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Finding Common Ground: Key to Resolving Conflict
So today two Senators from opposing parties found common ground and they came up with a way to have an FBI investigation into the Supreme Court Nominee Judge Kavanaugh. This was a major breakthrough and up to now it did not look like this was a likely outcome. It does not guarantee the right decision…
Read MoreLatest Threat to Tribal Sovereignty
In regards to the current controversy regarding the Supreme Court Nominee, I have no comment on the hearing tomorrow except to say that where there is smoke there is fire. And in this case, you have a forest fire that is larger than any we saw last summer. I do have other reasons to vote…
Read MoreTribal Leadership in Turbulent Times
I am a history buff and I enjoy reading about our history and the country as well. Doris Kearns has a new book out called “Leadership in Turbulent Times.” Given that we are in the middle of the election season for a number of Tribal leaders as well as the country as a whole, I…
Read MoreSelf Discipline: The Key to Success
My new sports hero is Eliud Kipchoge. Eliud is a runner from a small village in Kenya which is renowned for its long distance runners. On Sunday, he broke the world record for the Berlin Marathon by 78 seconds which is unheard of. His wins include 7 of the last 8 marathons he has ran…
Read MoreHow to Have an Effective Meeting
Tribal councils, commissions and other groups that meet within a Tribal work environment often complain about how topics are covered over and over again and there is no resolution or action taken. In some cases, even a year later, an agenda item may still be brought up because no action has been taken and it…
Read MoreUse love not fear to motivate your employees
Today marks the anniversary of 9/11. We all remember where we were on that memorable day. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who survived and were impacted by this event. One of the consequences of 9/11 is that it triggered fear among the population. Among other things it was a primary factor…
Read MoreLateral violence against Native women
I am sure many of you are aware of Deb Haaland is a Pueblo woman running for Congress in New Mexico. Her opponent has accused her of not being Indian because she was lives off the reservation. This is one of the many myths that are out there regarding our people and only shows the…
Read MoreTreat Tribal Workers with respect and dignity they deserve
Let us be grateful that we have a job today. So many of our Tribal brothers and sisters either do not have a job or they are part of the working poor who struggle to make ends meet. We have far too many Tribal communities that have unbelievable unemployment rates that exceed 50% and some…
Read MoreDo your best
Do your best is one of the Four Agreements which I absolutely love as you know if you follow my writings. And of course it speaks to continuous quality improvement. As I watched part of Aretha Franklin’s funeral or rather it was more of a celebration of her life I am reminded that she always…
Read MorePrincipled leadership by Senator John McCain
This weekend we lost an american hero, Senator John McCain from Arizona. I don’t care what side of the aisle you are on or if you are in the middle you have to be a fan of the legacy of Senator McCain. One of things he was known for was being a maverick. He was…
Read MoreComing home: The Hunka Ceremony
All Tribes have their version of the making of a relative ceremony which we call the Hunka ceremony. The picture above is of Kyrie Irving, the NBA basketball star, and his sister, who were adopted into the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Mr. Irving was given the name Little Mountain and his sister, Buffalo Woman. In…
Read MoreA return to traditional values
So the other day I wrote about the book by William Hensley called Fifty Miles from Tommorrow about his journey as a trailblazer activist for Alaska Native sovereignty. I listed all his many accomplishments which were very impressive. One that I did not list was his coming up with the idea to have a spirit…
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