I was honored to have United Indians Board Chairperson, Marty Blue Water, give me thanksgiving, on behalf of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) for my service to UIATF, as CEO of UIATF, 2006-2009, at the 2009 United Indian's Sea Fair Pow Wow.
It was the toughest and most challenging work of my life, but when I left, UIATF was out of debt with an annual operating budget of more than $7 million and a staff of almost 100.
As CEO, every meeting, as is our cultural protocol, all UIATF meetings began with a prayer. When I left, this cultural protocol ended.
During my tenure as CEO, all decisions were made by a Five Member Executive Team. I pledged to our Executive Team if the majority had a different perspective than mine, after full, frank, and loving consultation, I would always support the majority decision.
In this way, in unity, we could better identify where we may need to revise our decision. This can not happen in disunity and adversarial partisan politics.
Of course, I got blamed or thanked for whatever decision was ultimately made. At that time, team decision-making was not understood, as it may not still be understood today,
I was also honored, at this time, to lead in the Grand Entry of our Annual UIATF Seafair Pow Wow.
My family and I returned to Canada shortly after to White Rock, BC, to the unsurrendered, unceded territories of the Semiahmoo First Nation, Salish Nation, where we live until today.
Of course, no one could ever duplicate the dedication, brilliance, unifying energy, and vision of our brother of Bernie White Bear, who was my mentor and the mentor of many others!
I had previously worked for brother Bernie from 1973 -1979 as UIATF Planning and Program Development Director for the Day Break Star Building and Programs.
Once our Education programs for Adult Education, our 100 Family Program, and our Technical Assistance Center for Native Education for Northwest Tribes, I worked as UIATF Education Director and Assistant Director of the overall Foundation.
I am very thankful for the more than 10 years of my life that I dedicated to the Vision of Bernie Whitebear, United Indians, and the Daybreak Star Center, which was built directly on Black Elk's Vision,
"Then as I stood there, two men were coming from the east, head first like arrows flying, and between them rose the daybreak star. They came and gave an herb to me and said: "With this on earth, you shall undertake anything and do it."
The Daybreak-Star Herb was the Herb of Understanding, and they told me to drop it on the earth. I saw it falling far, and when it struck Mother Earth, it rooted and grew and flowered, four blossoms on one stem, a black, a white, a scarlet, and a yellow. The rays from these streamed upward to the heavens so that all creatures saw it and in no place was there darkness.”
