Chief Èrèlú 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 Eégúnniwura, is a mother, Ìyánifa (female Ifá priest), Ìyá Oje (Eégúngún/ancestor Priestess), and artist- philosopher. Her expertise spans art philosophy, curatorial, Caribbean culture, dress and costume history, identity, Yorùbá cosmology, and Black Body Politics. Her scholarly contributions intricately weave together elements of Yorùbá culture with Caribbean philosophy, Trinidad Carnival arts, and Caribbean history. She serves as the Spiritual Head and Iyanifa of Ile Ijosin Ifá Otito Ile Aye Temple in New York City, a spiritual and cultural institution devoted to helping children of the African diaspora remember and reclaim their West African identity. In 2024, Dr. Natalya Mills founded IOIA Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, where she serves as Founder and Executive Director. The organization was created to address a clear gap in the fine arts sector and is dedicated to preserving African diasporic creative expression through the advancement of ancestral methodologies. She has also been appointed Secretary General of the U.S. Branch of the International Council of Ifa Religion (ICIR USA).
She has served as a keynote speaker, Chair, moderator, and panelist at various international academic conferences such as Black Portraiture at Harvard University, Firenze Italy, CAA Advancing Art and She serves as the Spiritual Head and Iyanifa of Ile Ijosin Ifá Otito Ile Aye Temple in New York City, a spiritual and cultural institution devoted to helping children of the African diaspora remember and reclaim their West African identity. In 2024, Dr. Natalya Mills founded IOIA Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, where she serves as Founder and Executive Director. The organization was created to address a clear gap in the fine arts sector and is dedicated to preserving African diasporic creative expression through the advancement of ancestral methodologies. She has also been appointed Secretary General of the U.S. Branch of the International Council of Ifa Religion (ICIR USA).
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).