AIO Impacts

Building a stronger America by creating opportunities through Indigeneity.

Key Accomplishments 1970s Building the Self-Determination Movement AIO helped draft and pass the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act, established Indian Affairs offices in major federal departments, drafted the first Indian Policy Statement for a federal agency and facilitated the founding of the American Indian Housing Council.

1980s Strengthening Tribal Governance AIO helped nine tribes transform their imposed Indian Reorganization Act constitutions to reflect the tribes’ values and improve decision-making capabilities. AIO facilitated the founding of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, nicknamed the Indian OPEC. 1990s

Institutionalizing Policy AIO focused on making permanent positive policy change. Coining the phrase “government-to-government,” AIO systematically instituted Indian policy statements and Indian Offices inside federal departments, and institutionalized the position of “Tribal Government Liaison.”

2000s Catalyzing Creative Collaborations Partnering with the Day Break Star Center in Seattle, Washington, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, AIO coalesced urban Indian leaders across the country to establish the National Urban Indian Families Coalition.

2010s Building Social Movement Collaborating with the Marguerite Casey Foundation and several Native-serving organizations, AIO formed the Native Voice Network, an online community that takes collective action and inspires positive change in our communities.

Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) advances the rights of Indigenous peoples through the growth of Indigenous values- based leadership. During the turbulent times of the late 1960s a group of national Native activists, distinguished as change agents, joined forces under the leadership of LaDonna Harris (Comanche). This tightly connected network, guided by LaDonna’s charisma and “Medicine” (inner personal strength), applied her values-driven approach to social justice work. Mobilizing a multiracial and multisector coalition, the founders of AIO collectively achieved several hard-fought victories and permanently changed federal Indian policy.

LaDonna worked with President Lyndon B. Johnson to establish the White House National Council on Indian Opportunity. Due in large part to LaDonna’s efforts, the U.S. government, for the first time, repatriated land to an Indian tribe with the return of Taos Blue Lake to the Pueblo of Taos. Two other landmark policy changes mark AIO’s founding, the restoration of federal recognition to the Menominee Tribe and the Alaska Native Claims Act. Since 1970, AIO has worked on a variety of issues and policy changes—from the struggles of urban Indians to the demand for adequate housing on reservations. LaDonna and AIO’s Board of Directors were determined to institutionalize the positive changes in federal policy. AIO initiated inclusion of Indian tribes in major congressional legislation and appropriations so that most Acts of Congress now read: “states, counties, municipalities and Indian tribes.”

Over 47 years, AIO has impacted the areas of housing, education and economic development. AIO assisted tribal governments in gaining control over their natural resources and provided guidance in establishing environmental protection standards.

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AIO’s Indigenous Values-Based Approach AIO draws upon traditional Indigenous philosophies to foster values-based leadership, inspire stakeholder-driven solutions and convene visionary leaders to probe contemporary issues and address the challenges of the new century. AIO is successful in translating sociopolitical activism into policy implementation and the institutionalization of new policy. AIO has and continues to alter social norms, invent “new” language and create systemic change. AIO’s strongest gift and vast experience lay in the convening of stakeholders, facilitating culturally appropriate dialogue, nurturing leadership that arises from these convenings and fostering social movements that grow from community-generated solutions.

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AIO’s Theory of Change

Building a stronger America by creating opportunities through Indigeneity Leaders and community activists with strong, well-grounded cultural identity are better able to engage in movement building and community organizing to institute systemic change for Indigenous peoples and communities.

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By reinforcing or reintroducing community Relationships, we have a better understanding of our Responsibility to our relationships. Strengthening our sense of responsibility builds capacity for Reciprocity and increases our ability for Redistribution of what we have been given, creating an expanding cyclical and self-reinforcing process.

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The 4Rs

Relationships Reciprocity

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Kinship.

In the most profound sense, we are all related. Humans are related to both each other and to all things. We are “the very stuff of stars.�

We have a kinship with rocks, plants, animals and Mother Earth. We value our relatives.

Interconnectedness. Our relationships and responsibilities are reciprocal as is the nature of the Universe. Understanding connectedness and cyclical systems is fundamental in knowing how we fit into society as we strive for balance.

Community.

We have a duty to care for our relatives.

