Oregon LEAD Program
LEAD Host Organization: NAYA
LEAD Host Organization: NAYA
For the 2010 LEAD program year, First Nations selected the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) in Portland, Oregon to serve as the Native nonprofit host organization for LEAD. NAYA works to enrich the lives of our Native youth and families through education, community involvement, and culturally specific programming. NAYA has provided educational services, cultural arts programming, and direct support to reduce poverty to the Portland Metropolitan Area’s American Indian and Alaska Native Community for over 30 years. NAYA is a host organization for a cohort of eight emerging Native professionals for the 2009-2010 program year. These emerging leaders will benefit from mentorship and leadership training.
2008 Portland LEAD Graduates and NAYA executive director,Nichole Maher, proudly
display their LEAD certificates and handmade Ute Mountain Ute pottery canteens
following their graduation ceremony in Portland in November of 2008.
display their LEAD certificates and handmade Ute Mountain Ute pottery canteens
following their graduation ceremony in Portland in November of 2008.
2009-2010 Oregon LEAD Fellows Profiles
Fannie Black
Tribal Affiliation: Yup’ik
Support Team Leader, National Indian Child Welfare (NICWA)
I define leadership as being able to lead people who will follow you because they trust your judgment and ability, not because it’s part of their job description. A good leader will not only set clear standards and expectations but will follow them.
While attending Portland State University (PSU), I participated in student government in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society PSU Chapter holding various offices, including co-president. I realized the value of leadership; it was not only about excelling for me or my family, but for the surrounding Native community. During that time I received the Alaska Federation of Natives Roger Lang Youth Leadership Award.
While attending Portland State University (PSU), I participated in student government in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society PSU Chapter holding various offices, including co-president. I realized the value of leadership; it was not only about excelling for me or my family, but for the surrounding Native community. During that time I received the Alaska Federation of Natives Roger Lang Youth Leadership Award.
Being at NICWA has helped me to realize the importance of my personal mission and to build upon it. Being a leader is more than just your job title, but a way of being. The best way for me to serve the Native community was by maximizing my capacity as a Native leader. I realized my personal vision, that all Native communities and organizations need to have leaders who not only understand the culture and the people, but have the leadership skills needed to empower and support the community or organization they serve.
Bekah Foster
Tribal Affiliation: Apache
Youth Advocate, Youth Services, Native American Youth & Family Center
I am a person of mixed heritage. My mother is Latino and Apache. My father is Euro-American. This could be cause for confusion as a child. I have chosen to celebrate my mixture; to use it as a tool. I am free to blend worlds and naturally adept at building bridges.
Growing up in small towns in rural America has shaped my world-view. I moved around the country as a child. Most of my years were in Oregon, with a few years in Wisconsin, a year in Arizona, two years in Washington, and a year in California. I learned to adapt. I also learned to communicate with many different people from different cultures. Home became a mysterious idea that I clung to and was synonymous with Oregon.
I grew up like so many Native youth: disconnected from my cultural heritage. I grew up in poverty, with a single mom, five brothers and sisters, and a lot of struggle. I took a hard path as an adolescent. As the anger of growing up with the difficulties that many in our community face wore off, I made a decision to make a change with my life. I committed to bettering myself and doing all I could to help at-risk youth find their own footing and make positive decisions for their futures. This is what I am blessed to do everyday at the NAYA Family Center. Wherever my career path takes me, I won’t stray from this commitment to my community.
Jefferson Greene
Tribal Affiliation: Paiute, Nez Perce, Warm Springs, Wasco
Tribal Government Affairs Assistant, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Tribal Affiliation: Paiute, Nez Perce, Warm Springs, Wasco
Tribal Government Affairs Assistant, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Jefferson Greene is from Warm Springs, OR and graduated from high school in 2002. He immediately attended Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) where he co-founded the Chako Kumtux student group and co-coordinated a Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) chapter a year later.
Greene transferred to Portland State University (PSU) in 2004 and graduated with a B.S. in Business, Marketing & Advertising in 2008.
While there he served as a co-coordinator for the United Indian Students in Higher Education (UISHE) in 2007. Greene has since served as a Chairman for the 33rd Annual Northwest Indian Youth Conference, coordinated 3 Neighborhood Beautification Projects and the Central Oregon Recycling Project (CORP), started two small businesses, successfully participated and completed numerous Community Leadership and Organizing trainings and projects, and was appointed to both the Warm Springs Composite Products Board of Directors and to the Board of Advisers for the Central Oregon 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and Poverty. Jefferson Greene has worked for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) since 2006 working in the Government Affairs Branch.
