People + Place = Purpose

Hau mitakuyapi (greetings my relatives),

As a member of the Oceti Sakowin Oyate (Oglala Sioux Tribe), my life is a reflection of my deepest held values:

The Way of the Seven Generations (conscious living)

• I am here because I understand that my opportunity on this Earth is part of a lineage that transcends my own life.

• I am here to answer my ancestors’ dreams and to gain knowledge that will strengthen future generations.

• To do this, I listen to and learn from my relatives, especially youth, elders, and people with special gifts.

The Way of the Buffalo (mindful abundance)

• I am here because I carry a message of abundance, not scarcity. Mother Earth is incredibly generous.

• I am to promote peace with our Mother Earth, so that we may be satisfied and safe to accept our blessings.

• Her abundance is ever present; it’s everywhere and there is never a lack of it. When we feel limitations and obstacles to abundance, they are of our own human creation.

The Way of the Community (social impact)

• I am here to identify and honor each person’s unique identity, to collectively support each person’s distinct value and contribution to the community.

• I am here to encourage others to find their calling and the role they are most inclined to do. We can all play a role in the prosperity of ourselves and others.

• I affirm that humanity is a unified family and we are all related.

These ways are all part of the Sacred Hoop, a worldview that everyone and everything is connected.

Through a lifetime of relevant lived experience, I have come to understand that philanthropy and civil society organizations can offer powerful tools to advance these values in my life and in the world.

Professionally, I work as a nonprofit e