My primary career was in continuing education and international management consulting in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.
But early in my life, I worked on the Onondaga Indian reservation outside Syracuse, New York and became very interested in the Native American experience. I always hoped that I would become involved in working with individual Indians and tribes and, in 2002, I joined Spirit of the Sun, a nonprofit dedicated to improving tribal economies and native communities.
Our purpose as an organization is to create linkages on reservations and in Native American communities that will enhance the quality of life for Indian elders, as well as enabling Indian youth to come from reservations to the cities in a transition that allows them to do well financially, while maintaining tribal connections and roots. On the reservations, our programs for elders are staffed using Native American youth and VISTA volunteers who work on quality of life projects defined by the tribes. Our 12 volunteers across the U.S. in various Indian nations live with the tribes. This number will increase to 20 by the end of 2015. Among the projects are training high school grads on the Wind River Reservation to go out with medical teams and work on issues of addiction and methamphetamine use.
We are also developing a study that will underscore the economic impact of Native Americans in urban situations so more visibility can be given to their contributions. We are creating an entrepreneurship program that gets young people ready to launch careers in a variety of areas, and an institute for young natives to develop leadership skills without losing their identity and the spirituality of their heritage.
What drew me to this work was a passion to right wrongs committed in the past, and more importantly, to create a future for Native Americans defined largely by them and their desire not to be constrained by past horrors. There is a huge amount of work to be done, and I wanted to be part of that. By helping with fundraising and program development, my hope is to help Spirit of the Sun become self-sustaining.
By changing the “retirement” scenarios of the boomer generation and those coming next, and giving visibility to alternative futures that many experienced adults are engaged in, I hope others will be inspired to engage in life-long growth with positive societal impacts. There is clearly a large social need to encourage seniors who are in transitions in their lives to find a new way forward.
It’s good for them and great for the country!