Page 6 - Winds Of Change Fall 2018

AISES
NOTEBOOK
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Inside AISES
THE TRIBAL NATIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL
One of two new advisory councils of cially launched at the 2017 AISES National Conference, the Tribal Nations Advisory Council (TNAC) has an especially timely mission. (The other new council is CIAC: the Canadian Indigenous Advisory Council.) TNAC’s inaugural meeting at the conference gathered more than 30 tribal leaders to discuss a pressing issue at the intersection of AISES and tribal communities: developing a skilled STEM workforce in Indian Country. TNAC members, who represent tribes from across the country, meet both by phone and in person at conferences. Co-chairs are John Lewis, Mark Harding, Alicia Ortega, and Gary Santos.
Bene ts of the council’s work will include an expanded ability to manage tribal lands, bolster the technical infrastruc- ture, improve health care delivery, develop entrepreneurial opportunities, and ultimately promote tribal sovereignty and self-determination. The council will also advise AISES on pursuing STEM programming with the youth of tribal nations.
“It’s important to spread the word about AISES. As I speak with other tribal leaders in the Northeast, one of the goals is to start AISES-focused chapters within each tribal nation,” says Harding, Mashpee Wampanoag. “It’s so important to come together about how our children are trained and ensure they are ready for leadership positions in the next century.” »
Chapter Spotlight
The North Star AISES Alliance and Professional Chapter
The busy North Star AISES Alliance and Professional Chapter (NSAAP) has a big reach, representing professional members all over the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Iowa, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Nebraska, and Illinois), as well as the province of Manitoba in Canada. The chapter is a leader in promot- ing the AISES mission and supporting STEM in Native
communities throughout Region 5. In addition to having fun, members nd a lot of satisfaction in what they achieve together.
The chapter was “rebooted” by AISES Board of Directors member Mike Laverdure, Dr. Mark Bellcourt, and Rita Peterson in 2010, and the active core membership of 15, and email roster of over 50, hasn’t let up since then — look for them contributing at Regional, Leadership, and National Conferences (NSAAP was the host Local Volunteer Committee at the 2016 National Conference in Minneapolis). Current o cers are John Carlson, White Earth Ojibwe, president; Naomi Farabee, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe, vice president; Brittany Anderson, Fond du Lac Ojibwe, secretary; and Kelsey Scareshawk, Cheyenne River Sioux, treasurer.
Every year the chapter holds a charitable golf tournament to fund youth STEM programs and travel scholarships that send local college students to the AISES National Conference. They’ve also been successful writing and receiving grants and are always looking for new ways to raise funds for their activities. Chapter members serve as judges for the Circle of Life Academy at the White Earth Nation, where the group awards Space Camp scholarships to students with exceptional science projects, often those that incorporate a focus on traditional knowledge. Another important annual event for the chapter is their participation in the American Indians in Science event at the Science Museum of Minnesota, where they host an outreach activity. Chapter members keep up with each other at monthly meetings, often via videoconference.
4 WINDS OF CHANGE • FALL 2018
aises.org
An AISES Tribal Nations Advisory Council meeting earlier this year
VIA NORTH STAR AISES ALLIANCE AND PROFESSIONAL CHAPTER FACEBOOK PAGE (LEFT)