BRIDGING CULTURES, BUILDING CONNECTIONS:
How Kenric Tsethlikai’s Native Roots Laid the Seeds for International Success
Few people understand the inner workings of the Lauder Institute as well as Kenric Tsethlikai. As the Institute’s managing director since 2012, Tsethlikai has played an instrumental role in its operations, helping shape curriculum and policy, advising students, hiring faculty, and managing staff. His role is crucial in fostering a vibrant, multilingual community at the Institute, where globally-minded business students come together. Tsethlikai himself embodies this spirit—he speaks ten languages at varying levels, has traveled extensively around the world, and has lived in both France and Switzerland. However, what makes Tsethlikai’s journey particularly compelling is how it all began.
Tsethlikai is a member of the Zuni tribe, a Native American community in western New Mexico whose ancestral homeland is the ‘four corners’ area between Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Growing up in the Zuni Pueblo (A:Shiwi), Tsethlikai was raised in the various traditions that shape the rhythm of daily life such as rain dances, ceremonial prayers, and the sacred Shalako festival marking the winter solstice. He reflects on how these rituals incorporated Native American values such as reverence for elders and the wisdom they bring, the importance of future generations, and the emphasis on symbolism and ceremony. It was his appreciation of the forms, colors, and presentation of such celebrations that seeded a deep interest in 17th century French literature and theater where, he says, he found “similar kinds of highly stylized, highly constructed theatrical forms and conventions.” This interest deepened during Tsethlikai’s undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College and ultimately led him to Stanford, where he earned both his master’s and Ph.D. in French. Following graduation, Tsethlikai interned at Credit Suisse in Lausanne and remained in Switzerland for five years before returning to the US.
Now in his 16th year at the Lauder Institute, Tsethlikai is a fully-fledged polyglot, proficient in German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and of course, French. He also studies Japanese, Russian, and Arabic, noting that the symbols that convey these languages are “a fascinating way of delving into an entirely different cultural mindset.” When he returns to Zuni to visit his family, Tsethlikai reconnects to the local language of Shiwi although, he says, “it takes some time to get back into the swing of things.” What is the secret to success in learning so many languages? “I think having a strong desire to connect to somebody and to meet that person on the same level,” he says, “so initially you’re not thinking about grammar. You’re really trying to focus on how to connect with that person. And it starts with chunks of words just trying to get out some common bridge of understanding. For me, that initial connection is what has always led me down the road of formal learning.”
This ability to connect across cultures has been essential to Tsethlikai’s success as the Institute’s managing director, overseeing a multicultural staff, faculty, and student body. Reflecting on how the Institute has evolved over the years, he notes that it has mirrored broader geopolitical shifts in the world. “When I first arrived at Lauder, globalization was an important concept fueling how people thought about countries, nations, and regions. There was a belief that national differences and boundaries would somehow fade into the background. But since then, we’ve seen a retraction and a renewed emphasis on national identity and local identities. We’ve adapted our curriculum in anticipation of these changes. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is an unwavering commitment to preparing the best leaders through cultivating a strong knowledge-base and an appreciation for other cultures and languages.”
Tsethlikai’s dedication to fostering cultural understanding is grounded in his Native American heritage, where he emphasizes the importance of historical context. “The history of relations between native peoples and the governments of their respective countries is fraught with a lot of difficult stories,” he explains, “so one of the first steps in understanding and interacting with native cultures is to try to understand their history, and then you can better understand how they see themselves.”
Tsethlikai reflects on how a sense of shared resilience and community shapes the identity of his own Zuni tribe. “Something very powerful and interesting for me growing up in a matrilineal society is the role of aunties,” he says. “They’re like a guardrail that comes out when you’re in the most important and difficult stages of life. If there’s somebody experiencing difficulty, the aunties are there—they show up, they do the ceremonial rites, they cook for the family. They represent the power of the community.”
The importance of community has been a consistent thread throughout Tsethlikai’s life, something he has found not only at the Lauder Institute but also within the small Native American population at Penn. Each year, he welcomes Native undergraduate students into the University and supports them in their journey to commencement, serving as student advisor and speaker at their graduation ceremony. Additionally, he sits on a committee at the Penn Museum that oversees claims made by Native communities seeking to repatriate artifacts or objects belonging to their tribes. The committee’s role is to ensure each claim receives fair review and resolution.
Although a long way from his roots, Tsethlikai, like many in the Lauder community, is glad to have found a place where culture, language, and heritage are celebrated. Behind the scenes, his goal is to ensure that the Lauder Institute continues to thrive in an ever-evolving world. “We know that teaching our students those synergies between business, politics, and culture is vitally important and we’re always pursuing new programming and curricular initiatives to give them that critical edge,” he says, “but ultimately it comes down to how people connect with someone who might be from a different background or have a different perspective. It’s all about thoughtfulness, curiosity, and respect.” ■
Story and Photography by Lauren Treutler