Micah Johnson
Tribal Affiliation: Confederated tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Recreational Program Coordinator, Youth Services, Native American Youth & Family Center
Tribal Affiliation: Confederated tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Recreational Program Coordinator, Youth Services, Native American Youth & Family Center
I am a 30 year member of the Confederated tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. I have lived in Portland, OR for the past ten years and on the Umatilla Indian Reservation for the first 18 years of my life. Sports are what really connected my family from my parents to my brother, my sister and me–from playing, coaching, and attending games.
I went to school in Pendleton which was seven miles from the reservation because the tribe did not have a school system at that time. During high school, sports continued to be very important to me as I competed in basketball and baseball. After high school I moved to Salem, OR to live close to my brother and other family members and attend Chemeketa Community College to play baseball. After two years in Salem, I moved to Portland and attended Portland State University where I received a BA in Sociology. Currently I am the Recreational Program Coordinator at NAYA Family Center. Activities include seasonal sports teams, including, basketball, volleyball, soccer teams, and sport clinics. All activities emphasize healthy lifestyles, leadership, and environmentalism. Family and friends are very important to me and I spend my free time with my three kids Marley (8 yrs. old), Brave (2 yrs. old) Attucks (4 months) and wife Julie.
Christine Patterson
Tribal Affiliation: Muscogee Creek
Social Service Specialist, Oregon Department of Human Services, ICWA Unit
Tribal Affiliation: Muscogee Creek
Social Service Specialist, Oregon Department of Human Services, ICWA Unit
I am Muscogee Creek and over the years I have learned how my family was impacted by assimilation. Throughout my experience and education, I have found that Native Americans are over represented in the social service system because of many family histories like my own. I have been working for the ICWA Unit through the Department of Human Services since 2007, to provide culturally relevant services for children, adults and families. I provide daily case management to high risk children and low-income families involved in the child welfare system. I have worked with a number of tribal organizations, tribes, and families. Working with culturally diverse groups is highly valuable and important.
I have found that although American Indians and other culturally diverse groups are over represented in social service systems, they are often overlooked with few adequate services. It is important for dedicated, educated, and culturally aware individuals to participate in these programs. Preserving and strengthening culture helps individuals find a voice and empowers them to take the necessary steps for change.
My goal is to learn the skills necessary to run a nonprofit organization and continue supporting the Native community.
I have found that although American Indians and other culturally diverse groups are over represented in social service systems, they are often overlooked with few adequate services. It is important for dedicated, educated, and culturally aware individuals to participate in these programs. Preserving and strengthening culture helps individuals find a voice and empowers them to take the necessary steps for change.
My goal is to learn the skills necessary to run a nonprofit organization and continue supporting the Native community.
I attended a BA in Psychology from Fort Lewis College and received an MA in Psychology at the University of Denver.
Lauren Patterson
Tribal Affiliation: Muscogee Creek Nation, Alligator Clan
Youth Mental Health Specialist, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Tribal Affiliation: Muscogee Creek Nation, Alligator Clan
Youth Mental Health Specialist, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
I received a Bachelors degree from Fort Lewis College in Psychology and a Masters degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. I feel that the education that I have received has opened up doors in my life that could not have been opened otherwise. Throughout my education I have gathered much valuable knowledge included but not limited to theories of human development and behavior, how to promote community coalition building and change, how to work with culturally diverse populations, what motivates people to make changes in their lives, how to create and identify functional and dysfunctional systems in organizations, and how to meet people’s and community’s needs.
One of my strengths is to work with people to identify their strengths and set goals that will empower them to make different choices and live a healthy life with dignity. Another strength I hold is to be able to effectively communicate and interact as a team member. The youth and families that I have worked with have taught me many lessons about humility, compassion, and healthy relationships. I have managed and supervised children and program staff at Christie Care’s Cedar Bough Program, a culturally specific psychiatric residential program for American Indian and Alaskan Native youth.
My elders have taught me “A gift comes with responsibility. It is what you do with that gift that matters.”
One of my strengths is to work with people to identify their strengths and set goals that will empower them to make different choices and live a healthy life with dignity. Another strength I hold is to be able to effectively communicate and interact as a team member. The youth and families that I have worked with have taught me many lessons about humility, compassion, and healthy relationships. I have managed and supervised children and program staff at Christie Care’s Cedar Bough Program, a culturally specific psychiatric residential program for American Indian and Alaskan Native youth.
