What draws you to your work with tribal and Native communities? What’s exciting about it? What's fulfilling?
Working with Tribes and Native communities is close to my heart. As a Haida and Tlingit woman, I know how essential it is that attention and resources are directed to Native communities, and that our sovereign Tribal governments are respected.
I love the mission and complexity of my work. As the Tribal liaison for Colorado’s health department, I have had the opportunity to be a part of really exciting collaborations, and to encourage meaningful partnerships with Tribes. There are certainly days where the magnitude of what needs to be done to achieve health equity can be overwhelming. But I also derive a lot of joy from every success.
During the heart of the pandemic, Tribes and Native-serving organizations really showed proactive leadership. They took protecting their communities extremely seriously, and it was an honor to be in a position to partner with them and to help bridge the gap with state systems.
I also just love educating folks about Tribal sovereignty, and helping those who work in government appreciate the deep and wide implications it has for tribal partnerships. Tribal sovereignty is foundational, not just to modern Tribal governments, but to the literal creation of America (it's in the Constitution). And yet a lot of people outside of Native communities know little about it. It's satisfying to implement Tribal sovereignty-affirming practices and to support stronger, healthier relationships between the state and Tribes.
How did your career unfold?
I started out working for Native-serving nonprofits, and they still hold a big piece of my heart. There are skills learned in direct-service roles that are hard to develop anywhere else, and Native nonprofits do an incredible amount of work for Native communities in this country. Seriously, support the Native-serving nonprofits in your area as well as national Native organizations (run, don’t walk)!
Over time, I became really interested in the systems we always seemed to be butting up against. And I was fortunate to find others who were working to make those systems more responsive, more equitable, and more functional for communities. Working in our state’s Office of Health Equity has given me a great vantage and position to work from, and I have often been blown away by how impactful system fixes can be.
What brought you to Bowdoin? What was your experience at the College like?
I came to Bowdoin with little understanding of the East Coast or private colleges, so it sometimes felt like a culture shock to me. And I was not prepared for the Maine winter! But I learned a lot from some really great professors (shout out to Professor Uran) and had meaningful support in designing my own major. I also got early experience in organizing working with Alivia Moore ’09 in establishing the Native American Students Association. I lived in Mac House and definitely didn't get enough sleep.
What inspires you?
My two little girls inspire me every day. They are passionate, smart, bright lights. And I want to do my part to build a world that honors that light instead of dimming it.
Is there something about the work you do that others would find surprising?
I don't know that a lot of folks outside of the tribal relations field have a strong sense of the work. It really is part diplomacy, part teaching/training, part systems and policy work. It's definitely dynamic.
Is there something about YOU that others might find surprising?
Probably no one who knows me would find this surprising, because I talk about it a lot, but I love hot springs. Sitting in big tubs of geothermal water is basically the only thing I ever want to do. I think there should be an option to conduct basically all of life from a hot spring tub.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I pretty much just enjoy hanging with my husband and kids and growing tomatoes. We do grow other things in our garden, but I'm mostly in it for the tomatoes.
Favorite Bowdoin memory? Or the best thing you learned at Bowdoin?
The friendships! Definitely the friendships with some really wonderful, smart, and compassionate people (who at least in their twenties had a healthy appreciation for pranks and late-night snacks at the dining hall). Building and rebuilding community is definitely a skill, and I look back so fondly on how we supported each other through that back then.
This story first appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Bowdoin Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the Bowdoin Magazine website.