Humans are accountable for the well-being of their kin. If we call the Earth our mother, then we have an obligation to care for her. We respect our impact on the natural and social environments.

Generosity. Our reciprocal s relationships and responsibilities guide us to share our resources.

Communal traditions dictate that wealth is shared. In contemporary society that includes the sharing of information, expertise and resources.

Responsibility Redistribution

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“My values taught me the importance of replacing yourself.” ­—LaDonna Harris

Through the National Council on Indian Opportunity, LaDonna conducted hearings on the needs and concerns of urban Indians in eleven U.S. cities. At that time, AIO estimated that about half of all Native Americans lived in cities.

LaDonna founded Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity (OIO) in 1965 to address the devastating poverty and oppression facing Native Americans in her home state. OIO reduced the high school dropout rate for Indian students in Oklahoma from 75% to 35% by 1972.

LaDonna’s key philosophy calls for the institutionalization of policy change. Working with the Bill Clinton Administration, AIO established the position of Tribal Government Liaison within the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Image courtesy of Digital Magazine 6

Janeen Comenote (Quinault/Oglala, 1999 Cohort), founding Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, advocates for Native Americans living in metropolitan areas. Janeen organized the first White House Summit on urban Indian issues where she announced that the latest Census reports 75% of American Indians live in cities.

Anpao Duta Flying Earth (Lakota/Ojibwe/Akimel O’odham, 2010–11 Cohort) is an international leader in Indigenous education. Duta is co-founder of the Native American Community Academy (NACA), an Albuquerque charter school based on Indigenous core values. NACA boasts a 2016 graduation rate of 100% with every graduate enrolled in a post-secondary institution.

Tracy Goodluck (Oneida/Creek, 2008–09 Cohort) was appointed

by President Barack Obama as the third Native American to hold the AIO-created position of Tribal Government Liaison in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Tracy was instrumental in planning and implementing the 2016 White House Tribal Nations Conference.

The Ambassadors Program nurtures the next generation of Indigenous leaders.

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AIO’s Ambassadors Program

Indigenous values-based leadership development

“Now is the time for Indigenous peoples to define for ourselves, within the context of our own cultures, the kind of leaders we need for the twenty-first century.”

—LaDonna Harris (Comanche)

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The culmination of LaDonna’s legacy resides in AIO’s highly acclaimed Ambassadors Program. Launched in 1993, the Program is the first and only national leadership development initiative that encourages emerging Indigenous leaders to weave their traditional tribal values into contemporary solutions that build sustainable communities. Webster’s Dictionary defines “leader” as one in charge or command of others. AIO and Program advisors understand that leadership is a shared responsibility and effective Indian leaders often act more like diplomats than commanders. For that reason, we call participants in AIO’s leadership development program, “Ambassadors.”

Through a creative combination of curriculum and experiential learning activities that reaffirms cultural values and identity, AIO builds the capacity of mid-career Native American professionals to strengthen, within a cultural context, their ability to improve the well-being and growth of Indigenous communities. During the course of the Program, participants meet and work with leading Native advocates and national policymakers. Ambassadors explore family and tribal histories, develop and implement a community-based project, explore personal “Medicine” or special talents, and strengthen communication skills. They attend four Gatherings in communities across the nation and visit at least one Indigenous community outside of the United States. After completing the two-year journey, Ambassadors join more than 200 alumni and 80 established leaders in the AIO Family Network of well-connected, prepared, proactive change agents who are having a profound impact on Indigenous communities.

Ambassadors Are Leaders in Every Field 7 Chairs/CEOs/Council of Tribe or Alaska Native Corp.

2 CEOs of Indian urban centers 5 CEOs tribal museums 3 CEOs of Indian organizations 4 Cabinet level positions in tribal government

19 work directly with youth 52 work for their tribe 31 work in business & economic development 25 work in cultural & language revitalization

28 work for nonprofit organizations 16 work for advocacy & policy organizations 18 work for government agencies 4 work in philanthropy 9

Americans for Indian Opportunity Impacts As a regular collaborator with AIO, Ambassador alumnus Vernon Miller (Omaha), left, values his Ambassador experience. “For me, the Washington DC–NYC Gathering provided a deeper understanding of how to engage more deliberately with federal and elected officials.” Vernon adds, “AIO helped me understand the importance of advocacy, and the Program taught me that we must ensure Indigenous core values are included when federal Indian policy is created, modified and clarified.” Utilizing the lessons and experiences of AIO’s Program, Vernon successfully campaigned for the Omaha Tribal Council.

While Tribal Chair, Vernon led the tribe in a court battle against the state of Nebraska all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. “I called upon the AIO Network to fortify my leadership foundation that was needed to take to the Supreme Court,” said Vernon.

“The Ambassadors Program helped me to align my leadership aspirations in a culturally relevant way that strengthened my self identity, enabling me to be a more effective leader.” —Jennifer Hill-Kelley Ambassador alumna Jennifer Hill-Kelley, left, said: “If you aspire to create real change in your community, AIO will help you define a plan, provide access to the AIO network and support you in achieving your goals.” Jennifer, a citizen of the Oneida Nation, told the newest cohort that AIO’s support does not end at graduation from the Program. She said once you are an Ambassador, you’re a part of the AIO Family forever. Jennifer continues, “AIO opens your eyes to the many similarities with Native communities in the U.S., and the Program broadens our thinking about Indigenous peoples around the world.”

Jennifer joined fellow Ambassador Candice Skenandore, also Oneida, to publish a book about citizenship requirements of tribal governments—The Vanishing Act: Blood Quantum and the Future of Native Nations serves to inform tribes as they decolonize their policies and regulations.

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79%

of Ambassador alumni reported that the Program increased their network

75%

of Ambassador alumni stated that their community has directly benefited from their Ambassadors Program.

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of community initiatives started by an Ambassador still exist in the community today!

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reported changes in policy as a result of their leadership through the AIO Ambassadors Program

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AIO Is Indian Country!

“AIO and the Ambassadors Program provide usable tools and practical skills that enable us to improve the wellbeing of our communities.”—Nichole Maher, Tlingit, 2006-07 Cohort, President/ CEO, Northwest Health Foundation

“Through the AIO Ambassador program I was able to experience a leadership program that honored our ancient Indigenous values and strengthened them as a daily practice.”—Elizabeth

Medicine Crow, Haida/Tlingit, 2010-11 Cohort, President/CEO, First Alaskans Institute 12

“My time as an AIO Ambassador has indeed exposed me to spaces and conversations that have truly transformed my life.”

—Gregario Gonzales, Genizaro, 2016-17 Cohort, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Texas at Austin

“The Ambassadors Program reinforces the importance of using our Indigenous values to create policy change at the national, state, and local level.”—Kevin Killer, Oglala Sioux/Kiowa, 2013-14 Cohort, State Senator, South Dakota State Legislature

“The AIO Family Network has been influential in my personal and professional growth, particularly by offering a system of resources that I can refer to as we work to build a new economic development core competency for United South and Eastern Tribes member Tribal Nations.” —Rebecca

Naragon, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, 2010-11 Cohort, Economic Development Director, United South and Eastern Tribes (USET, Inc.)

233 Ambassadors representing 40 states and over 150 tribes

“The vibrant experiences created by Ambassadors Program changed my life by positively influencing my work with my tribe, my business, and my contribution to my community and family.”

—Stephine Poston, Pueblo of Sandia, 1998 Cohort, 2017 Native Women Business Owner of the Year” National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development

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Ambassador Directory 1993 Cohort Lenora Adkins (Chickahominy) Associate, Hanes Brands Inc.

Lori Pourier (Oglala Sioux) Executive Director, First People’s Fund

Donna Carter (Blackfeet)

Christina Redcloud (Ojibwe)

Patricia Chapman-Healy (Menominee) Partner, North Carolina Solutions

Richard Rose (Cherokee) Associate in Higher Education, NY Education Dept.

Pamela DeRensis (Lumbee) Director (retired), White House Initiative Tribal Colleges

Randall Ross (Otoe-Missouria) Exec. Dir., Northern Ponca Housing Authority

Roberta Duncan (Navajo) WIC Program Coordinator, Navajo Nation

Randolph Runs After (Cheyenne River Sioux) Environmental Health Specialist, Cheyenne River Sioux

Ron Duncan (Navajo) Office of Management & Budget, Navajo Nation

Gerri Shebola (Hopi/Zuni/Creek) Owner, Turquoise Tanks, Inc.

LuAnn Jamieson (Seneca) Coordinator, Haudenosaunee Lifeways & Language

Pamela Soeder (Muskogee Creek) Professor, Slippery Rock University

Lois Kane (Paiute) Language/Culture Coordinator, Reno Sparks Indian Colony

David Sones (Makah) Former Vice Chair, Makah Tribal Council

Lance Kelley (Creek/Shoshone-Paiute) Professor, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Ken Taylor Standingdeer (Muscogee Creek Cherokee) Concierge, Inn of the Governors

Harlan LaFontaine (Sisseton-Wahpeton) Consultant, Minneapolis Social Services

Michael Tsosie (Colorado River Tribe)* Director, Colorado River Tribe Museum

Rosalyn LaPier (Blackfeet) Professor, University of Montana

Gil Vigil (Pueblo of Tesuque) Executive Director, Eight Northern Pueblos Council

Brent LaRocque (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) Special Deputy US Marshal, Walden Security

Johnny WhiteCloud (Otoe/Missouria/Creek/Seminole) Retired Educator

Tina Osceola (Seminole Tribe of Florida) Associate Judge, Tribal Court, Seminole Tribe of Florida

Judy Winchester (Pokagon Band Potawatomi) Tribal Council, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians

Michael A. Parker (Eastern Band of Cherokee) Vice Chairman, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Elizabeth Woody (Warm Springs/Yakama/Wasco) Program Officer, Meyer Memorial Trust

Ivan Posey (Eastern Shoshone) Former Chair, Eastern Shosone Tribe

David Yeagley (Comanche)

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Ambassador Directory 1994 Cohort

1995 Cohort

Rebecca Alegria (Menominee) Tribal Researcher/Planner, Menominee Tribe

Angela Bowen (Coos) Director of Education, Confederated Tribes of Coos

Charlene Avery-Lieb (Navajo) Physician, Gallup Indian Medical Center

Randy Doucet (Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana) Judge, Lummi Tribal Court

Janine Bowechop (Makah) Director, Makah Cultural and Research Center

Andrew Duff (Eastern Band of Cherokee) Network Engineer, USDA Forest Service

David Cournoyer (Rosebud Sioux) Consultant, Plain DEPTH Consulting

Tamara Eagle Bull (Oglala Lakota) Architect, Qk4

James Eckert (Lake Superior Chippewa) Senior Systems Engineer, Martin Marrietta

Shannon Finley (Eastern Shoshone/Tigua Pueblo) Partner, Capitol Counsel

Michelle Fredericks-DuBray (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara) Consultant, Pinto Horse Woman Consulting

Tjamel Hamlin (Eastern Pequot) Tribal Programs, Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation

Joe Gone (Gros Ventre) Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

Nathan Hart (Cheyenne) Economic Development, Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes

Andy Jenness (Grande Ronde) Business Owner, Jennessco LLC

Alexis Jimenez (Pawnee/Comanche) Native American Advisory, Rio Rancho Schools

Rob Lieb (Winnebago) Business Consultant

Justin Jones (Navajo) Attorney, The Law Offices of Justin Jones, PC

James Lujan (Taos Pueblo) Chair, Cinematic Arts, Institute of American Indian Arts

Clifford LaFramboise (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) Special Projects, Turtle Mountain Chippewa

Nancy Mithlo (Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs) Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Amy Lonetree (Ho-Chunk) Professor, Portland State University

Marla Redcorn (Kiowa/Osage/Caddo) Deputy Director, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

Eric McLester (Oneida) Asst. General Manager, Oneida Bingo & Casino

Patrita Salazar (Taos/Santa Ana Pueblos) Program Officer, First Nations Development Institute

Christine Ramirez (Pascua Yaqui)

James Swan (Chippewa Cree) CEO, RJS & Associates, Inc. Winona Tanner (Salish & Kootenai) Supreme Court Justice, Salish-Kootenai Tribal Court Gilbert Thompson (Mississippi Choctaw) Director, Natural Resources, Mississippi Choctaw Deborah Thundercloud (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) Former Tribal Chair, Oneida Nation Brenda Toineeta (Eastern Band of Cherokees) Associate Judge, Cherokee Supreme Court MaDonna Yawakie (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) President & CEO, TICOM, Inc.

Vincent Romero (Laguna/Navajo) Executive Director, Chicago American Indian Edward Tahhahwah (Comanche) Mill Worker, Jones Seed Co. Terry Tanner (Salish & Kootenai) Wildlife Manager, Salish & Kootenai Tribes Reid Walker (Three Affiliated Tribes of ND) Communications Director, U.S. Senate Cassidy Williams (Walker River Paiute) Melanie Yazzie (Navajo-DinĂŠ) Artist/Assistant Professor, University of Colorado

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Ambassador Directory 1996 Cohort

1998 Cohort

Dore A. Bietz (Tuolumne Band of Me-wuk) Emergency Manager, Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk

Francene Blythe (Navajo/Sioux,/Cherokee) Program Director, Native Arts and Culture Foundation

Leander Davenport (Meskwaki) Sales Support Manager, Wells Fargo Bank

Lora Ann Chaisson (United Houma Nation) Vice Chair, Inter-Tribal Council of Louisiana

Katherine Eldemar (Tlingit) Assistant to the President & CEO, Sealaska Corp.

Amanda Cobb (Chickasaw) Chair, Native Studies Dept., University of Oklahoma

Jason Gavin (Blackfeet) Independent Screenwriter

Shawn Frank (Seneca) Attorney, Jacobson, Buffalo, Magnuson, Anderson & Hogen

Sonya Gavin (Navajo) Special Events Manager, UCLA Graduate Division

N. Iris Friday (Tlingit) Outreach, US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

Darren Hunt (Lumbee) Deputy Sheriff, Warren County Sheriff ’s Office

Robert Garcia Hunt (Acoma/Santa Ana Pueblo) Owner, BSP Productions

Pauline Hunt-Histia (Isleta Pueblo) Program Coordinator, University of New Mexico

Brian Golding (Ft. Yuma Quechan) Economic Development Director, Quechan Indian Tribe

Shawn Johns (Cheyenne River Sioux/Tlingit) Gaming Consultant, Geiger Johns Assoc. LLC

Scherri Greene (Nez Perce) Land Buy-Back Program Outreach, Nez Perce Tribe

Sabrina Little Axe (Absentee-Shawnee) Tribal Liaison, Oklahoma Emergency Management

Nicky Michael (Delaware) Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming

Linley B. Logan (Seneca) Artist/Program Director, Longhouse Education

Leroy Miranda (Pala Band of Mission Indian Cupa) Tribal Council, Pala Band of Luiseno Mission Indians

Harlan McKosato (Sac and Fox) Director, NDN Productions, Inc.

Stephine Poston (Pueblo of Sandia) President/Owner, Poston & Associates, LLC

Robert Moore (Rosebud Sioux)

Greg Powderface (Gros Ventre) Business Instructor, Fort Belknap College

Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache) Director Indigenous Programs, Sundance Institute Angelina Santa Ana Olrun (C’upik Eskimo) Administrative Support, Southcentral Foundation Wenonah Skye (Standing Rock Sioux) Diagnostic Technician, Stanton Optical, LLC Chenoa Stilwell Jensen (Navajo) PhD Candidate, UNM School of Communication Cheryl Weahkee-Brandenstein (Cochiti Pueblo) Montoya Whiteman (Cheyenne & Arapaho) Asst. Director, First Nations Development Institute

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Susan Secakuku (Hopi) Owner, Secakuku Consulting Danelle Smith (Nebraska Winnebago) Attorney, Fredericks Peebles & Morgan, LLP Darius Smith (Diné) Director, Denver Anti-Discrimination Office Sharon Tomah (Passamaquoddy) Executive Director, Wabanaki Mental Health Association

Ambassador Directory 1999 Cohort

2001 Cohort

Michelle Anderson (Athabascan -Ahtna) President, Ahtna Development Corporation

Andria Agli (Aleut) Vice President, Bristol Bay Native Corporation

Janeen Comenote (Quinault/Hesquiaht/Oglala) Exec. Dir., National Urban Indian Family Coalition

Leslie Caye (Kootenai) Coordinator, Indian Education for Ronan District

Larry DeSoto (Tule River Band of Yokuts) Grant Writer, Tule River Tribe

Megan Hill (Oneida) Director, Harvard Project on Native Economic Development

Robert Doore (Blackfeet) Business Development, Division Mortgage Group

Lisa John (Chickasaw) Cabinet Secretary, Chickasaw Nation

Regina Gilbert (Hopi) Capital Planning,Office of the Special Trustee

Shawna Kirsten (Washoe/Paiute) Tribal Council, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony

John Gomez (Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians) Project Manager, Ramona Band of Cahuilla

Ron Martinez Looking Elk (Isleta Pueblo/Taos Pueblo) Artist/Display Manager, Isleta Pueblo

Vernelda Grant (San Carlos Apache) Tribal Archaeologist, San Carlos Apache Tribe

Miles Miller (Yakama/Nez Perce) Guest Curator, Museum of Northwest Art

Andrea Hanley (Navajo) Program Manager, MoCNA

Thomas Okleasik (Inupiaq/Eskimo) Planning Director, Northwest Planning & Grants Development

Christopher Johnson (Saginaw Chippewa) Business Owner

Melissa Sanchez (Acoma/Laguna Pueblo) Co-Owner, Emergence Productions

Allison Knox (Athabascan) Consultant, AK Communications & Consulting

R.J. Smith (Assiniboine/Ojibwe) Indian Education Coordinator, Little Travers Band of Odawa

Sherri Mitchell-Frey (Penobscot) Executive Director, Land and Peace Foundation

Terry Snowball (Ho-Chunk/Prairie Band Potawatomi) Cultural Protocols Coordinator, NMAI

Emerson Notah (Navajo) Community Outreach & Education, Navajo Nation

Rebecca Thompson (Navajo) Social Worker, UNM Health Sciences Center

Michael Price (Ojibwe-Odawa) Executive Director, Native Youth Alliance of MN

April Whittemore Locklear (Lumbee-Cheraw) SR Coordinator, UNCP TRIO Student Services

Jeffrey Tomhave (Hidatsa/Ho-Chunk/Potawatomi) Consultant

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Ambassador Directory 2003–04 Cohort

2006–07 Cohort

Eldena Bear Don’t Walk (Crow/Salish/Metis) Attorney, Bear Don’t Walk Law Office

Diandra Benally (Navajo) Attorney, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Richard Castaneda (Pima/Maricopa; Salt River) Artist

Joshua Brown (Salish) Director, Salish Kootenai College

Vincent Cooke (Makah) Environmental Division Manager, Makah Tribe

Chrissie Castro (Navajo) Vice Chairperson, LA Native American Commission

Shkeme Garcia (Santa Ana Pueblo/Taos Pueblo) Co-Owner, Emergence Productions

Carnell Chosa ( Jemez Pueblo) Co-Director, SFIS Leadership Institute,

Timothy Genia (Little Traverse Band of Odawa) Casino Manager, Little Six, Inc. Mystic Lake Casino

Robert Deese (Tuscarora) Youth Development Specialist, Robeson County Schools

Jamie Goins (Lumbee) School Counselor, Robeson County Schools

Dustina Gil (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) Director, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe

Hanohano Naehu (Hawaiian) Community Outreach, Pacific American Foundation

Marci Hawpetoss (Menominee) Program Assistant, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin

Linda Ogo (Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe) Culture Director, Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

Tamara James (Choctaw Nation) Researcher, National Institute of Health

Colleen Paquin (Laguna Pueblo) Chair, NM Association of Indian Gaming Commission

Darold Joseph (Hopi) PhD Candidate, Norther Arizona University

Teresa Peterson (Upper Sioux Community) Executive Director, Dakota Wicohan

Ticishway Krieger (Makah) Executive Assistant to General Manager, Makah Tribal Council

Shawna Sunrise (Diné/Santo Domingo Pueblo) PR/Social Media Consultant

Noelani Lee (Hawaiian) Executive Director, Ka Honua Momona International

Heather Whiteman Runs Him (Crow Nation) Attorney, Native American Rights Fund

Nichole Maher (Tlingit) Executive Director, Northwest Health Foundation

Geneva Wiki (Yurok) Program Officer, California Endowment

Shannon Martin (Gun Lake Pottawatomi) Executive Director, Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Edmund Sherman (Diné/Omaha) Program Manager, Oregon Native American Business James Washinawatok (Menominee/Akwesasne Mohawk) Attorney, Southern Ute Indian Tribe Legal Department Sweeney Windchief (Fort Peck Assiniboine) Assistant Professor, University of Utah

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Ambassador Directory 2008–09 Cohort

2010–11 Cohort

John Beaver (Muscogee Creek Nation) Curator, Muscogee Nation Museum

Benedict Calabaza (Kewa Pueblo) Owner, Iroots Media, LLC

Benita BigFoot (Northern Cheyenne) Student, Law School

Chase Choate (Quechan) Environmental Director, Quechan Indian Tribe

Tracy Canard Goodluck (Oneida & Muscogee Creek) Deputy Director, US DOI Indian Water Rights Office

Duta Flying Earth (Lakota/Ojibwe/Akimel O’odham) Principle, Native American Community Academy

Anathea Chino (Acoma Pueblo) Advancement Director, UltraViolet

Kelly Gilbreth (White Earth Ojibwe) Director, 7th Direction

Myron Dewey (Paiute/Shoshone) President, Digital Smoke Signals

Benjamin Grignon (Menominee) Librarian, Menominee Indian School District

Kenrick Escalanti (Ft. Yuma Quechan Tribe) Visual Information Graphic Designer, EC III

Hopa Haas (Oglala Sioux) Environmental Engineer, Indian Health Service

Justin Finkbonner (Lummi Nation) Consultant, Lummi Indian Business Council

Salena Hill (Crow) Indian Education Coordinator, University of Montana

Jennifer Hill-Kelley (Oneida/Kiowa/Comanche) Environmental Director, Menominee Tribe

Derek Johnson (Saginaw Chippewa Tribe) Curriculum Development, WSU Athletics

Michael Martin (Onondaga) E.D., Native American Community Services Erie/Niagra

Elizabeth Medicine Crow (Tlingit/Haida) Executive Director, First Alaskans Institute

Robin Minthorn (Kiowa) Professor, University of New Mexico

Vernon Miller (Omaha) Graduate Teaching Assistant, Kansas State University

Peter Osceola-Hahn (Seminole Tribe of Florida) Vice Treasurer, Seminole Tribe of Florida

Rebecca Naragon (Poarch Creek Band of Indians) Economic Development Director, USET

Kalaniua Ritte (Native Hawaiian) Programs Coordinator, Hawaiian Learning Center

Brittany Schulman (Waccamaw Siouan) Director of Leadership Initiatives, AIO

Nonabah Sam (Diné/Tesuque Pueblo) Curator, Hatathi Museum, Diné College

Jacquetta Swift (Comanche/Fort Sill Apache) Outreach Manager, NMAI

Theresa Sheldon (The Tulalip Tribes) Tribal Council, The Tulalip Tribes

Christina Thomas (Northern Paiute/ Shoshone/Hopi) Tahhahwah, Washoe County School District

Gabriel Thompson (Mississippi Choctaw) Entertainment Manager, Pearl River Resort

Clay Ward (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) Workforce Management, Dept. of Homeland Security

Pamela Villasenor (Fernandeno Tataviam Band) Economic Development, Pukuu Cultural Community Services

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Ambassador Directory 2013–14 Cohort

2016–17 Cohort

Janice Bueltmann (Native Hawaiian) Development Director, ‘Aha Punana Leo

Lanisha Bell (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) Victim Assistance National Coordinator, BIA

Dalene Coriz (Santo Domingo Pueblo) Program Planner, Leadership Institute SFIS

Colin Ben (Navajo) Predoctoral Research Fellow, Arizona State University

Lindsay Early (Comanche) Kindergarten Teacher, Oklahoma City Public Schools

Barbara Blake (Haida/Tlingit/Athabascan) Special Assistant to the Lt. Governor, State of Alaska

Dionne Fonoti (Samoan) Lecturer/Filmmaker, National University of Samoa

Heidi Brandow (Navajo/Native Hawaiian) Artist

Dewey Hoffman (Ruby Tribe-Koyukon Athabascan) Development Manager, Alaskan Native Heritage Center

Haley Buzzard (Kickapoo Tribe/ Cherokee Nation) Senior Account Executive, Tulsa Area United Way

Dustin Owl Johnson (Saginaw Chippewa) Graduate Student, University of Michigan

Monique Castro (Navajo) Staff Counselor, The Relational Center

Kevin Killer (Oglala Lakota/Kiowa) Senator, South Dakota State Senate

Shauta Collier (Tuolumne Band of Mewuk) Firefighter, Tuolumne Band of Mewuk Indians

Matt Morton (Squaxin Island) Education Portfolio Director, Meyer Memorial Trust

Sharon Davis (Bardi-Gija) Team Leader of Aboriginal Education, Catholic Education Western Australia

Tsubasa Okitsu (Ainu) Office Assistant, Ainu Culture Foundation Marisa Romero (Pawnee/Comanche/Ponca) Grantwriter, Campo Kumeyaay Nation Courtney Ruark-Thompson (Cherokee Nation) Chief of Staff, The Management Center Leroy Silva (Laguna Pueblo) Youth Outreach Coordinator, Notah Begay Foundation Candice Skenandore (Oneida) Self Governance Coordinator, Oneida Tribe Shuar Velasquez (Wampis-Awajun) Researcher, Tendiendo Puentes Linier Yapu Gutierrez (Huatajata) Junior Architect, Office of Architecture Joshua Zunie (Zuni) Production Assistant, NM Filmmakers

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Lee Francis (Laguna Pueblo) CEO, Native Realties & Wordcraft Circle Gregario Gonzales (Genizaro) PhD Candidate, University of Texas, Austin Jacob Meders (Mechoopda) Instructor, Arizona State University Chad Pfeiffer (Navajo) Counselor, First Nations Community Healthsource Criselda Quinteros (Aymara) Agricultural Engineer, Pasantia en Fundacion PROINPA Ricardo Saenz (Comanche Nation) Student, University of California at San Diego Juanita Toledo (Pueblo of Jemez) Youth Center Coordinator, Jemez Wellness Program

Board of Directors President of the Board Ms. LaDonna Harris (Comanche) President, Americans for Indian Opportunity Vice President The Honorable Eddie Tullis (Poarch Creek) Former Chairman, Poarch Band of Creek Indians Co-Vice President The Honorable Ivan Posey* (Eastern Shoshone) Former Chairman , Eastern Shoshone Tribe Co-Secretary Ms. Amanda CobbGreetham* (Chickasaw) Chair, Native Studies, Oklahoma State University Treasurer Mr. Gilbert H. Thompson* (Mississippi Choctaw) Director, Natural Resources, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

Board Members Mr. John Beaver* (Muscogee Creek) Health Department Legislative Officer, Muscogee Nation Ms. Kate Cherrington (Maori) Vice President, Advancement of Maori Opportunity Ms. Anathea Chino* (Acoma Pueblo) Strategic Initiatives Director, UltraViolet Dr. Alexander Christakis President, CWA, Ltd. Mr. Andrew Ebona (Tlingit) Manager, Copper Shield Consulting, LLC Mr. Louie LaRose (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) Tribal Council Member, Winnebago Tribe Ms. Grace McCullah-Ryan (Navajo) President, Navajos for Navajo Opportunity Ms. LeeAnn Muntz (Maori) Director, Aotearoa Experience Limited

Mr. Bentham Ohia (Maori) President, Advancement of Maori Opportunity The Honorable Jerry Muskrat (Cherokee) U.S. Administrative Law Judge (retired) Ms. Teresa Peterson* (Upper Sioux Community Tribe) Executive Director, Dakota Wicohan Ms. Faith Roessel (Navajo) Attorney Mr. Terry Tanner* (Salish/Kootenai) Works Project Coordinator, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Mr. James Washinawatok* (Menominee/Akwesasne Mohawk) Tribal Attorney, Southern Ute Indian Tribe Legal Department Ms. Judy Winchester* (Pokagon Band Potawatomi) Tribal Council Member, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi *Denotes Ambassador Alum

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