Servant Leadership Makes All the Difference

The essence of traditional Native leadership is servant leadership. This is why so many of our leaders from previous generations were able to protect our people and to carry on our amazing traditions, values and ceremonies. Robert Greenleaf who wrote the book on The Power of Servant Leadership defines it as : “Servant leadership is…

Learn to celebrate those who are different

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the American for Disability Act. This was a landmark legislation which put access and fair treatment for those with disabilities as a high priority for the workplace and in society. With an estimated 22 percent disability prevalence rate, according to national data, American Indian and Alaskan Natives have…

Dealing with conflicts of interest

There has been a lot of attention to this issue recently with the news surrounding the Clinton foundation. The main issue there has been been the appearance of a conflict of interest. This is an example where you may be doing everything right legally but there are still concerns because of who has access to…

Value the Wisdom of your Elders

Age discrimination is another area that is addressed by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Many Tribal organizations have a significant number of elderly in their workforce. This in and of itself does not mean they are always treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. There is discrimination in terms of hiring, getting promotions and…

Sexism in the Tribal Office

Sex discrimination is also covered in the Civil Rights Act. It is alive and well in Tribal organizations. While it affects women the most, men and the LGBTQ community can also be impacted. Sexism is more complicated, covert and more common than most people think. Some examples are inappropriate jokes or comments, pet names like…