My elders have taught me “A gift comes with responsibility. It is what you do with that gift that matters.”
John Walker
Tribal Affiliation: Colville/Okanagan
Community Reception Coordinator, Native American Youth & Family Center
My name is John Walker. My birthplace is Penticton BC, Canada and I am a registered Colville Tribal Member. I am the grandson of the late Jack Alec, chief of the Okanagan Tribe for seventeen years.
I’ve lived in Portland for most of my 46 years, and have seen many significant changes in the strategies and competencies in communities of color and how they seek to alleviate poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of advocacy for their members. I have worked at the Native American Youth and Family Center for nearly five years, from our days at the location on Mississippi Avenue to our newest home on ancestral lands of the Multnomah Chinook.
I’m proud to work for an organization that approaches poverty reduction from a two-pronged approach. On one hand, we realize that there will always be a need for “triage” services – emergency food, shelter, rent/utility subsidies, domestic violence advocacy, etc. But our efforts seek to shift the focus, and thus the life circumstances, of our clients and families to that of “wealth” creation – with wealth being (in part) defined by the access to unlimited opportunities for home-ownership, small business-ownership, and other forms of financial and cultural self-determination.
My work at the NAYA Family Center allows me to honor the memories of my ancestors, working in partnership with my community to help ensure that resources are equitably distributed so that the entire community thrives.
I’ve lived in Portland for most of my 46 years, and have seen many significant changes in the strategies and competencies in communities of color and how they seek to alleviate poverty, illiteracy, and a lack of advocacy for their members. I have worked at the Native American Youth and Family Center for nearly five years, from our days at the location on Mississippi Avenue to our newest home on ancestral lands of the Multnomah Chinook.
I’m proud to work for an organization that approaches poverty reduction from a two-pronged approach. On one hand, we realize that there will always be a need for “triage” services – emergency food, shelter, rent/utility subsidies, domestic violence advocacy, etc. But our efforts seek to shift the focus, and thus the life circumstances, of our clients and families to that of “wealth” creation – with wealth being (in part) defined by the access to unlimited opportunities for home-ownership, small business-ownership, and other forms of financial and cultural self-determination.
My work at the NAYA Family Center allows me to honor the memories of my ancestors, working in partnership with my community to help ensure that resources are equitably distributed so that the entire community thrives.
2008-2009 Oregon LEAD Graduate Profiles
Sherry Addis
Sherry Addis is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) in Oregon. She is the Portland Area Office Supervisor for the CTSI, which provides services to enrolled members throughout three Oregon counties. In November of 1977 the Confederated Tribes of Siletz was the second tribe in the U.S. and the first in Oregon to be restored to federal recognition. The Portland Area office is owned by CTSI and operated by the Siletz Tribal Business Corp.
Sherry Addis is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) in Oregon. She is the Portland Area Office Supervisor for the CTSI, which provides services to enrolled members throughout three Oregon counties. In November of 1977 the Confederated Tribes of Siletz was the second tribe in the U.S. and the first in Oregon to be restored to federal recognition. The Portland Area office is owned by CTSI and operated by the Siletz Tribal Business Corp.
Tana L. Atchley
Tana Atchley is Modoc/Paiute and grew up in Sprague River, a very small unincorporated town on the former Klamath Indian Reservation in Southern Oregon. She grew up on the same street as her Great-Grandmother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Tana graduated from Chiloquin High School, which was about 30 miles away from her house, and there were 28 people her graduating class. She is the oldest grandchild of twelve, and was the first person in her family to go to college. She received her BA in Journalism and Communication from the University of Oregon. She then began working in higher education, recruiting students of color to the UO and Oregon Institute of Technology. She went back to pursue her MA in College Student Services & Administration at Oregon State University. Tana was always active in student groups and organizations, serving as a board member for the Multicultural Center and as co-director of the Native American Student Union at UO, and as the External Coordinator of the Native American Longhouse at OSU. Since then, she has worked at Lewis & Clark College as the Assistant Director of Ethnic Student Services.
Currently, she works for Portland State University where she advises all of the multicultural and spiritual student groups on campus. Tana recently worked for the Klamath River Intertribal Fish & Water Commission as the Salmon Camp Coordinator where she spent two weeks with Native Youth from the Klamath, Karuk, Yurok and Hupa Nations. She is passionate about access to higher education for all students. She enjoys her work because of the opportunity to meet some truly amazing young people and watch them hone their leadership skills. She is honored to be a part of a movement of young people organizing to create positive change in our community and believes it is truly humbling to be walking in the footprints of the elders that laid the foundation.
Tana Atchley is Modoc/Paiute and grew up in Sprague River, a very small unincorporated town on the former Klamath Indian Reservation in Southern Oregon. She grew up on the same street as her Great-Grandmother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Tana graduated from Chiloquin High School, which was about 30 miles away from her house, and there were 28 people her graduating class. She is the oldest grandchild of twelve, and was the first person in her family to go to college. She received her BA in Journalism and Communication from the University of Oregon. She then began working in higher education, recruiting students of color to the UO and Oregon Institute of Technology. She went back to pursue her MA in College Student Services & Administration at Oregon State University. Tana was always active in student groups and organizations, serving as a board member for the Multicultural Center and as co-director of the Native American Student Union at UO, and as the External Coordinator of the Native American Longhouse at OSU. Since then, she has worked at Lewis & Clark College as the Assistant Director of Ethnic Student Services.
Currently, she works for Portland State University where she advises all of the multicultural and spiritual student groups on campus. Tana recently worked for the Klamath River Intertribal Fish & Water Commission as the Salmon Camp Coordinator where she spent two weeks with Native Youth from the Klamath, Karuk, Yurok and Hupa Nations. She is passionate about access to higher education for all students. She enjoys her work because of the opportunity to meet some truly amazing young people and watch them hone their leadership skills. She is honored to be a part of a movement of young people organizing to create positive change in our community and believes it is truly humbling to be walking in the footprints of the elders that laid the foundation.
Melissa Clyde
My name is Melissa Clyde. I am from Tohatchi, NM. I am of the Water Edge People, it is my maternal clan. I am born for the Under His Cover People, it is my paternal clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Towering House People and my paternal grandfather is of the Mountain Cove People.These clans make me the woman I am today. The roles and responsibilities of these clans shape the upbringing of my future children.
My name is Melissa Clyde. I am from Tohatchi, NM. I am of the Water Edge People, it is my maternal clan. I am born for the Under His Cover People, it is my paternal clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Towering House People and my paternal grandfather is of the Mountain Cove People.These clans make me the woman I am today. The roles and responsibilities of these clans shape the upbringing of my future children.
I received a Bachelor’s in Sociology with a minor in Political Science from the University of Arizona. At Washington University in St. Louis, MO I pursued and received a Master’s of Social Work.
Currently, I am the Senior Program Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA). My career as a national child welfare leader has begun to unfold at NICWA. Every day I am amazed about the impact NICWA has in all tribal communities nationally. I am grateful that I am apart of the movement to improve tribal communities. I am a social worker and I take the principles and values of this profession very seriously. My intent in tribal community development is one, to do no harm and secondly, to be respectful of each community’s way to define its own successes. I envision all tribal communities in the next twenty years to have the full capacity to serve children and families with adequate resources.
The change I hope to see in the future is for our children to learn their language, ceremonies, and teachings. I also envision children to be surrounded and protected by their parents, relatives, community, and tribe. In twenty years, I see American Indians and Alaska Natives healed from historical trauma, having the capacity to sustain programs philosophically and financially, and having strong leadership to support and make decisions that are community-driven. It is my hope for these three areas to be addressed in order for future generations to flourish in healthy tribal communities.
Patrick Eagle Staff
Patrick Eagle Staff is Mnicoujou Lakota, N. Arapaho and N. Cheyenne. He is the Human Resources Manager at the Native American Youth & Family Center. He received his BA in Interdisciplinary Environmental Science from the Oglala Lakota College. At South Dakota State University, Patrick received his Masters of Science in Counseling and Human Resource Development.
Patrick credits his father, who was a councilman for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and President of the Wounded Knee Survivors Association, for motivating, guiding and being a living example for him of integrity in service to the community.
Patrick believes his education in the development of personnel and college students has prepared him to meet the challenges of working in the nonprofit community and his work experience has given him two lessons that are necessary to thrive in non-profits. First, he understands the commitment and perseverance it takes to succeed in this field. Second, he realizes that his heart is in the work it takes in providing much needed services to the underrepresented populations in the urban Indian and tribal communities. Patrick plans to pursue his PhD in Public Administration.
Cori Mattew
Cori Matthew is the Director of Youth Services at the Native American Youth & Family Center. She is Salish, Blackfeet and Cree from Montana. Cori has a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Chapman University and received her Masters in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
She grew up on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and was the only one in her family to ever move off the Reservation. She is very proud of who she is and where she comes from. She is very family oriented and travels back to Montana about once a month.
As a young director she feels she continues to strive to build the youth services department to successfully serve our youth, their families and the Native Community. Through the LEAD Fellowship she hopes to be able to obtain valuable, hands on experience to becoming a better Native Leader in our community.
Tamra Russell
Tamra Russell is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. She is the Employment Program Manager at the Native American Youth & Family Center. Tamra’s father Joe, of Mexican ancestry, passed away in 1999 and was a very big influence in her life. Her father had a third grade education because he had to quit school and go to work to help support his 14 brother and sisters. Tamra credits her father for instilling a work ethic that she strives to pass on to her kids and to the community so they can grow, flourish and be secure. Her mother is Siletz Indian and died before she got to see their tribe restored and recognized in 1977. This has given Tamra a passion to help the Native community become stable and economically secure and have access to services that have not been available in the past.
Tamra earned her B.A. in Communications from Portland State University in 2005. She had the opportunity to participate in a 3 month internship at NAYA Family Center prior to receiving a position with the new Employment Program in August 2005. She credits her education along with the life experiences she has had to develop, and implement the Employment Program. Tamra is currently enrolled in Athabaskan language classes at her the CTSI Portland area office.
Edmund P. Sherman
Eddie is a member of the Navajo and Omaha Nations. He grew up in the small town of Kayenta, AZ, which is located on the Navajo Reservation. As a first generation college student, he graduated from the Colorado College with a Bachelors of Arts in International Political Economics. While at the Colorado College, he had the honor of being the first Native American student body president and served various roles in student politics.
As Events Coordinator/Special Projects Manager for the Colorado Indigenous Games Society, Eddie played a pivotal role in the 2006 North American Indigenous Games. Prior to coming to NICWA, Eddie was the Development Coordinator for the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, whose mission is to strengthen vulnerable American Indian children and families through collaborative and culturally responsive services.
Eddie also served as the former chair for the Mayor’s American Indian Advisory Council (Denver, CO), member of El Pomar Emerging Leadership Development Program’s Advisory Council, a member of the Denver Indian Center’s Board of Directors and recently completed the AIO American Indian Ambassador Program.
Eddie is a member of the Navajo and Omaha Nations. He grew up in the small town of Kayenta, AZ, which is located on the Navajo Reservation. As a first generation college student, he graduated from the Colorado College with a Bachelors of Arts in International Political Economics. While at the Colorado College, he had the honor of being the first Native American student body president and served various roles in student politics.
As Events Coordinator/Special Projects Manager for the Colorado Indigenous Games Society, Eddie played a pivotal role in the 2006 North American Indigenous Games. Prior to coming to NICWA, Eddie was the Development Coordinator for the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, whose mission is to strengthen vulnerable American Indian children and families through collaborative and culturally responsive services.
Eddie also served as the former chair for the Mayor’s American Indian Advisory Council (Denver, CO), member of El Pomar Emerging Leadership Development Program’s Advisory Council, a member of the Denver Indian Center’s Board of Directors and recently completed the AIO American Indian Ambassador Program.
Melissa Waggoner
My name is Melissa Waggoner. I am Navajo, Omaha, and Pawnee. Currently I am the Cultural Arts Coordinator at the Native American Youth & Family Center. I received my Bachelor degree in History and American Indian Studies at Brigham Young University in Utah.
As a woman raised in a Matriarchal tribe I have always been influenced by strong, powerful, female leaders. The women in my family have always been my example of Nizhoni Hozho(Beautiful Balance). They taught me to be determined and steadfast in my personal goals. They taught me that each person in our community has a specific role, which contributes to the greater good within society and within the clan; which means every person is critical in this circle. I have always known these things to be true for myself and as a result found my life’s purpose at an early age, which is serving the youth in my community.
Shimasani, my grandmother, worked very hard to gain a Nursing Degree, Bachelors degree in Education, and a Masters of Counseling; all while raising 8 children. She taught me the importance of education in every form, continual learning and growing, all within the context of Nizhoni Hozho. She was very spiritual and taught us the Dine path. She is a no nonsense type of woman but with a whimsical sense of humor. Shima, my mother, raised my siblings and I as a single mother. She juggled many jobs and community responsibilities, also while earning her Bachelors and Masters in Special Education. She always has a good attitude and displays the best sense of kindness, generosity, and love I have ever witnessed. These two women inspire me to be more than I thought possible. They encourage me in my pursuits. Remind me of my strengths, when I’m in doubt. They are my foundation and because of their strength and example I am the woman I am.
2007-2008 LEAD Graduate Profiles
My name is Melissa Waggoner. I am Navajo, Omaha, and Pawnee. Currently I am the Cultural Arts Coordinator at the Native American Youth & Family Center. I received my Bachelor degree in History and American Indian Studies at Brigham Young University in Utah.
As a woman raised in a Matriarchal tribe I have always been influenced by strong, powerful, female leaders. The women in my family have always been my example of Nizhoni Hozho(Beautiful Balance). They taught me to be determined and steadfast in my personal goals. They taught me that each person in our community has a specific role, which contributes to the greater good within society and within the clan; which means every person is critical in this circle. I have always known these things to be true for myself and as a result found my life’s purpose at an early age, which is serving the youth in my community.
Shimasani, my grandmother, worked very hard to gain a Nursing Degree, Bachelors degree in Education, and a Masters of Counseling; all while raising 8 children. She taught me the importance of education in every form, continual learning and growing, all within the context of Nizhoni Hozho. She was very spiritual and taught us the Dine path. She is a no nonsense type of woman but with a whimsical sense of humor. Shima, my mother, raised my siblings and I as a single mother. She juggled many jobs and community responsibilities, also while earning her Bachelors and Masters in Special Education. She always has a good attitude and displays the best sense of kindness, generosity, and love I have ever witnessed. These two women inspire me to be more than I thought possible. They encourage me in my pursuits. Remind me of my strengths, when I’m in doubt. They are my foundation and because of their strength and example I am the woman I am.
2007-2008 LEAD Graduate Profiles
Brad Dennis
My name is Brad Dennis. I am Huu-ay-aht, Swiss, German, British, and Scottish. I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada and spent the first seven years of my life in Port Alberni, BC and Sarita, BC where the Huu-ay-aht have lived for thousands of years. For the past 23 years I have lived on several different reservations, and towns in Washington State and Oregon.
I received a Bachelor of Social Work in 2001 and a Master of Social Work in 2003 from Walla Walla College in College Place, WA. In 2003 I was awarded MSW Student of Year Blue Mountain Region and MSW Student of The Year for Washington State from National Association of Social Workers for work I was privileged to take part in. In 2006 I started receiving LCSW supervision from Terry Cross MSW, LCSW, ACSW founder and developer and Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. I have co-facilitated and facilitated trainings for NICWA including a National SAMSA Training Institute and at the Youth Suicide Prevention and Healing Institute. I am currently lead author for a Toolkit for NICWA on Youth Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Healing that will target Indian Child Welfare workers.
My name is Brad Dennis. I am Huu-ay-aht, Swiss, German, British, and Scottish. I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada and spent the first seven years of my life in Port Alberni, BC and Sarita, BC where the Huu-ay-aht have lived for thousands of years. For the past 23 years I have lived on several different reservations, and towns in Washington State and Oregon.
I received a Bachelor of Social Work in 2001 and a Master of Social Work in 2003 from Walla Walla College in College Place, WA. In 2003 I was awarded MSW Student of Year Blue Mountain Region and MSW Student of The Year for Washington State from National Association of Social Workers for work I was privileged to take part in. In 2006 I started receiving LCSW supervision from Terry Cross MSW, LCSW, ACSW founder and developer and Executive Director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association. I have co-facilitated and facilitated trainings for NICWA including a National SAMSA Training Institute and at the Youth Suicide Prevention and Healing Institute. I am currently lead author for a Toolkit for NICWA on Youth Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Healing that will target Indian Child Welfare workers.
From 2003-2008 I worked for the largest behavioral health agency (Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare) in Oregon on a mobile crisis team (Project Respond) as a Native American Cultural Specialist that serves Multnomah County in Portland, OR. In this position I provided mobile crisis response and provided training and consultation to clinicians that were with Native People that have a serious persistent Mental Illness and the related stigma. In 2006 I was nominated to attend the Leadership Fellows Program at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government.
In 2008 I started working as the Portland Youth and Elders Council Coordinator in the Employment, Housing and Community Development department at the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, OR.
I have been married to my wife DeeAnna for seven years. My wife also has her MSW. We have a beautiful 21 month-old baby girl (Sarita) and newborn baby daughter, Isla Tasii.
Donita Sue Fry
My name is Donita Sue Fry, and I am an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. I am a single mother of three and relocated into the Portland area four years ago. My early years were spent growing up on my Grandparents ranch on the reservation in Idaho. This opportunity coupled with their traditional teaching style instilled a foundation of hard work, strength and resilience that I carry with me today. From there my family moved to Alaska which offered me so many experiences ranging from obtaining my pilots certification and flying in the northern lights; mural design, painting and illustrations in the community; to helicopter skiing on Mount Alyeska. These adventures have provided me with unique qualities to share. I am also a Native American woman in recovery and have experience from growing beyond a place of poverty, abuse and addiction. I know positive change and the steps available to achieve it.
I manage to make balance in my life a priority. I communicate very openly, I feel honest communication is the ideal way to avoid misunderstanding or misdirection. Through many blessings I have learned to be courageous and proactive with my choices. I have a vision and move towards goals and aspirations to be able to provide leadership and representation in the Native Community and to help promote significant change through civic engagement and develop clear focus on building healthier communities with strong assets, opportunity and capable leadership. This is truly my ambition and I am able to do my part in this by being active in our community groups like the Portland Youth and Elders Council, Cully Neighborhood Association, Advisory and Review Committees for the Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Schools Foundation, Oregon Action Leadership Advisory Academy and through genuine and deep determination to do what I can to move my people forward with purpose and inherent pride. I have recently been appointed to the Human Rights Commission by the Portland City Council.
My name is Donita Sue Fry, and I am an enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho. I am a single mother of three and relocated into the Portland area four years ago. My early years were spent growing up on my Grandparents ranch on the reservation in Idaho. This opportunity coupled with their traditional teaching style instilled a foundation of hard work, strength and resilience that I carry with me today. From there my family moved to Alaska which offered me so many experiences ranging from obtaining my pilots certification and flying in the northern lights; mural design, painting and illustrations in the community; to helicopter skiing on Mount Alyeska. These adventures have provided me with unique qualities to share. I am also a Native American woman in recovery and have experience from growing beyond a place of poverty, abuse and addiction. I know positive change and the steps available to achieve it.
I manage to make balance in my life a priority. I communicate very openly, I feel honest communication is the ideal way to avoid misunderstanding or misdirection. Through many blessings I have learned to be courageous and proactive with my choices. I have a vision and move towards goals and aspirations to be able to provide leadership and representation in the Native Community and to help promote significant change through civic engagement and develop clear focus on building healthier communities with strong assets, opportunity and capable leadership. This is truly my ambition and I am able to do my part in this by being active in our community groups like the Portland Youth and Elders Council, Cully Neighborhood Association, Advisory and Review Committees for the Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Schools Foundation, Oregon Action Leadership Advisory Academy and through genuine and deep determination to do what I can to move my people forward with purpose and inherent pride. I have recently been appointed to the Human Rights Commission by the Portland City Council.
Deanne Goforth
Throughout my life I have always wanted to extend beyond the boundaries of my surroundings to other worlds. I grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma about 30 miles from the small town of Pawnee where my tribe is now located. Culturally, it was significant for me to grow up around indigenous culture, which only fueled my desire to see and learn more about other ways of being. One of my biggest accomplishments in life so far has been working in Kenya for Free the Children in 2005. This experience changed my entire life and opened my eyes to extreme poverty and the purity of human relationships. There was a definite link between all indigenous peoples that became apparent after Africa. We, as indigenous peoples, share the strength to survive, relational understandings about our world, respect for our elders and Mother Earth through a web of understanding.
These understandings brought me to earn a master’s degree in International Studies with a focus on Indigenous Women’s Empowerment. I worked with the Tibetan Women’s Association in Dharamsala, India from December 06-March 07. My thesis was titled, “Tibetan Indigenous Cultural Preservation and Land Identity,” which focused upon the current genocide occurring in Tibet and how Tibetan spirituality connects to land. When I try to explain to people who have never traveled what it is like to work in another part of the world with people who have different languages, models of understanding, cultural practices, etc. I try to convey the most important aspect, which is-We are all first human beings.
Throughout my life I have always wanted to extend beyond the boundaries of my surroundings to other worlds. I grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma about 30 miles from the small town of Pawnee where my tribe is now located. Culturally, it was significant for me to grow up around indigenous culture, which only fueled my desire to see and learn more about other ways of being. One of my biggest accomplishments in life so far has been working in Kenya for Free the Children in 2005. This experience changed my entire life and opened my eyes to extreme poverty and the purity of human relationships. There was a definite link between all indigenous peoples that became apparent after Africa. We, as indigenous peoples, share the strength to survive, relational understandings about our world, respect for our elders and Mother Earth through a web of understanding.
These understandings brought me to earn a master’s degree in International Studies with a focus on Indigenous Women’s Empowerment. I worked with the Tibetan Women’s Association in Dharamsala, India from December 06-March 07. My thesis was titled, “Tibetan Indigenous Cultural Preservation and Land Identity,” which focused upon the current genocide occurring in Tibet and how Tibetan spirituality connects to land. When I try to explain to people who have never traveled what it is like to work in another part of the world with people who have different languages, models of understanding, cultural practices, etc. I try to convey the most important aspect, which is-We are all first human beings.
I worked as a Workforce Case Manager at the NAYA Family Center in 2007 and am currently the IDA Program Coordinator (Individual Development Account).
Daniel Guilfoyle
My name is Daniel Guilfoyle, and was born in Rochester, New York, close to the Allegheny Indian Reservation where my father was born. I am Seneca and Irish. I currently live in Portland, Oregon with my wife Shawna and daughter Tallulah Tall Chief, named for my great grandmother, Isabel Tall Chief.
My name is Daniel Guilfoyle, and was born in Rochester, New York, close to the Allegheny Indian Reservation where my father was born. I am Seneca and Irish. I currently live in Portland, Oregon with my wife Shawna and daughter Tallulah Tall Chief, named for my great grandmother, Isabel Tall Chief.
I was educated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Architecture and Building Sciences and for a semester at the Center for Environmental Planning and Technologies in Gujarat, India. Before moving to the west coast, I worked for a short time at an architectural firm in Albany, New York. Prior to coming to NAYA as a VISTA Education Specialist and then as a High School Advocate, I worked in a variety of disciplines, most recently at the Lyçee International de Los Angeles, a French/American school, as the Conseil Principal de Education. While working in Los Angeles I was able to pursue one of my passions, sound design and music composition. I have been honored with three sound design awards as well as two Ovation nominations for sound design of the year for the theater productions “Infinity” and “La Giaconda”.
I am the new High School Counselor/Outreach Specialist for the NAYA Early College Academy.
Lai-Lani Ovalles
Aloha mai kakou, o Lai-Lani Ovalles ke’ia. Greetings to all! I am of the Hawaiian Islands with a strong foundation in my cultural values Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and Filipino. I am a descendant of my kupuna in the island of Kaua’i and O’ahu. I moved to the mainland to attend the University of Washington in Seattle and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication.
Aloha mai kakou, o Lai-Lani Ovalles ke’ia. Greetings to all! I am of the Hawaiian Islands with a strong foundation in my cultural values Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and Filipino. I am a descendant of my kupuna in the island of Kaua’i and O’ahu. I moved to the mainland to attend the University of Washington in Seattle and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication.
I have worked in the education and social justice field for over 10 years to bring youth and adults together for personal and social transformation. As a community activist, I helped engage individuals in the community through civic education and nonviolence activities in Washington, Oregon, California, New York, Florida, New Mexico, and New Zealand. I have created collaborations and relationships between individuals, community organizations and higher education institutions to address the disparity gap in education, to create multiracial unity, to work for self determination and to confront racism. I am a contributing author and member of the scholars team for the book Indigenous Educational Models for Contemporary Practice: In Our Mother’s Voice II, published June 2008. I believe that the power of indigenous culture and knowledge will guide our community forward with hope.
At the NAYA Family Center, I am the Indigenous Organizing Coordinator. I focus my coordinating efforts on the Portland Indian Leaders Round Table, the Native Professionals networking events, and the L.E.A.D cohort. I currently serve on the Vision into Action Steering Committee, a broad, community-led alliance of organizations, businesses, government and individuals acting collectively to ensure implementation of Portland's community vision. I am a new member of the Portland Planning Commission, composed of nine members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Planning Commission advises City Council on any proposal that directly affects any goal or policy related to any element of the City's Comprehensive Plan.
