8
S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 15, 2016
'That’s my hope and dream'
LEADERSHIP continued
from front page
Robertson, who served on Tribal
Council as secretary.
In 1985, Cheryle A. Kennedy and
Eula Petite won seats on Tribal
Council and joined Harrison and
Robertson, marking the irst time
that four women sat on Tribal
Council.
In 1986, Tribal Elder Dorothy
Greene replaced Kennedy on Tribal
Council and Tribal Elder Val Grout
made her debut on Tribal Council
in 1987.
In 1989, Wilmadene “Tuff” Butler
was appointed to Tribal Council
joining Harrison, Robertson and
Grout to once again have four
women.
Tribal Elder Margaret Provost,
who is credited along with Merle
Holmes and Marvin Kimsey as hav-
ing been the driving force behind
the Tribe being restored to federal
recognition, was elected for the irst
time in 1990.
Only two women – Harrison and
Grout – served on Tribal Council
from September 1994 through Sep-
tember 1995.
Tribal Elder June Sherer was
elected to Tribal Council for the
irst time in September 1999 and
Valorie (Robertson) Sheker was
elected in September 2002. Angie
Blackwell was elected in September
2004 and Tribal Elder Kathleen
Tom was elected the following year.
Harvey was elected to Tribal
Council in September 2013 and
Tonya Gleason-Shepek was elected
in 2014. Brenda Tuomi won a seat
on Tribal Council in 2015.
This year, former Spirit Moun-
tain Community Fund Director
Kathleen George became the 16th
woman to serve on Tribal Council
– compared to 30 men – since the
Tribe’s Restoration in 1983 when
she was elected on Sept. 10. Her
election places her on Tribal Coun-
cil with Kennedy, Harvey, Glea-
son-Shepek and Tuomi, and marks
the irst time that ive women have
served simultaneously.
Harrison and Kennedy are the
only women to serve the Tribe as
chair. Harrison served six years
and Kennedy served 11 years.
Mark Mercier, Henry Petite,
Chris Mercier and current Tribal
Council Chairman Reyn Leno are
the only other Tribal members to
serve as chair.
Ground-breaking work
Harrison, who served on Tribal
Council uninterrupted from April
1984 through September 2001,
said that when she was elected,
the Tribe had just achieved Res-
toration and Tribal Council had
ground-breaking work to accom-
plish, such as regaining Reserva-
tion land and putting the Tribe on
irm inancial footing.
“We had one goal – Restoration,”
said Harrison. “Everybody had one
mind. Nobody asked for any money
because we didn’t have any. We all
worked.”
The irst female majority
Cheryle A. Kennedy
Brenda Tuomi
Denise Harvey
Harrison said she could not ex-
plain what it meant to her to be
elected to Tribal Council and then
to be asked to serve as chair as a
woman in the early 1980s.
“It was a new day when we got
restored,” said Harrison. “So I look
back on it now and to be elected to
as high an ofice as that is an honor
that you can’t describe.”
“It feels like a very natural pro-
gression to me,” Blackwell said.
“My mother (Candy Robertson) was
on Tribal Council for the irst 10
years of Restoration, so I’ve always
seen women in leadership roles.
If anything, I am surprised that
it took so long to reach this point.
I think women typically embody
many of the characteristics of a
strong leader: strong communica-
tion skills, a broad perspective and
the ability to multi-task, among
others. That’s not to say men do
not share these characteristics, but
this is why I expect to see more and
more women on Tribal Council in
the future.”
Tom, who served from September
2005 through September 2014, said
she is looking for the women on
Tribal Council to focus on the needs
of the membership.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that there
are ive women,” said Tom. “I think
that with ive women on there it is
my hope that they truly focus on
what are the needs and what are
the problems of the Tribe. My hope
is that they start really realizing
that they as a group of ive women,
they can really do some moving and
shaking. It’s all up to them.”
Tom said she hopes to see the
women on Tribal Council be lead-
ers.
“I think that they should step out
and be that lead and show people
that they are working together,
that they can igure out what the
needs are and take us as a Tribe to
that next level,” said Tom. “That’s
my hope and dream.”
