters in NYC, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras. She has authored scholarly articles and content for journals such as Sargasso, the New York Times, and Fashion Projects, and has been featured in design magazines such as Retail Design Magazine, Women's Wear Daily (WWD), Brownstoner, and Views at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD).