NextGen Native

Chris James is the President & CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED). He returned to the show where we discussed current trends in business, leadership development in Indian Country, and the upcoming Northwest Enterprise Development Conference. The event will take place in September 5-7 2017 at the Tulalip Casino. The NCAIED will also celebrate its 2017 class of the 40 Under 40 in Indian Country. We talked several trends in business, living away from home, taking on new challenges, disconnecting from technology and identifying the priorities in work and personal lives. A great conversation with one of Indian Country’s leaders in business!

Lance Morgan on the decline of federal Indian law: “What we’re not teaching in law school is the other half of the system, where tribes are aggressively using their newly educated lawyers, their economic power, and their desire to do good to really change the equation.” “Once you make the mental leap that the entire system is ridiculous...you don’t ever go back.” Lance Morgan (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) is President & CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc. He is also the managing partner of the law firm Frederick Peebles and Morgan. And if you know Lance, or have read his previous work, you know that he is always good for a big idea, or an idea that pushes boundaries, in Indian Country. Lance returned to the show to discuss one of those ideas: the Rise of Tribal Law and the Decline of Federal Indian Law and he recently published an article by the same name in the Arizona State University Law Journal. Many NextGen Natives are practicers of, or generally interested in, federal Indian law. Lance’s article is great because it forces readers to ask themselves the question how can tribal law be on the rise and federal Indian law be on the decline? The basic point is that tribal law is an exercise of tribal sovereignty whereas federal Indian law is the enforcement of restrictions imposed upon tribes over the last few centuries. And the decline of federal Indian law may not be a bad thing necessarily, if tribes exercise and use tribal law. You should go read it (after you listen to our discussion, of course). The article is great for a few reasons. First, it forces us to re-think the way we approach law and policy in our communities. Even people who are thinking about how to proactively make a difference often use federal Indian law as an anchoring point. And it’s a losing one for us. Lance captured it succinctly when he wrote “We need to stop playing their game because we cannot win it. If we have any hope of progress, we need to play a new game.” Second, although it is published in a law journal, it is deliberately written so that non-lawyers (such as myself) can read and understand it. People should share this with tribal council members, business people, and community members to think about what Lance is suggesting and how to approach it. We could have focused the entire conversation on the article, but that would not have been nearly as much fun. And I think the conversation about the other topics packs as much, if not more, food-for-thought for listeners. Here’s the tip of the iceberg of a few of the topics we discussed: How Lance approaches his work as CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc. How Winnebago has built a thriving community using land that was entirely fee, and not trust, property. If we don’t plan decades ahead, the current housing shortages in Indian Country will be significantly worse. Education trends in Indian Country. Building non-governmental institutions in tribal communities that can make a real impact. The difference between principles, culture, and traditions and how confusing the concepts can be used as a weapon in a bad way. Rebuilding cultural myths-as in collective stories that we use to guide the community. We packed a lot of ideas into the 60-70 minutes we spoke. Each topic could be its own show. I hope it sparks some conversation, and thought. Tell me what you think on the Facebook page! Tell me what kind of action it inspires you to take!  

When Joe Sarcinella and I spoke, he was days away from becoming a father. As of publishing this episode, he is now a proud father (congrats!!). As a recent parent, I thought it would be fun to have Joe on NextGen Native to get the perspective of a recent first-time parent and a to-be parent. For those that aren’t parents, or have kids out of the house, this episode is also for you. Although we talk about being parents, the conversation occurred in the same context that our conversations did below. That is, the topic of parenting is centered within living life with intentionality, in control.  How does one intentionally raise their child? How does one intentionally plan the rest of their life? One example: how do you raise a child in a 500 square foot apartment? We also discussed Joe’s latest diet (previously vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, paleo), and his latest approach to physical fitness (weight lifting, to ultra marathons, to weight lifting, back to ultra marathons), and minimalism. It’s a fun episode, and I hope that you benefit from it as much as I’ve had. Personally, I’m trying to apply more minimalism into my life, or at least rethinking it, thanks to Joe. http://nextgennative.com/joe-sarcinella-the-100k-runner/ http://nextgennative.com/joe-sarcinella-100-miles-awesome/

“People like genuine people. People like people who are authentic, people lke people who show up with their true identity. And being Chickasaw is part of who I am.”-Heath Clayton One of the areas in which I love to dabble is what I call “life system hacking.” The basic idea is finding ways to create a life, circumvent expectations or bypass the norms of which we all are led to believe cannot be bypassed or circumvented. There are a lot of people who write about the subject online, and it can get a bit of a reputation as self-help like content. But I continue to expose myself to it because I think there are gems that can be found, if you know what you are looking for. I was excited to interview someone I think hacked the system quite successfully. That person is Heath Clayton (Chicksaw). Heath earned a Bachelor’s degree for about $3,000 without stepping foot onto a university campus. After “college” he worked in the White House at age 21. Not after 21 years of working in politics. At 21 years old. After home school and then earning a bachelor’s degree without going to college, he earned a Master’s from Carnegie Mellon University Heinz School of Public Policy. Oh, he also achieved a goal of visiting 100 countries by the time he turned 30. Now he is working to give back to other young Native people with the goal of showing them that much more is possible than they may realize. He’s mentored 40-50 people by his estimate. It’s a story that you need to hear. It’s a good reminder that there are amazing resources out there to utilize, and there are amazing people that will help you along the way. Have a listen. -- Heath's bio When he is not busy working in corporate philanthropy for a consulting firm, Heath Clayton is usually visiting a new country to feed his insatiable curiosity of the world. He spent the last few years working towards a goal of visiting 100 countries before his 30th birthday, a goal he achieved in January 2017. Heath is Chickasaw Indian and attended Carnegie Mellon University for graduate school on a tribal affairs fellowship. Heath previously worked in The White House under the George W. Bush Administration and on Capitol Hill before beginning his consulting career. Mentoring native youth on potential careers in corporate America or public policy excites him, and he is always looking for ways to stay in engaged with his tribe and Indian country.  -- Some random links mentioned in this episode: Code 2040 Interview with Laura Weidman from Code2040 on Recode/Decode Native American Political Leadership Program Resources from Carnegie Mellon FEMA College Courses

“There is a trap [in decolonization] that hinders a lot of potential growth. And that is centered in how we think about things. If you are only trained [to deconstruct] then you are stuck in a gear of deconstruction, which is important and useful. But if the goal is to increase capacity in Indian Country, then you are asking for builders, not destroyers, and that is a completely different type of thinking.”  Ryan Red Corn (Osage) created the design firm Buffalo Nickel Creative and is also a member of the 1491s. He joined NextGen Native for a wide-ranging conversation. Although we touched on comedy and had some light hearted moments, our conversation covered much more beyond comedy. We talked about the role his work and the work of others in graphic design and branding can play a role in Indian Country telling its stories better. We discussed how being creative and artistic is closely related to being an entrepreneur. We talked about the media he uses to tell stories and how each is suited to have a certain impact. I dug into Ryan’s intentionality and how he uses it to manage his time and drive his art. One of the many things I enjoy about NextGen Native is diving into ideas and issues that take a deeper look into issues and events in Indian Country and my conversation with Ryan was very much in this vein. For example, Ryan discussed the impact and power of branding touched on using graphic design and branding in efforts to address the use of mascots. Or how when we engage in efforts to make change, we shouldn’t focus on telling “our story” but on “a story” that will resonate not only with those trying to tell it, but those who are listening. Or how our traditional economies were just that, economies. And how that history informs the work people do today. I hope this conversation sparks additional conversation on social media, at home, and in tribal council meetings. Let me know what you think or add to the conversation on social media!

I felt this need to take my skillset and apply it as broadly as I could as long as I could still feel like I was affecting the community.” Geoff Roth is a descendent of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He recently completed an appointment as the Senior Advisor to the Director of the Indian Health Service under Dr. Yvette Roubideaux. Geoff’s story is great for people that are looking to grow their career rapidly. It is also a great story for those that are looking to find balance in their lives. It may not seem intuitive that both those lessons could be learned from the same person, but that’s what makes Geoff’s story unique. He’s a good friend and I am excited to share his story. Before Geoff served as senior political appointee, he served in several high-level positions including the Executive Director at the National Council on Urban Indian Health and at the Native American Youth and Family Center. He also spent time at the Department of Education working in Indian Education. Geoff assumed the role of Executive Director at the Native American Youth and Family Center at 23 years old. Geoff shared on the podcast how he got that job, and we discussed how it set him up for future opportunities. Geoff shared that in order to stand out when applying for jobs, you need to really do your research. You need to distinguish yourself between the other candidates.  Geoff said he spends a lot of time researching organizations when he is considering a job, and it sets him apart. You can do that be demonstrating your knowledge of an organization, its needs and how you can contribute to its goals. That first major job prepared Geoff to continue making significant growth throughout his career. In particular, he talked about how it gave him confidence to pursue big opportunities, even when when it is a stretch for him. This is only part of our conversation, but I thought it important to point out these two items specifically. I think it is natural for us to doubt ourselves and our capabilities. But Geoff’s story shows that you can find confidence, even create it. His story also shows what you can achieve when you combine hard work and preparation. Those two items, combined with that confidence, can create amazing results. Geoff is currently using his talents in his personal life. After many years of continually growing his professional career, he is giving himself space to find balance, think about how he wants to shape his life going forward. For someone that gave much of himself to tribal communities, I am happy to see him taking this time for himself. We cannot help others if we do not take care of ourselves. That is a common refrain on the podcast. Geoff is implementing that now, and no matter what he does in the future, I think there will always be part of him that impacts communities in a positive way.

"What's stopping you from making something?"   Jared Yazzie is the founder of OXDX Clothing Company. He joined NextGen Native once again to catch up on his recent projects. Jared's clothing has been a hot commodity for a few years, but recently his business is taking some major strides. He recently won a scholarship to join an incubator , participated in an event at the Smithsonian, and won a contest held by Louie Gong's Eighth Generation. Jared's story is one of those "overnight success" stories you hear about. One that pops up after working hard, learning, growing and sacrificing.  It was fun to hear Jared talk about where his business is headed, and how he occasionally still cannot believe when he finds himself in the company of other high-performing people. One of my favorite takeaways from Jared was his commitment to never stop learning. In whatever you do, I think that mindset is so important. Once you close your mind off from learning, you stop growing professionally, and personally. Jared is never going to stop growing. It will be fun to see where OXDX, and Jared, is the next time we connect on NextGen Native.

Raina Thiele, Athabascan and Yup'ik, is President of Thiele Strategies. Before starting her own firm, Raina worked for President Obama in the White House Office of intergovernmental Affairs.  Raina joined the show to share her story that led her from Alaska to the White House and now to her current work. Raina's story is a great example of how hard work, willingness to take on new challenges, and timing can come together to present amazing opportunities. Raina certainly capitalized on her experience to advance the profile of indian Country. After attending Yale for her undergraduate degree, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for her Master's Degree, Raina worked for the Office of Management and Budget at the White House. In that role, she gained experience in the inner workings of various programs funded by the government. Eventually, Raina had the chance to work more directly with President Obama through the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. It was that move that placed Raina front-and-center on President Obama's work on issues in indian Country. In her role, Raina worked on several high-profile initiatives. She helped plan the now infamous trip the President and First Lady took to Standing Rock. There, they met with young people that moved the first couple profoundly. Upon returning to DC, the President directed his staff to work on issues impacting Native youth. It was then that Generation indigenous was created.  That trip alone would be a career highlight for many. Raina was able to double up when she helped arrange a trip to Alaska for the President. Most domestic trips last just a few hours, but the President stayed in Alaska for several days where he saw the impact of climate change and met with Alaska Natives during his trip.Travel and meet-and-greets are part of life for a President. Much of it is probably routine and many of the details probably fade from memory. Both trips appeared to inform the president through the remainder of his presidency. Raina shared details of these trips, her college experience, and more on this episode. Have a listen!

The first time John Isaiah Pepion (Piikani) appeared on NextGen Native, I titled the accompanying blog post “Up and Coming Ledger Artist.” About 1.5 years later John returned to catch up, and from our conversation, the title was accurate! John’s on the move, and if you're not familiar with his work, you should check it out. We discussed how he has grown as an artist and businessperson recently. He mentioned he started growing even more when he opened himself up to learn and take feedback from others. This mindset can be applied to any job or activity. It can be hard to open yourself up to feedback, but it empowers you in a way that few other things can. As John opened himself up to feedback, he started engaging more and more with communities. His Instagram page shows tons of photos with him at schools. He also mentioned he spends time with elder groups. And through this service, he gains new insight and perspective on his art that he can use to grow, even while giving back to others. Besides John’s amazing art, his grind is really what is paying off for him. He travels everywhere, he’s been taking on cultural learnings at home, learning how to make his business more sustainable. And he still finds time everyday to draw. When you see someone growing their influence, and quality of their work, there’s probably a healthy dose of hard work that you don’t see, but it’s there. John’s trajectory looks awesome, his hardwork is paying off. He’s done collaborations with other amazing artists, etc. in Indian Country. It’s fun to see NextGen Natives grow. It’s fun to meet new people or connect with friends and colleagues and watch them transform, grow, overcome challenges and ultimately achieve success, with myself as a fortunate observer to their journey.

“Focus on being proactive and use the future as the guidance point when you [encounter] challenges. What you work for is bigger than us [individually].” Heather Whitemanrunshim is Apsalooke (Crow Nation). She is an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) where she works primarily on issues pertaining to water law. Our wide-ranging conversation touched on two issues that I am still thinking about several days later. First, we discussed the need to be vulnerable to learn language and/or culture. I think it is a common experience that people our age grew up afraid to admit we didn’t know as much language as others, or we were worried about making mistakes. The alternative is to avoid it and avoid that experience. We need to foster environments that encourage learning and make it easier to be uncomfortable and make mistakes. As a new parent, I am thinking about how to teach my child about who we are, and that requires me learning even more along the way, too. She also shared the idea that we almost only focus on the concept of time immemorial with respect to the past. But she challenged us to apply the concept to the future. We will always be here into the future. I think that is just as important as thinking about the past. It helps contextualize the highs and lows of individual moments, because in the arc of one’s life, let alone many generations, those moments are small. Digging deeper into those two points alone are worth listening, and she covered so much more! We covered a wide range of other topics in our conversation including: Not being afraid to be vulnerable when learning languages, and fostering an environment where it is encouraged to learn, not where people are discouraged because they don’t know. How to work through difficult situations by providing multiple choices or consequences. For example, Heather was lonely when she left for boarding school, but when she thought about moving back home, she realized it wasn’t the right choice for her. Thinking about moving home provided the contrasting option she needed to push through to achieve her goal. Being open to opportunities. Heather attended the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) and eventually the University of New Mexico.  She did not consider law until a professor encouraged her to consider it. She listened to the guidance and it had a significant impact on her life. She worked for a law firm, as a public defender, for her tribe and eventually landed at Native American Rights Fund. And much more. Give it a listen.

Mark Trahant joined NextGen Native to discuss a wide-range of issues. When we spoke, the Congress was in the midst of considering the recent healthcare bill. Mark delved into health care policy and in particular Indian health care policy several years ago, and it is now an ongoing part of his journalism. It’s remained relevant for several years. We also discussed his emerging interests, including elections, and the era of disruption in Indian Country. He discussed how he likes to focus on the countless stories that are not the headline grabbers, but are important and impactful. Mark is somewhat a technophile, and we discussed the rise of social media for events like Standing Rock to organize Indian Country. Official Bio Mark Trahant is an independent journalist and a faculty member at the University of North Dakota as the Charles R. Johnson Endowed Professor of Journalism. Trahant reports and comments on events and trends on his blog at TrahantReports.Com and on Facebook, Twitter (@TrahantReports) and other social media. He does a weekly audio commentary for Native Voice One. And, every day for nearly a decade, Trahant has written a 140-character rhyme based on a daily news story (@newsrimes4lines).He’s been a reporter for PBS’ Frontline series. The Frontline piece, “The Silence,” was about sexual abuse by priests in a Alaska native village. He also has been editor-in-residence at the University of Idaho in the spring of 2011 and again in 2012. He taught courses on social media, the American West and editorial writing. In 2009 and 2010 Trahant was a Kaiser Media Fellow writing about health care reform focused on programs the government already operates, such as the Indian Health Service. He was recently the Atwood Chair of Journalism at the University of Alaska Anchorage.Trahant is the former editor of the editorial page for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer where he chaired the daily editorial board, directed a staff of writers, editors and a cartoonist. He has also worked at The Seattle Times, Arizona Republic, The Salt Lake Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, the Navajo Times, Navajo Nation Today and the Sho-Ban News. Trahant is a member of Idaho’s Shoshone-Bannock Tribe and former president of the Native American Journalists Association.

“Because of that one choice, so many other possibilities came up. They were already there…” Warren Montoya of Rezonate Art and Rezilience on finding new perspectives. Warren Montoya is the founder of Rezonate Art. He appeared previously on NextGen Native to discuss the company’s beginnings and goals. He returned to discuss what he’s been up to recently. Warren pivoted his work with Rezonate after realizing he wanted to change the way his business worked. He described in this conversation (and our previous conversation) that part of his goal with the company was to build a sustainable business that could eventually support other artists. Warren realized that he could change his business model so that he did the support and education directly, rather than use his profits through selling merchandise. The pivot required skills that we all should develop. This includes the ability to be honest with yourself and mindful of your emotions, ambitions, challenges, strengths and weaknesses. Out of this reflection, Warren and a group of others created Rezilience, a day long event focused on contemporary Native art in different forms. In the second year, Warren and the team is building Rezilience to be a platform for other artists and organizations. I think the idea is great, and I am excited to see how the event continues to grow over the years. This year Rezilience occurs April 30 in Albuquerque, the same weekend as Gathering of Nations. If you are heading to ABQ for GON, make sure you take time to check out Rezilience.

“If you want to do great things, then you should concentrate not on what you want to be but on what you want to do. You don’t have to be anything specific thing to impact issues you care about…[assess] those things you want to impact, and then go do it.” Keith Harper (Cherokee) is a partner at the law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. In January 2017 Keith completed his appointment as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Harper also served as one of the lead attorneys in the Cobell class action lawsuit. He appeared previously on NextGen Native to discuss his work, and he returned to share some conversation now that his post as Ambassador concluded. Like every episode, my goal is to celebrate the success of those on the show, and make their success relatable to others. With Keith, my goal remained the same but I really wanted to ask him questions about how he thinks about career development, growth and more from the perspective of someone that already achieved significant accomplishments in his career. I think we are used to hearing these conversations amongst peers, but I am curious about how people that already achieved great results think about growth and their career progression. i I asked what he learned about himself during his tenure, and what lessons he believes tribes (and anyone, frankly) can take away from his experience on an international stage. His insight is clear, concise, and actionable. Keith’s career already includes several significant achievements that few others have in Indian Country, let alone the legal profession generally. We are fortunate that Keith is willing to share his time on the show, because I think his insight is valuable to anyone that wants to grow and develop, or wonders how they can make a difference.

“Look for those opportunities that may not be obvious to you.” Gabe Galanda is a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. Galanda is also a partner at the law firm Galanda Broadman. He joined NextGen Native previously to share his personal journey. If you haven’t heard his story, I recommend listening to his personal journey. It’s a perfect example of how one can overcome challenges to succeed in your own personal way, at a high level. His personal journey is prologue to his work for clients facing disenrollment. Through his law practice, Galanda emerged as one of the most vocal critics of disenrollment. For several years, he has represented clients fighting disenrollment. During that time he experienced many trying moments and challenges in his fight for his clients. At the time, not many people in Indian Country were openly discussing disenrollment, let alone fighting against the movement. But the tide may be turning. We spoke not too long after a #stopdisenrollment day of action and also following the decision by the tribal council for the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians to re-enroll members that were previously disenrolled. Now, you’re seeing people speaking out against disenrollment, and taking action against it, in larger numbers. Much of that can be attributed to the work of Galanda and others who took on the fight several years ago. We discussed the fight against disenrollment, how Gabe managed the challenging battles on a personal and professional front, and what’s next in the fight. This includes an upcoming symposium called “Who Belongs” at the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law. The event includes a list of heavy hitters that will attend including tribal leaders and leading legal minds. This is a huge topic of the moment for Indian Country, and it’s one of the most heavy and intense topics, too. But this podcast creates space to discuss these issues in an in-depth, nuanced fashion, even if the fire still burns hot. This is one of those conversations, and I hope it sparks more across Indian Country.  

“If I am going to bet on anybody, I’m going to bet on myself.”-Jaclyn Roessel Jaclyn Roessel returned to the show to discuss some big changes in her life. For the last decade or so, Jaclyn did amazing things at the Heard Museum, which she described as her dream job. So I was amazed to see a headline that she was leaving the museum. It was time to grow up, or rather time to Grownup Navajo. Jaclyn Roessel shared with me (and You!) how she arrived at the decision to leave her dream job, and what she plans to do with Grownup Navajo. Her transition isn’t just about leaving her work to pursue her own projects, she also moved from Phoenix to New Mexico. Most people would be slow to make one of those decisions, the fact that Jessica dove into both changes at once is a bold step. It also shows that it is possible.If you feel like you are on the verge of doing something different, take a listen and draw upon the inspiration that Jaclyn shares throughout the episode! Jaclyn Roessel shares a bit about what we can expect from Grownup Navajo in the coming year. She spoke about the various collaborations she has planned, and some broad strokes about other projects she plans to undertake. We discussed a variety of topics, including how “esperar” in Spanish means both “hope” and “to wait” and what that means for taking action. If you’ve listened to previous episodes featuring Jaclyn, you’ll know that she is about ACTION.  We also discussed FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and what that means in Indian Country, being on “the front lines,” refilling your metaphorical cup, and how each person can play a role no matter where they are in their life. This is just the tip of the iceberg of our conversation. And that’s why I always enjoy these conversations with Jaclyn. She brings a perspective, energy and commitment to Indian Country that is refreshing. It’s also a rare combination, in my opinion. Have a listen, and be inspired.

“I’m eternally hopeful. Seeing [bad] things around me made me think that things can be better and should be better.” I speak with people across Indian Country that share their stories and do amazing, interesting things on a daily basis. Their energy is fiery, resistant, forward thinking or any combination of those emotions. Jessica Begay (Navajo), has an awesome story. But her energy was different from some of the other people I speak to, but it’s end goal is the same. And it is refreshing. And we need more of it in Indian Country. Jessica is a social worker at a tribal pre-school in Phoenix. During college, she realized that her interest and energy aligned with that of social workers. Her hopeful energy is not bound in the usual “we will endure” message, which is needed and powerful. It is based upon the knowledge that we can make our communities a better place. And from Jessica’s work, it is done through creating healthier social environments. Our conversation included a discussion of Brene Brown (start with her TED Talk), social and emotional development, and quizzes to test one’s emotional intelligence. The bigger idea than just sharing these ideas generally is about how we can spread these ideas throughout Indian Country. For whatever reasons we may not be well developed to express, understand and be comfortable with emotions, I think it is something we need to reclaim. It seems to be an under-explored part of our work in Indian Country, at least in a way that is positive and healthy. We discussed a variety of other issues, too (parenthood, running, discipline, Patagonia and bucket lists, and more) that made for a fun and well rounded conversation. It energized me in a way that I have not been energized in a while. And it’s exactly why I do the podcast.

“We have to show up and we have to apply for things outside [Indian Country]. There is no one better than us to than to represent at the national level.” Chelsea Wilson (Cherokee Nation) works at All Native Group, a division of Ho-Chunk Inc. She is active in the DC chapter of the New Leaders Council a member of the executive committee and is a previous fellow with the organization. If a full-time job and a one organization was not enough, Chelsea Wilson also chairs the Frontrunners Committee of the organization She Should Run. Chelsea Wilson describes herself as a giver, and if you cannot tell, she puts that into practice through the work she does personally and professionally. That character trait pays dividends back to Chelsea through the mentorships she’s developed over the years. And each mentorship helped Chelsea develop and find new ways to give back. It’s a classic story about how hard work, mentorship, and networks come together to provide opportunities to grow personally and professionally. Chelsea worked for the Cherokee Nation where her boss mentored her and gave her projects to stretch her development. Eventually that led her to DC. I knew Chelsea’s boss at Cherokee Nation and she mentioned to me Chelsea’s interest in moving to DC. When I ran into her at a reception, that a “pushy friend” forced her to attend, I mentioned that I was looking to hire someone for my team. After living in DC, Chelsea found her path through NLC and She Should Run. It’s refreshing to have someone that can articulate that their interest to serve in public office comes from a genuine place of giving. Many people say it, and for many people it’s true. But with Chelsea, you can feel her desire to serve. In this conversation we discuss finding finding mentors the right way, growing professionally, and being willing to fail by trying. Chelsea Wilson combined each of these into her current work and others are starting to take notice.

Jim Gray is the former Principal Chief of the Osage Nation. Jim returned to NextGen Native for a conversation that I wanted to have since the day I started the podcast. Jim inspired the conversation with a “simple” Facebook post. When I read the post, I knew we had to connect again to dive into it. So what was the post? It was only 25 words. “I think it's time we recognize there's a change in our world and we need to make room for new voices in the great debate.” When I read that, Jim took me back to why I started the podcast initially: how do young people grow into leaders, gain experience, and share that experience. It’s not a simple question, and I struggled with ways to discuss it without sounding like a Young Turk. Jim provided some background with what inspired him, and we spent an hour talking about this single issue, more or less. Within that conversation, however, we swing from the very abstract to the very specific. We discuss how it applies to water protectors at Standing Rock, how experienced leaders find a new way to lead and follow, and how to translate events that coalesce people into lasting action. Jim’s the perfect person to discuss this issue. He’s a former tribal leader and national leader. He works as a tribal administrator. And he watches as his daughter emerges into her own leader participating in events like those at Standing Rock. I think this is just the beginning of this conversation. When I first conceived this idea, I knew there were young people with energy and ambition and a commitment their communities. Many of them are emerging into new roles, or growing within their roles today. It’s a never ending transition, but I agree with Jim that we are in a moment of larger change. Where it leads us I am not sure. But I am excited.

Chris James is the President & CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED), a role he recently stepped into. He grew up in Cherokee, North Carolina in the heartland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Chris is busy preparing for the National Reservation Economic Summit (RES) that is quickly approaching in March. But he carved out time to share stopped by to share his story with NextGen Native. Chris’ story is one that rings familiar to me. It’s not only because our professional paths are similar, or that we’ve known each other personally and professionally. It rings familiar because it’s a story of personal and professional growth, that is based in a service to community. It’s the story of many NextGen Natives. We each face the challenge of how do we serve our community, even when that means moving away from home, growing and evolving into new roles, or finding new ways to live that purpose. Listening to Chris’ story, I reminded myself that much of the growth we experience comes in two ways. First, we often discount our own experience. When Chris worked for his tribe at the Sequoyah Fund, someone shared a job opportunity with him for a position in DC. He thought he’d never get the chance to actually work in DC. But he got the job and found himself adjusting to life in a new city. He doubted himself even when others encouraged him to take a chance. So often others see the potential in ourselves that we cannot see. Second, if you look at Chris’ story, eight years ago he worked for his tribe, and now leads a national tribal organization. In between he worked for the Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration in senior positions. It may seem a steep trajectory, and one that cannot be duplicated. But if you dig into what Chris shares, you learn that each step along the way was simply one step beyond his previous experience. Each step leveraged his career to the point it is today, but nothing was a huge risk for him, it was a logical step. After thinking about our conversation, I wondered how many people in Indian Country are standing at a similar leverage point. By taking one step, then another, then another, where will each of us end up? It’s exciting and daunting. It’s exciting to think about all that can be accomplished. It’s daunting because it forces us to realize that it can be accomplished. I am forming an opinion that the things that make us most uncomfortable are the things we can reach if we try, but it’s scary to think about achieving that goal. The things that make us most uncomfortable are often the things we should pursue with the most passion. I’m excited to see what Chris will accomplish in his new role. I’m excited where his next small, yet leveraged, step, will take Indian Country. Where will your next step take your community?

Jackson Brossy is the Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office. He appeared on the show previously and returned for another conversation. Since this was the first episode I recorded in 2017, I asked Jackson about whether he makes any resolutions. He doesn’t, but he did share one of his goals for the year. Through his work, he wants to acquire property to open an embassy for the Navajo Nation in Washington, DC. We talked about where the idea came from, building upon others’ ideas, and finding projects that are both big picture and the next step in a process. The conversation made me think about work done in Indian Country generally. I think much of what we do as young professionals focuses on building upon the work of those that came before us. It isn’t different, or better, or “new” necessarily, but we may be able to take on projects and initiatives now because of the work that others did before us. Conversely, people that are bringing new ideas, or trying to take on a goal that’s failed before doesn’t mean they think they are better than those that came before them, it’s simply that their experience is different, the resources available may different, or any variety of reasons. We also talk about what we’ve been reading recently. For Jackson, it’s Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography, for me I highlighted an article about palliative care and how it’s making me think not about the end of life, but about living life to the fullest. I had fun catching up with a friend I’ve known for 10 years now. We discussed a bit about moving through different stages in life. The last 18 months I’ve had a lot of new things in my life, all good, too!  But it’s definitely made me think about where I am currently, and it’s hard to imagine knowing people that I met after college for a decade already. Anyway, these are the kind of conversations Jackson and I have when we get together, hopefully you enjoy it! Also, hit us up if you have good fiction for us to read...

“We are in a period of radical change...step into your role, do what you do best and raise the profile of tribes in a positive light.” Lacey Horn is a citizen of and treasurer for the Cherokee Nation. Principal Chief Bill John Baker appointed Lacey to this position In this role, Lacey is responsible for a budget that totals almost $700 million dollars for the Nation. Lacey grew up in Vian, Oklahoma. I admire her story because it’s one that combines a steadfast comfort and certainty in her life goals, combined with seizing opportunities. Lacey worked hard to achieve her goals and these opportunities overlapped with her hard work. From an early age she knew she planned to attend Southern Methodist University. After college, she went to work for KPMG, one of the “big 4” accounting firms. She moved to Chicago to experience something different. But she did so knowing that she planned to return home at some point. Lacey’s story reminded me of a previous idea I shared about walking your own path. It’s not always easy, but your life will be so much more rich because of it. After the financial collapse in 2008, Lacey decided to move home. It was part of her plan, but she moved at a time when people at home told her not to, because the economy was so bad. She did anyway, and built an accounting business in Oklahoma. It was then that she was called by Chief Baker to serve. In her role as treasurer, she’s built relationships at the Nation, has been recognized and appointed to leadership positions with organizations in Indian Country, and built bridges into other venues representing tribes in new arenas. I really enjoyed this conversation for several reasons. Lacey is grounded but driven, committed and inquisitive. Her work in tribal finance is a personal interest for me, and is an area I think is ripe for growth over the next several years. Lacey and I dive into several deep issues, and she shares some great practical advice to tackle these issues.  

Ashley Tuomi on growth: "Take any opportunity to increase our knowledge." Ashley Tuomi (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) is the Executive Director of the American Indian Health and Family Services. Currently, she is the President of the National Council of Urban Indian Health. Ashley's career did not end up where she imagined, but she is right where she is supposed to be. Ashley's father served in the military, her family moved constantly for the first several years of her life. As a child she thought her career path led to plastic surgery. Ashley did not have dreams of working for actors in Hollywood, but rather she saw the real impact of plastic surgery on people who needed it such as kids with cleft palates. Everyone knew her goal, powwow emcees introduced her as the future doctor. The Curved Path That experience shifted in college. Her plans shifted after a difficult class. Ashley felt devastated. Everyone knew her goal, and she shifted course. She learned a valuable lesson: things are not usually as bad as people think they are in the moment. Her career transition did not veer away entirely from college. She enrolled in a Master’s program in Health Administration, thinking rather than serving as a plastic surgeon, her goal evolved to run a practice. But her Master’s program nudged her to Indian health after she received a scholarship from the Indian Health Service. The scholarship required her to work in the Indian health system for two years. Ashley turned her studies almost exclusively to learning about IHS.After graduate school she found herself in Los Angeles at an urban Indian health clinic. That position led to opportunities to run clinics, which led her to Detroit. Her leadership at the American Indian Health and Family Services led to her work at the national level. A colleague urged her to get involved in NCUIH and her colleagues elected her as the organization's president. Ashley discusses how she grew into these leadership roles as a young leader and overcame questions about her age. As a young leader, Ashley Tuomi is likely bound for a long career as a leader in Indian health and in Indian Country generally.

Terra Branson: “How do you look backward but still move forward?” Terra Branson (Muscogee Creek) is the Executive Director of the Self-Governance Communication  and Education Consortium.Terra joined the show previously, and she returned  graciously for another wide-ranging conversation. When Terra Branson last joined the show, she just started her job at SGCEC as the Executive Director. Two years later, we discuss her adjustment and growth in the role. Part of her experience includes settling into her community of McAlester, Oklahoma. Like many that move to a new community, Terra experienced the challenge of building new friendships after college and in her professional career. We discussed identifying your skill sets, how to use those in your career, and how often times others see those skills in you before you see them in yourself. On Growth and Reflection We both moved away from a busy place to a place that allows you to think and reflect. This reminded me of a discussion shared by venture capitalist Chris Sacca on another podcast. Sacca invested in what became some of the biggest technology startups of the last decade. He credits part of his success to moving away from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe where he could be proactive in his work, and less reactive to the daily static of Silicon Valley. The distance allowed him perspective and the ability to make the investment decisions in which he believed. The point is that we need to find more time to be reflective, and for Terra and I, we gained that time by moving away from a busy city. The conversation covered a lot of ground, but I think the theme of this episode is personal growth, reflection, and how we move through our careers. One thing that remains consistent with NextGen Natives is that even with these topics, the work that we do is always connected to our communities. Terra’s story is no different.

“The most important thing is to be open minded to allow forgiveness...some of the horrible things that were done to us, we know our story. We know the horrible things. We don’t let that define who we are. Those horrible things that were done to Kashia are not who Kashia are. We’ll never forget it. We’ll always remember it. We’ll honor those that was done to, but we won’t let that define us. And we will be open to forgiveness....I would challenge everyone to find it.” Reno Franklin is Chairman of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians. This episode is a bit different because i) I usually do not have tribal leaders on the show. This is not for negative reasons, but instead I want to highlight the work of others not in leadership positions to show how much amazing work is being done in Indian Country. It’s also different because while we discuss Reno’s life, we also discuss his work as a tribal leader, projects he’s working on, approaches to being a leader. It’s definitely a fun conversation, and that’s before we even get to his story. Reno’s story: I first met Reno through the National Indian Health Board. I worked there and Reno was Chairman of the the organization. He also chaired the California Rural Indian Health Board, and the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. This is not to mention the work he’s done with other associations and working groups. Although his resume reads like one of grand ambition, his beginnings in tribal leadership tell a different story. It tells a story of service. Reno moved back to the reservation after he was asked to help with some wildfire work for the tribe. Reno was a firefighter and EMT at the time. Reno said that since he was asked, he moved home. He wasn’t far away, but this was his time to come home. His firefighting work led him to historic preservation work. Like other NextGen Natives, one project led to another, which eventually opened new doors and challenges. His work in healthcare started with a personal story he shared. To hear it, you’re going to have to listen to the show. But suffice it to say, when he started, he didn’t have any experience in the field. He learned through service and eventually his work rose to the national level. We discussed what it was like for him to be a tribal leader at a young age, in particular one at the national level where politics is intense. He shared stories about how he earned the respect of his colleagues and peers. Over time, they looked to him more and more for leadership. I shared Reno’s challenge to NextGen Natives above, and I think it is some of the most powerful words I’ve heard in awhile. It reminds me of Wab Kinew’s book The Reason You Walk and the theme of forgiveness. It’s not an easy discussion, but I think we need to be vulnerable and open to the idea of forgiveness.  Thanks for sharing, Reno!

Brian Howard is Research and Policy Analyst American Indian Policy Institute. He is Pipash, Akimel and Tohono O’odham. I’ve always respected Brian for his humility, knack for policy, and his commitment to Indian Country. During our conversation, I got to know more about his personal story, which I think includes a key lesson for everyone: being uncomfortable in order to grow. Brian shared a few stories during our conversation that shared the theme of growth and trying something new. What I found unique about the experiences was that he was able to combine the new experience with a familiar one so that the new challenge does not seem to have been as challenging as it could have been. For example, Brian traveled to Australia and New Zealand for a study abroad program when he was 16 years old. It was a big transition, but he spent much of his time in communities with Aborigines and Maoris, a familiar experience that helped him in his experience.   Recently he moved back home to be closer to his family, including his niece for whom he now acts as a father figure. He was moving back home, and closer to family. Easy, right? Well, he made the move without any job prospect. Each instance is an example of situations where people may not have taken action because they were afraid. What if I’m home sick? I would move back home but I don’t have a job yet. Brian did not let those questions deter him, and he came out on the other end of those experiences with new perspective.   Brian shared many great insights in this episode. He talked about the amazing role his mother played in his life, the importance of understanding policy issues, enduring lost loved ones, and more.   But I think Brian’s willingness to take on new challenges, and grow as an individual, is the best lesson we can take away. You don’t need to be considering a move to Australia to take advantage of his lesson. Identify a goal, challenge, or need that makes you uncomfortable. Do you feel that feeling in your gut? Did you immediately find 10 reasons why you can’t achieve it? If you did, then I think you found what you should focus on.        

  "You give everything you got. It's hard, It's super challenging. You give all your life force to your art. so when you see the tiny moment when people are smiling, laughing, or being proud..." Natalie Benally, Navajo, wears many hats. Or maybe the better metaphor is...dance shoes. Natalie is a member of the Native American contemporary dance company Dancing Earth. She also served as the voice of Dory for the remake of Finding Nemo, or Nemo Hádéést’į́į́. Oh, and she also has a full time job as the teacher of the arts back on Navajo Nation. Natalie and I connected while Dancing Earth was visiting Crystal Bridges as part of a special exhibit on dance. We had a wide ranging conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oChIg8dA09I Natalie went to a Bureau of Indian Education school at an old fort on the reservation. It was only a matter of time, not only as a Native person but as a student, where she started to understand the context in which she lived as a Navajo person, at the fort where her people’s long walk ended. She became interested in this broader history. It reminded me of the documentary The Flat, where younger people several generations removed from traumatic events begin asking questions about their family’s history, evoking strong emotions. We chatted about going away, and how that experience can either crystallize your awareness of who you are as a Native person, or people find it difficult to adapt and it becomes overwhelming. One of the amazing things about the experiences of people from all different tribes is how so many people can share similar experiences. This is one of those dynamics that many experience, whether they moved away for a job, education, they were taken away from their families, etc. We discussed Natalie’s role as an educator in the arts. She shared how powerful it can be to help students gain self-confidence and find themselves.   And, of course we discussed Natalie’s experience playing Dory in Finding Nemo. There is an amazing effort underway to translate Pixar movies into the Navajo language. The first movie was Star Wars, but people soon realized they needed to do a cartoon movie to reach younger audiences. In a way, the movie ends up a perfect combination of her role as an educator, teaching people language and life lessons in her people’s language, but also as a performer. I reached out to Dancing Earth when they were coming to town. And amazingly, we ended up not being able to discuss the company itself. Natalie had too many experiences to share. It’s an upbeat conversation, despite discussing some heavy issues. It’s the kind of balance we need in Indian Country.

Jaclyn Roessel, Navajo, is many things. She is the Public Programs and Education Director at the Heard Museum. She is is one half of Schmooze: Lady Connected. She writes for the fashion site Presence 4.0. She curates her own website Grown Up Navajo. She’s even a previous guest on NextGen Native. One thing Jaclyn isn't? Busy. That doesn't mean Jaclyn doesn't have a full schedule or a lot going on. Quite the contrary. What it does mean, for her, is that she is mindful of what the word means and that people often use it as a crutch. Jaclyn has been on a minor campaign to remove that word from the lexicon of those around her. I appreciate it. I had the same revelation a few years ago. I try not to use it to describe my own experience but sometimes out of habit or social conformity I'll drop the word or at least go along with another person’s use of it in conversation, nodding in exasperated agreement. Tell me about it. I often use it when reaching out to guests for the show, acknowledging the value of someone’s time (I know you're busy…). That's how I found out about Jaclyn’s viewpoint on the word. After she said something along the lines of “I'm not busy, I try not to use the word” I had to reply by saying, effectively, “me neither! well,except for just then. It that was different.” That's when we decide we should have another episode outlining our thoughts on busy-ness and other musings. To get the full context, let you think we are insufferable zealots, have a listen. Hopefully our conversation inspires you to think differently, and more mindfully, about the language you use to describe your life. We dove into several other subject such as our fear of organizing events where no one shows up, our inspiration behind our passion projects, creating one’s own happiness, Jaclyn’s morning routine, and much more. Check it out.

Bryan Newland joined the show the day after the election in 2016. We discussed a variety of issues about politics, from the election itself, what it means for tribes, and broader ideas and actions around politics generally. It's not your normal take on politics, which I think is a good thing. Not that there is anything wrong with the "normal take," it's just that people are used to it. If you want to hear some in depth conversation about these issues, to hear some thoughts that should challenge people on any side of a political debate (in a good way), than this conversation is for you. But as the title suggests, this conversation is about more than just politics. One of the things I love about where NextGen Native is heading, is that we can spend more time talking with previous guests (like Bryan) about a wide array of issues. In this episode we also dive deep into his passion for photography. He's been photographing his homelands and the results are awesome. Check him out on Instagram (bryannewland) to see some of his work. I realized during our conversation that Bryan's love of politics and photography comes from the same place: his love of his community, and his desire to be engaged and involved. Sounds corny, but if you listen to the conversation, I think you'll find that it's true. If that all sounds too high-and-mighty, worry not. We find ways to make fun of ourselves and have a good time. In other words, it was a healthy conversation. To get back on the high horse, I think that is one of the other takeaways to this conversation: you can have a range of emotions and thoughts about important or controversial issues at one time and still find ways to laugh and find comfort in conversation. Enjoy.  

“There’s nothing holding you back except what’s in your mind” Sometimes you speak with someone that has so much positive energy that it’s bound to rub off on you. Despite a massive headache during this conversation, I came away feeling energized after speaking with Sara-Jane Smallwood. Sara-Jane is one of those people that had a clear goal from a young age and pursued that goal and was able to realize that goal: returning home to work for her tribe. She did so in a big way, working on a very high-profile program that eventually resulted in a visit from President Obama to Choctaw Nation. Official Bio Sara-Jane Smallwood is the Director of Public Policy and Promise Zone Coordinator for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her Choctaw heritage and passion for public policy are intertwined. She comes from a long line of farmers and ranchers who make their living from the land, and she grew up near Sardis Lake and the Choctaw Capitol in Tvshka Homma. These experiences taught her the importance of the Choctaw Nation’s culture, natural resources, and leadership. Sara-Jane is currently a student at Oklahoma State University pursuing a PhD in Environmental Policy. She received her Master of Public Affairs with emphasis in local governance and environmental policy from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2012. She received a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications and American Indian Studies at Oklahoma State University in 2008, and was named an Outstanding Senior as one of the university’s top graduates. In 2007, she was chosen as a Scholar by the Morris K. Udall and the Stewart L. Udall Foundation and as a Fellow by the Public Policy and International Affairs Program, where she was part of the Princeton University summer fellowship. Sara-Jane was previously employed by the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division. Sara-Jane serves as an Oklahoma Champion for Early Opportunities with the Potts Family Foundation, board member of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Eastern Oklahoma State College Foundation. In her free time, SJ can be spotted cruising southeastern Oklahoma in her cobalt blue Mini Cooper.

“We’ve been conditioned to think that we have to compete with each other...which is not the case.” Charles Galbraith is Navajo. Currently, Charles (aka Charlie) is Counsel at Kilpatrick Townsend Law Firm. Previously, Charlie spent several years working at the White House for President Obama and before that he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a staffer in the U.S. Senate. Charlie grew up in Phoenix. His parents both prioritized education and so Charlie knew at a young age he’d go to college. He ended up playing baseball and studying at the University of Chicago. His baseball playing taught him endurance and the knowledge that not everything would break his way in life. It taught him how to dig in for the long haul, and how to keep a cooler head when things weren’t going his way. These two lessons would suit him very well in his career. He studied political science and decided that a career in a profession such as the law interested him. So he attended Arizona State University Sanda Day O’Connor School of Law. It wasn’t long before a summer internship in Senator Tim Johnson’s office resulted in a full time position. Charlie jumped at the chance and eventually earned his degree after taking night courses while also working full time. That opportunity led Charlie to working on President Obama’s campaign, and eventually on to the White House. There is much more to that part of the story, but you’ll need to listen to hear the full context. It was fun to hear Charlie share his experience at this particular point in time. The president is at the end of his second term so Charlie is just now able to have some perspective on the entire experience and what it means to him. Charlie has always been a practical kind of guy, and you get a lot of that practical wisdom in this episode.

Jose Acevedo is back on NextGen Native. One episode wasn’t enough to capture his energy and excitement. To be honest, two shows probably isn’t enough, either.! On the first show, we talked about his life. This time, we can skip the details (where you from, etc.) and dive into various subjects. Jose is the host of Finding Arizona, a podcast focused on entrepreneurs in Arizona. He is also part Hopi. We have a lot of mutual experience and energy to share amazing stories through our podcasts. You should check out his podcast and listen to the ways that disparate business people share common experiences, what their drive is, etc. On this episode, we dive deep into #NODAPL. We take a look at the movement from a variety of angles. The obvious and most direct is the importance of water to humans as it is to any other life form. But we also discuss different angles such as how the event has brought so many tribes together, that the camp is filled with people from all walks of Indian Country. We also chat about what we’ve learned from our podcast experiences and how those lessons transcend beyond podcasting. For example, I’ve sharpened my strength as a listener in a way that I often feel like my conversations with people feel like they could be a podcast episode because I’m listening, asking questions like I would if the mics were hot. We talk about some of the guests we’d each like to interview including A Tribe Called Red, Wab Kinew, Thosh Collins and more. We talked about how our podcasts helped us grow. When I listen to previous interviews I did, it’s embarrassing. But I’m also able to see how I’ve grown with the podcast. Like anything, you don’t get better unless you dive in. And so if you are able to gain insight from those that come on my show, and you definitely will, you can also see my podcast journey itself as a metaphor for personal growth. I will still interview people and learn about their journeys, but after several dozen episodes (maybe 100?) I plan to circle back to more of my previous guests so we can dive into current events and just shoot the breeze. And I’m sure we will learn just as much from them the second, third, fourth time around as we did the first.  

Brian Gunn is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. He is a Principal at Powers Pyle Sutter & Verville PC in Washington DC. Brian is someone I’ve admired for a long time. In addition to being a lawyer that has taken on several large cases and initiatives as part of his work in Indian Country, he is low key and always maintains his sense of humor. Brian discusses how his general low key demeanor has positively impacted his clients’ cases. It reminded me of the saying “you can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin it once.” Brian grew up in Omak, Washington. He attended Washington State University. He served on the school’s newspaper and as part of his work, he decided to reach out to Bill Kunstler for an interview. To his surprise, the well known civil rights attorney agreed to speak with Brian for 45 minutes or so. He was surprised at the interest and access Kunstler gave him, and it sparked his interest in the law. I think this is one of the best nuggets of information from this conversation. Brian’s story demonstrates that it’s usually worth making the reach to email someone, approach them at a conference or connect via social media. Nine times out of ten you may hear nothing back, but occasionally you will connect and the encounter can change your path or theirs, and that’s worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL7Ct_urpUY After attending the University of Washington School of Law, Brian knew he wanted to end up in DC. So he moved and has been there working on behalf of Indian Country ever since. Brian and I discuss the challenges and effort of being a tribal leader, and his interest in the work of Hunter Thompson. We recorded the conversation on 9/11 and we discussed how individuals  email communications at his law former law firm (located in one of the towers) were published several years ago. They are a surreal read. Brian encourages people to engage tribal leaders and get to know them, and the work they do. He shares how much he has learned through working with tribal leaders, and that when he is looking for advice, they are often to whom he reaches out. I think that’s good advice, and extends beyond tribal leaders, too. To take the conversation full circle, nine times out of ten it may be unfruitful, but you never know what you can accomplish if you do.

Jacqueline Wilson Highlights “The thing classical music and being Native have in common is reassuring people we are not obsolete.” “Even if what you do is unorthodox, or unexpected or outside of the box, what you do and who you are is important and you should share it with other people.” In Indian Country, we often discuss being “traditional,” but in today’s episode, we get to hear someone who is “classical” while also being indigenous. That person is Jacqueline Wilson, a “classical Native” Jacqueline Wilson is Yakama. She is an Assistant Professor at Southeast Missouri State University and is a professional bassoonist. She also is the creator of the website Molto Native Music, which promotes Native musicians in classical music. I really enjoy finding people that I can have a conversation where I learn not only about their own experience, but to learn about things I have very little exposure to, and this is one of those shows. Jacqueline started playing the bassoon after a high school teacher suggested that the instrument may be a way for her to earn a scholarship to attend college. She started learning the instrument, and before long she enrolled at Eastern Washington University. But her first semester, she took an F in her orchestra class. Her professor essentially told her she didn’t belong. That statement fired a spark within her, and she spent several months practicing several hours each day. The very next semester, she earned an A with the same professor. That spark carried her to Boston University for her Master’s, and to the University of Iowa for her Ph.D. She is now a professor and professional musician. Quite the journey from her first semester of college. Like Native people in other professions, Jacqueline spends part of her time explaining to people that, yes, Native people can play classical music, and still be Native. She shares how she educates people and After sharing her personal journey, where we dove into many topics, Jacqueline entertained some of my “101” questions about classical music. She shared some tips about what to listen for when listening to music (repetition and musical tension i.e. dissonance). Jacqueline shared with all of us a few Native musicians to listen to: Connor Chee (Navajo) Navajo Vocable 9 Juantio Becenti (Navajo) Divertimento No. 4 for Piano Quartet I’m so happy that she shared these pieces with me, I’m fascinated already and look forward to learning more about Natives doing their thing in this space. Have a listen.  

“If you are interested in Native issues, do what you need to do. One person can make a difference.” If you listen to NextGen Native, chances are you know Lance Morgan. Lance is the CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc, a corporation owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. He also is the managing partner of Frederick Peebles Morgan, and teaches at Arizona State University Law School. I worked with Lance and his company in my last job and had the chance to get to hear his story a bit as he told the story of Ho Chunk Inc. The two are intertwined. After studying economics and earning a law degree (official bio below), Lance moved back to his tribe and within a few years, started to implement the idea he had been tinkering with to create a tribally owned company. It’s a bit crazy now to think that not too long ago, this was a revolutionary idea. Lance grew with the company, and it’s currently generating about $250 million in revenue. It’s a shining success in Indian Country. And not just because of how much it earns, but what it does with its profits, creating housing on the reservation, running a used car company to help tribal members build credit. We discuss transition and trying to build the next generation of talent. We discuss the idea that 30 years from now, there will be 100 Lance Morgan’s and that will be the expectation. We discuss the transition the company is experiencing currently in its business lines. Lance shares some of his favorite podcasts (Freakonomics, Revisionist History, TED, Stuff they Didn’t Teach you in History Class, Revolutions, Harvard Business Review, NPR, and BBC to name a few). This conversation spans far beyond business, including what Lance thinks is most important in life. It’s a jam packed 45 minutes, you may end up listening to it twice! Official Bio Lance Morgan is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ho-Chunk, Inc. Morgan launched Ho-Chunk, Inc. in 1994 as the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Under Morgan's leadership, Ho-Chunk, Inc. has been recognized by a variety of national organizations including: Innovations in Government Award, sponsored by Harvard University and the Ford Foundation; Honoring Nations Award, also sponsored by Harvard; Minority Business Magazine, Entrepreneurial Spirit Award; Distinguished Alumni Speaker, Harvard Law School; Small Business Administration; U.S. Department of State; U.S. Department of Commerce; and the White House. Morgan was selected as a “Champion of Change” by the White House in 2011. In 2012, he was awarded the Nebraska Builder Award by the University of Nebraska and the keynote speaker for commencement ceremonies. Morgan was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Indian in 2013/2014, he was honored with the Advocate of the Year Award by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency.Morgan earned a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska (B. S. 1990) and graduated from Harvard Law School (J.D. 1993). He is a member of the Minnesota Bar Association. Morgan is an enrolled member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.

“We never control the timing of our opportunities.” “ I always thought about the removal with anger or sadness...and now I think about survival and resilience.”  Stacy Leeds is a Citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She is also Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Recently, Dean Leeds was reappointed to a second term as Dean. Let me restate that: Dean Leeds is a Citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law. I’ve been excited to get this conversation on the record to share, because Stacy is one of Indian Country’s shining stars. Stacy is from Muskogee, Oklahoma. She was active in sports, excelling in basketball. Eventually she played small forward at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. She was not familiar with the school’s prestige when the school contact her initially, she decided to attend because it was where she could play ball. This is a familiar theme in Stacy’s life, jumping into something full steam ahead. I’ve always found, despite my desire to learn as much as I can about an issue, the best way to do things. Because when you dive into something you cannot allow yourself to get in your own way. It’s served Stacy well throughout her life. After college, she attended the University of Tulsa College of Law. During law school, she realized her desire to enter legal academia. So after school she participated as a Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School. When the fellowship was finished, she began teaching at the University of North Dakota. Her next stop was at the University of Kansas teaching as part of the Indigenous Studies program. Here she was able to take on an interim role as Dean. It was here where she realized that she could take on this role. Soon after, she was presented an opportunity to apply for the Dean position at Arkansas. One of my favorite parts of the conversation was listening to Dean Leeds discuss her recent experience as a participant in the Remember the Removal ride. In this episode, we discuss: The challenge of choosing between two good options. Finding the Native community regardless of where you live. Getting burned out, and taking care of yourself to prevent it. The importance of relationships in Indian Country, law, and beyond. The power of relativity and connection. Working “in” Indian Country, and what does it mean when opportunities arise to work beyond Indian Country exclusively. The phone call she got when she was offered the Dean position. The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. No matter where you are in your professional journey, you can take something away from Stacy’s experience.

“What do [you] feel you are good at and feel you can contribute to your community?” When I spoke to Kayla Gebeck, the thing that jumped out at me was her enthusiasm to try new things, start new adventures, with the goal of preserving her language. After not traveling far beyond the upper Midwest, Kayla traveled to a Pueblo, then to Hawaii, and ultimately to New Zealand. Her goal was to learn how different communities were working to to preserve their languages.So while she was able to explore personally, and expand her horizons, the skills she was learning would help future Ojibwe speakers. Before it was over, Kayla studied in London and was able to connect the work people do in developing countries and relate that to Indian Country and visa versa. We talked about making connections outside of Indian Country and how these connections can create lasting ripples of interest or awareness with Indian Country. Kayla’s story is really interesting to see all that she’s been able to accomplish already. And more importantly, that her community is the driving force for her work. Official Bio Kayla Gebeck is a public affairs advisor at Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm's Native American Law Practice Group. Ms. Gebeck provides assistance to tribal governments and their enterprises on legislative and regulatory matters. Her areas of focus include education, healthcare, housing, social services, natural resources, environment, self-governance, trust land and federal relations. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Gebeck served as a policy analyst for the Native American Finance Officers Association. In this position, Ms. Gebeck advocated the views and concerns of tribal governments in the areas of access to capital, tax and finance policy, in addition to preparing reports and broadcasts that alerted tribal members on new guidance and/or legislation affecting their governments and enterprises. While attending the University of London, Ms. Gebeck served as a photographer for the Global Coordinating Group Indigenous Media Team, which covered the preparatory meeting for the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Alta, Norway, and conducted research for Legal Action Worldwide in an effort to build the legal capacity of conflict-affected governments.

Amanda Tachine If you need an energy boost, or your spirit lifted, this episode is for you. Amanda Tachine’s voice lifted my mood and her enthusiasm and energy lasted throughout the episode. Amanda is Navajo, and is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University. Amanda’s busy, and her accomplishments demonstrate that. TEMPE - September 8th, 2015 - ASU News - Postdoctoral Scholar Amanda Tachine will be recognized for her work as a White House Champion of Change in Washington D.C. and is pictured here at the Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University Tempe Campus on Tuesday afternoon September 8th, 2015. Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU News But much of our conversation focused on topics other than work. We discussed how she navigated through her educational career. We bonded over the physical feeling of when you go home. I mentioned a book I'm reading,  The Shepherd’s Life, and how it relates to language often associated with Indian Country. We discussed the friends that helped her navigate to her graduate degrees. Amanda mentioned others around the country involved in this field of study (e.g. Adrienne Keene). Amanda mentioned her approach of focusing on the Now, and how that impacts her life. We discuss (not) burning bridges, including the quote “you can shear a sheep many times, but you can only skin it once.” Amanda’s work at the Center for Indian Education  advances ideas and strategies to increase Native college student success. She joined the center after receiving her doctoral degree in Higher Education at the University of Arizona. Amanda received the American Educational Research Association dissertation of the year award for “Division J” and received honorable mention recognition from the International Congress Qualitative Inquiry Dissertation Award. She led innovative mentoring programs where students mentor students in a cascading format (grad students help undergrads, undergrads help high school students). Amanda also participated in the Op-Ed Fellowship,  published in the Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and The Hill. President Obama recognized  Amanda through the White House Champion of Change program. Other Resources School of Greatness Beyond the Asterisk  

Vince Logan (Osage) is the Special Trustee for Native Americans at the Department of the Interior. In that role, he is responsible for the trust assets administered by the Department. He is a Senate-confirmed member of the administration. As impressive as that is, it’s only a sliver of his accomplishments in his personal and professional career. Vince is from Oklahoma. At a young age, his parents moved to Norman so him and his siblings could be close to more opportunities for education. Despite growing up in the town where the University of Oklahoma is located, he eventually attended Oklahoma State University. Eventually, he ended up in New York as a lawyer. He went to work for a big law firm where he focused on financial transactions involving transportation and logistics. It was a world he’d never been exposed to but he was drawn to it. He excelled in the environment and spent a lot of time working as a lawyer on these transactions. At some point, he decided he would jump into a new part of the financial world working for financial entities, rather than as their lawyer. It was at this point he was able to begin working professionally with tribes on finances. Eventually the opportunity arose to serve as the Special Trustee. In addition to discussing how important the world of finance is, Vince wanted to talk about his personal experience as a gay man. He wanted to share his experience so that others may be able to relate to the experience and challenges in his life not just as a gay person but as a gay Native person, and a very successful one. This is just scratching the surface of what we discuss in this episode, including how one baseball scoreboard influenced his life direction towards New York, digging into interests, personal finance and more. Vince was gracious in sharing his story, and like other NextGen Natives, his story is worth listening to.

Justin Wilson is an upbeat guy. You sense his energy from the moment you start a conversation with him. Or more likely, when he starts a conversation with you. When you learn about his life, it’s amazing to think how he can be so upbeat. But then you realize, it’s because he had no other choice. Justin Wilson is Choctaw. He grew up in Southeast Oklahoma. His father died when he was three and his mom wasn’t around much. He was living on his own at age 14. He excelled at school. He realized it was his way out of the life he experienced as a kid. Having just listened to an amazing episode of Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revisionist History, I knew exactly what Just meant. The episode is titled “Carlos Doesn’t Remember” and I realized that Justin was very similar. ## Subscribe to NextGen Native iTunes Stitcher Google Play   ## Justin attended Oklahoma State University. It’s an understatement because he is a diehard alumnus. For a while, before he was the Advisor to the Special Trustee for Native Americans, Vince Logan, he was raising money for his alma mater. Before that, he was in medical school at the University of Oklahoma. In this episode, Justin discusses all of these events. He even opens up to discuss how attending medical school was one of his biggest mistakes. Just told me he wanted to share that story so people know that you can make mistakes, even if they are “good” mistakes, but you can still learn from those mistakes. You can walk away from the sunk cost fallacy moments in your life. It’s a fascinating conversation, especially because much of the knowledge he shares is beyond his years. Probably so because of his experience as a child. I am really impressed by Justin’s story and how he got to where he is today. There are tons of lessons to learn from his experience. Which one will you take for yourself?  

“Google “Native people in tech…; and see Native people in every field, no matter how much of a walled garden exists. They did it, you can do it.” One of the goals for NextGen Native is to connect Native people across a variety of professions, and to tell the story of these people to place their experience in context i.e. being Native person in the 21st century. Perhaps no one best exemplifies this to date than Erin Spiceland. Erin Spiceland is Choctaw, and grew up in South Georgia. Her family ended up there after her grandfather settled down in the area after serving in the Navy. She is a software engineer  working in for a technology company in Huntsville, AL. If there is one area that every community needs to be part of in 2016, it’s technology. Specifically, preparing people to work in technology by teaching them to code. But even more, in the same conversation Erin talks about the importance of coding, she talks about learning her language, and teaching it to her kids. Erin’s journey is about more than just coding. Erin lost her mother at a young age after a battle with Leukemia. It was difficult for her to move on after the loss, but she found strength in her faith and realizing that her life did not have to be defined by what she lost. In this episode we discuss: Math and music: the connections between the two. How Erin wanted music to be a major part of her life and influenced her academic future. The benefit of having a support system that allows someone to challenge themselves. How studying computer science in college is behind the curve when it comes to what actually occurs in the real world. What is an algorithm (never be afraid to ask questions). How Erin ended up at Nodesource. Different resources for learning code: Khan Academy; Code.org; Coursera; Erin’s perspective of being a woman and being a Native person in a technology company. And how she enjoys surprising people when she tells people what she does. Natives in tech, what a variety of Natives are doing in different industries. I learned a lot from Erin, and she pushed me to understand things just a bit beyond my grasp. In addition to learning my language, I think I’ve been inspired to learn some kind of coding program, too.  

Jacob Aki on Native histories: "When we look into our history, we have a history of excellence...and we have to reclaim that." Jacob Aki My conversation with Jacob Aki sparked a lot of thoughts about how I think about leadership and solving tough problems. Jacob Aki Jacob’s bio below outlines well his leadership and contribution to his community at such a young age. In particular, I was taken by two parts of our conversation: First, Jacob discussed the organization Aha Kane, which has the mission “To nurture a healthier Native Hawaiian male population by eliminating psychosocial, health, and educational disparities through activities founded on traditional cultural practices that build sustainability in the community.” Essentially the organization has formalized mentoring of young Hawaiian men in traditional teachings, but also creates a network to rely upon throughout one’s life. There is a woman’s organization, too. This seems to be an innovative approach to create formal and informal networks in the community. Second, Jacob discusses the current debate happening in the Hawaiian community surrounding how the nation should move forward. I’m not jumping into the middle of that debate, but I thought about how we often think of previous leaders and how they were able to unify a people under their leadership. There have to be those types of people today, but do we think of their skills and abilities in the same was as we appreciate those whose contributions we can see retroactively? The other leadership component I thought about is how young and old generations transition the knowledge and decision making in an organization/business/community/government. I think the natural tendency for young Native people is to stand back and let others lead because that is what we think we’ve been taught (and often times is what we are taught). But Jacob told a story about how once he and others got involved in different processes, older leaders expressed appreciation that they were there, and consternation about what took them so long to step up. Learning happens by doing, and I think there is a cultural estuary that we miss out on if we don’t bring different generations together to teach and correct and to learn and succeed. This is not to say that a young person should expect to lead their people without any prior experience. But it is to say that people of any age can get involved in a variety of ways and begin to learn how to lead, learn and carry themselves. Any thoughts? Leave a comment below. Jacob’s bio Jacob Bryan Kaʻōmakaokalā Aki is a 21 year old Native Hawaiian who was born and raised in Kapālama and Waiʻanae on the island of Oʻahu. He is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and currently a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He is majoring in Hawaiian Studies and Language. Jacob was also a 2015 participant in the Native American Political Leadership Program at the George Washington University in Washington D.C. While in Washington D.C. he was a Federal Policy Intern at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Washington D.C. Bureau. After returning to Hawaiʻi, Jacob became a youth board member for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) and Peace Child International Hawaiʻi. Jacob was the youngest delegate at the ʻAha 2016: Native Hawaiian Governance Convention. He recently returned from New York City, where he attended the 2016 United National Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where he became the Pacific Focal Point for the World Indigenous Youth Caucus. Jacob is currently a Public Policy Intern at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. He hopes to attend law school where he can use his degree to serve the Hawaiian people. His goal is to become a prominent leader in the Native Hawaiian Community.  

Kekoa McClellan: ""We can never forget that we are native first, but we cannot ignore that we are not the only people who matter.. We have to look at the people around us. If we separate ourselves from them, we are separating ourselves from their hearts." Kekoa McClellan Official Bio Kekoa McClellan is the President and CEO of Pelatron Power Evolution and the President of the firm's Joint Venture PQ Energy, LLC.  McClellan leads the development of waste-to-energy systems in the State of Hawaiʻi.   Kekoa McLellan As part of the Pelatron Center for Economic Development family of companies, Kekoa directs the group's external finance and government relations activities.  Prior to his work with Pelatron Power Evolution, Kekoa was the Chief of Staff to Honolulu City Council member Stanley Chang, managed an independent political consulting firm, and worked as a commercial banking officer at Central Pacific Bank. Kekoa has served on numerous community boards including The March of Dimes and Hawaiʻi Maoli, and he is currently a director at One Hawaiʻi In Action (OHIA), a Native Hawaiian think tank founded by Senator Daniel K. Akaka. Kekoa is a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hawaiʻi Pacific University, and an Executive MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business.  Mr. McClellan's wife, Makana McClellan is the Public Information Officer for the Queens Health Systems.  The McClellan's are Ma'ili residents and together have two children - Emma Sophia (3) and Brinton Thomas (2). ### NextGen Native is, among other things, a place to learn about other Native people and where they are from. Though a Hawaiian may be different culturally from someone from Coeur d'Alene or a Pueblo, there are some commonalities about how we interact with the world. And there is definitely similarities with how we’ve interacted with the United States. Kekoa McClellan shares his wealth of knowledge about business and about his work to give back to his Hawaiian community. He does this in a variety of ways, but particularly through his day jobs at Pelatron Power, owned by the Pelatron Center for Economic Development. If you are not familiar with Native Hawaiian Organizations, this is a great episode to put your learning cap on.

[ed note: Jose Acevedo’s challenge to NextGen Natives was actually directed at me (and you). The challenge was for me to use the NextGen Native platform to bring  NextGen Natives together in person. If this interests you, let me know by leaving a comment here, or on Facebook/Twitter, etc.] Jose Acevedo connects with all kinds of people through his podcast Finding Arizona. He also connects with people through the business he created, War Cry Warrior. And that does not include his day job as a landscape architect. Jose’s ability to connect with people has roots with who he is as a person. Jose is Hopi and Puerto Rican. He lived in Pennsylvania until he was 12 and moved back to Hopi at a critical juncture in his development. He went from a place where there were all kinds of people to a place where there were far fewer kinds of people, and fewer people generally. And while he had a diverse background, no group knew quite what to make of him. Ever since he was 12 he has been building those relationships with people and learning how to do so with a wide array of people. He’s also been reconciling who he is through his personal experience, too. This conversation did not follow the usual journey of someone’s life because it involved life tangents and going down various rabbit holes. It all flows well, and is a great conversation, but we cover more than just Jose’s personal journey. ### Subscribe to NextGen Native iTunes Stitcher Google Play ### We also discuss: Why Jose started his business. The genesis of his podcast, and the impact it’s had on him. Why we both enjoy the UFC and diving deeper into the stories of martial artists. Our experience building relationships with guests on our podcasts. Why it’s important to make mistakes, even when interviewing Ambassadors.

“Give yourself six months and do the one thing that absolutely terrifies you.” Sooner Davenport’s official bio Sooner Davenport is Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Kiowa and Navajo. She was born in Shiprock, New Mexico and currently lives in the Oklahoma City area. She graduated with her Bachelor's from Oklahoma City University and pursued  graduate studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth's Master of Tribal Administration and Governance program. Davenport is a passionate advocate for quality education, child welfare, multiculturalism and sensible economic policies. In 2014, Davenport was selected to the prestigious Native American Political Leadership Program in Washington DC. It was there that she served as a policy assistant for the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education. She returned from this experience at the US Department of Education determined to continue policy work in Oklahoma. Her work with tribal governments includes the areas of taxation, economic development, oil & gas, renewable energy and government accountability. She has also completed an internship for the Oklahoma Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Currently, she works in the non-profit sector building public awareness around the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault in communities throughout Oklahoma. She is involved in many projects and organizations, the latest of her endeavors is her campaign for the Oklahoma House of Representatives in District 43.    In this episode we discuss: How Sooner got her name Running cross-country in college Sooner’s ability to make tough decisions The importance of self-awreness “Following your passion” vs. being passionate about a job Native American Political Leadership Program Sooner’s healing journey and how she works to help others along their journey Sooner’s involvement in various non-profits, and Native Max Magazine Her candidacy for Oklahoma State House District 43 Subscribe to NextGen Native iTunes Stitcher Google Play  

“Our voices will not be centered unless we fight for Native voices to be heard.” Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee) will begin a position at Brown University this fall as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the American Studies Department. She also is the author of Native Appropriations, her website that “is a forum for discussing representations of Native peoples including stereotypes, cultural appropriations, news, activism and more.” Each of these accomplishments alone is impressive. The fact that Keene accomplished both in recent years is pretty amazing. I was excited to have Keene on NextGen Native. Given her experience in academia, and her blog often being the first insight many have into Native cultures, she has a unique position in Indian Country. Most of you probably know her work, but I was excited to learn more about Keene as an individual and her personal journey. Keene grew up in Southern California. During the summers, her family would make trips back to visit the Cherokee Nation. It was in high school where she first experienced interactions with people based on their perceptions of what a Native person should be, and not what Native people are. After acceptance into Stanford University, people questioned whether she “deserved” admission into the school or whether she was accepted because of her tribal citizenship. She dove into academics and the Native community once on campus. Keene thought she was heading towards work in a museum, but she gradually realized that her interests were skewing towards ethnic studies and education. After graduating, she spent some time working in academic admissions. This is where Keene really found her inspiration for her next step. While working in admissions, Adrienne Keene decided she wanted to pursue her Ph.D in education. She realized while traveling through Indian Country there was a lack of data and information about Native Americans in the education system. She enrolled at Harvard and began her research. It was during a shopping trip that Keene’s second project presented itself to her. It was in a store that she realized she needed to create Native Appropriations. A trip to Urban Outfitters “inspired” Keene’s first blog post. That was in 2010. That’s a long time in Internet time. She’s built a great following, forced difficult conversations, and provided a voice for Native peoples across the country around an issue that began to find its focus around the same time. I’ve constantly wondered how she keeps the energy to write on the topics she covers through Native Appropriations. But in the course of our conversation I realized that her experience is what many of us experience on a regular basis! She endures it through the magnifying lens of the Internet. But she’s not alone in her experience. Keene recently completed her Ph.D and is beginning her new post later this year. What’s kind of cool is to hear how her blog and her academic work have merged in certain areas, and how the blog will evolve in the future. No blog post will do this conversation, or Keene’s experience, justice. So, I’m going to to finish by saying you need to listen.   A few resources discussed in this episode:   College Horizons Op-Ed Project Overcoming impostor syndrome Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Graduate Horizons Tricks for fancy dinner etiquette Carina Miller on NextGen Native Natives in America

Carina Miller on success: “Why are we accepting that [success] is not something that is part of an Indian identity?” Carina Miller's Leadership  Carina Miller has a unique skill set. She is committed to making her community a better place. She has the drive and persistence to see tough projects/times/conversations through. And, perhaps most importantly, her communication skills are excellent. The communication piece helps her explain her ideas and goals to others, even in difficult meetings, in a way that shows both respect for the individual, with conviction for her beliefs and values. The Plateau and the Big River Carina is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. She recently ran for tribal council, and was elected. I do not typically have many members of councils on the show because I think it is important to showcase those that serve and contribute to our communities in other ways, too. (note: this is not saying councils do not do so) But Carina’s campaign caught my eye on social media. Specifically, Carina’s reasons for running for tribal council. I even shared one of her Facebook posts last year on the NextGen Native page because of how moved I was by her thoughts. So she ran for council, and she won. Seeing a young woman elected to council was awesome! But it wasn’t always easy. Carina discusses the different, difficult conversations she engaged during the campaign. One of the common refrains (listen to the episode for more background) was that she was “too white” for council. The most disturbing part was not the statement itself but what really lay below the statement. Carina dug, and people acknowledged that it was that she had been successful in her ventures that they believed to be non-Native.   I really hope that we can find our own versions of success, that we do not shun it for fear of it being something other than Native. Carina is working on that in her community. We need more people like Carina. We go deep on a variety of issues around being Native, striving for success, and working to make positive change in our communities. It’s a conversation that is worth listening to multiple times. For all the details, listen to the episode. You can also listen on: iTunes Stitcher  

Jaclyn Roessel “You need to savor, truly savor the life that you built for yourself...it’s the worst thing to have a beautiful life and not be able to appreciate it.” Jaclyn Roessel is Navajo. She grew up on the Navajo Nation and attended Arizona State University. She is the Education and Public Programs Director for the Heard Museum. She also writes the blog Grown Up Navajo, hosts a podcast called Schmooze: Lady Connected and Presence 4.0. As you can tell, Jaclyn is very busy. But she does it all because she has a passion for creativity and for creating and supporting positivity in Indian Country. Jaclyn’s energy is infectious and her story is not one to miss. In this episode we discuss: Jaclyn’s support as a child from parents and grandparents that fostered her creativity. How that support helped Jaclyn become a doer. How Jaclyn’s decision to attend ASU positioned her to work for the Heard Museum. Managing the temptation to ask “what if?” on past decisions or events. Taking care of yourself, especially if you want to take care of others. Growing personally so you can continue to provide for others as their needs grow and change. How an unpaid internship at the Heard Museum evolved into full time work. How/why we both read “self-help” type books. Float tanks Meditation/mindfulness Why Jaclyn embraces her nickname “Glamhippy” How Jaclyn became a museum curator by responding to a call for ideas, which eventually became Confluence: Inter-generational Collaborations Jaclyn’s preference for the term “challenges” instead of “problems” when discussing different issues in Indian Country. The inspiration for Grown Up Navajo. Jaclyn’s challenge to other NextGen Natives: 1) write a love letter to someone, anyone 2) think about ways we can be content creators. For all the details, listen to the episode. You can also listen on: iTunes Stitcher

On this episode, I share some of these updates with a segment I call “NextGen Natives in the News.” This is a mini roundup of things I’ve come across recently that I think is worth sharing with NextGen Natives. NextGen Native has been around about a year and a half. In that time, we’ve heard stories from many amazing people in Indian Country. The fun part about building this network of NextGen Natives is to see the amazing things that previous guests continue to do, and learn about cool things that others are doing who are good candidates to get on the show. Jared Yazzie Jared Yazzie created OXDX clothing. Recently he was featured on a story by KJZZ radio station in Phoenix. The story discussed the growth of Native fashion generally and Yazzie’s work specifically. It includes both audio and print. Jessica Metcalfe & Beyond Buckskin Another leader of the fashion movement in Indian Country is making waves. Jessica Metcalfe, founder of BeyondBuckskin, the online fashion boutique and blog is opening a retail storefront in Belcourt, ND. The store will also include space for artists. The grand opening is May 7. This is so cool! Lawyers in the News Nikke Alex is a third-year law student at the University of New Mexico. She will graduate this Spring. Earlier this week, Nikke shared that she is receiving an award from the school during graduation. It’s great to see that someone that balanced her academics, work, personal projects, and more is being recognized for her accomplishments. Congratulations, Nikke! The other legal news is from someone I have not met, but their awesome news  is worth sharing. Kamaile Turcan is Hawaiian and is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Beginning this Summer, she will begin her term as a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. This is huge! Supreme Court clerks often play a significant role in  first drafts of the decisions rendered by the court, or at least informing their judge’s thinking on key issues. It’s a great achievement for Turcan and a cool opportunity for the court to be exposed directly to someone with Native ancestry. Heading to GON? Consider Rezilience Event This weekend, ABQ is the place to be. If you’re attending Gathering of Nations be sure to check out the art event Rezilience. The event is being organized by, among others, Warren Montoya I believe. Warren held a similar event last year and this one seems to be bigger.

Kraynal Alfred is Navajo. Originally from Tuba City, she moved around as a child. She spent time both in Oakland, CA and Atlanta, GA. Eventually she attended Georgia State University. She’s worked for the National Congress of American Indians, National Indian Health Board, the Speaker of the Navajo Nation, and currently at the Native American Political Leadership Program. Kraynal has been able to utilize several program to facilitate her educational and professional development. Those programs have taken her to Yale for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, the Kennedy School of Government in Boston, and soon to Tucson for her Ph.D  at the University of Arizona. As a recipient of various programs, Kraynal now gets to give back. Kraynal has been able to develop the Native American Political Leadership Program. The program recently launched the Richard M. Milanovich Fellowship. The fellowship is named after the former long-time Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. To learn more about the fellowship, listen to the article and check out the website (below). In this episode we discuss: What it’s like to move around as a kid. Finding programs to attend, and the impact of those programs on your life. Kraynal’s research interests. How Kraynal TWICE bought one way tickets to a new city without a job and landed on her feet. (Listen to find out how she did this) Moving back home to the reservation. Resources: The Native American Political Leadership Program: The Richard M. Milanovich Fellowship: The INSPIRE Pre-College Program: For all the details, listen to the episode. You can also listen on: iTunes Stitcher What did you think of this episode format? Do you like the mix up to hear about these topics in addition to the regular interview  based episodes? Let me know by leaving a comment. As always, you can find NextGen Native on Facebook and Twitter.  

A change up to the normal show, here we share three different resources or ideas that have impacted me recently: Investing for retirement-the impact of compound interest A quote I'm pondering about decision making. Cold showers. Links and resources: Investment Philosophy Magic of compound interest Stress Test Vice documentary on Wim Hoff Conversation with Victor Rocha

“I wanted to inspire [my sister] to carry on our traditions through any kind of art.”--Cynthia Begay The Origins of Hopi Girl Silver Cynthia Begay is Hopi and the brains and talent behind Hopi Girl Silver. Check out her amazing work at www.hopigirlsilver.com. Cynthia grew up in Bakersfield, CA. During the summers, she would spend time with her family back home. There she watched family members that were silversmiths. When she went to college she would ask “which family member made that for you?”  Only to realize that not everyone can get their jewelry from their family members. She was determined to work with silver, but thought she would do it when she retired and could move to the rez. She is currently in a Master’s program in health (epidemiology research) and plans to pursue her Ph.D. In this episode we discuss:  Her solo trips to the rez and the experience of Urban natives trying to engage back home. Why college was never a question for Cynthia. How seeing health disparities inspired her to pursue a degree in health care to impact her community. How she connected to Native American Research Center for Health. Four Directions Summer Research Program at Harvard. How health research connects directly to community impact. How epidemiology (sort of) relates to the zombie apocalypse. How something as simple as “the definition of Indian” in policy conversations is more complex than one may think. Imposter syndrome and how to battle it. How fellow NextGen Native Jared Yazzie helped encourage her to start her business. The importance of social media for growing her business. Trickster Company. How Cynthia balances work, study, and Hopi Girl Silver. Cynthia’s passion for travel. Shout outs to Beyond Buckskin, Eighth Generation (both NGN interviewees). For all the details, listen to the episode. You can also listen on: iTunes Stitcher