Grout, who served on Tribal
Council off and on from September
1987 through September 2004, said
Tonya Gleason-
Shepek
Kathleen George
her family was always led by males,
but that she sees a need for both
genders on Tribal Council.
“It takes a mixture to make a good
government,” said Grout. “When I
was growing up my Dad (DeWalt
Houck) was the decision-maker for
our house. My Dad made all the
decisions for our house and Mom
(Arvella Houck) was the one that
took care of the home and us kids.”
Although Grout admits her belief
system is a bit old-fashioned, she
said she is leaning the other way
when it comes to national politics.
As America is poised to potential-
ly elect its irst female president,
Grout said it is a person’s temper-
ament that is most important when
it comes to being a leader.
“I hope she’s strong enough,”
Grout said of Democratic candidate
Hillary Clinton. “I think it takes
somebody really strong to run our
country, but it takes somebody who
has control of their personality and
control of themselves to run any
form of government branch. So in
this case, yes, I think the woman
would do a better job.”
New role models
Tom said we are witnessing his-
tory on a national and Tribal level
when it comes to female leaders.
“Mrs. Clinton is going to have to
prove herself,” said Tom. “I think
she has it tougher because of who
she is and because she’s female.
I think this is historic what is
happening now and if she does get
elected, I think things are really
going to change nationally.
“I hope our young women take
a look at that because it is really
historic and not just at the national
level, but the Tribal level as well.
“We are the givers. We are the
nurturers. We are the people who
really think of families and children
and what is in their best interest. It
makes me feel very hopeful.”
Tom said this development is the
vision that her father, Tribal Elder
and former Tribal Council member
Leon Tom, and other Elders have
been dreaming about.
“I see a real movement because
of the vision that our Tribal Elders
had that our kids would be edu-
cated,” said Tom. “You can see it.
They (younger, newly elected Tribal
Council members) have a different
way of thinking about things so I see
it coming full circle. I’m just thank-
ful that those Elders and Tribal
Council members had this vision.”
As a woman who was interested
in being a part of her Tribe’s gov-
ernment, Tom said it was Harrison,
a trailblazing female leader in Indi-
an Country, who inspired her and
made her believe she could serve on
Tribal Council.
“Kathryn is the one that gave me
hope that I could be a council mem-
ber, that I could do that,” said Tom.
“I could follow in her footsteps.
Here is a woman that is the head of
the Tribe, the chairman, and she’s
so strong and she advocates for
her people and she works for her
people and her Tribe. So I always
have admired Kathryn because of
that. She never lost focus of who she
was working for and it was always
for the Tribe. She worked tirelessly
and fought battles for what was in
the best interest of all of us.”
Tom said she sees Provost in the
same light.
“They were always thinking of
the people irst, the Tribe irst and
what is in the best interest for all,”
said Tom. “It took a lot of fortitude
to do what Margaret did and the
dream that she had and the dream
that came true for all of us.”
“I think that the message is
equally important for young men
and women,” Blackwell said about
a female majority. “That is we
all have valuable contributions
to make. Not everyone wants to
take on a leadership role such as
an elected position, but we should
all believe we can make an impact
and we should all act on that belief.
Everyone should examine their
talents and ind a way to contribute
to the overall community. It doesn’t
have to be through elected ofice,
but you can ind a way.”
Harrison cautiously offered ad-
vice to the new female majority on
Tribal Council.
“Whatever your qualifications
were to run, you need to follow
through on that,” said Harrison.
“You need to be in touch with the
people you said you cared about.
Think things through yourself –
don’t be like a sheep. Be true to
yourself because once it’s done it’s
done, and there is no going back. I
think you need to depend on prayer.
“There is no blueprint for any
Tribe because we are all so differ-
ent. We have to look at our mem-
bership and do what’s best.”
And now that the glass ceiling
has been shattered when it comes
to a female majority, it may repeat
itself on Tribal Council often in the
coming years.
The Youth Council recently ap-
pointed by Tribal Council has a
50/50 split between young men and
young women.