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Elizabeth Peratrovich – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities |ND Voting Rights|References

Courageous- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of the most influential Alaskan Native people to fight against Jim Crow Laws in Alaska. This Tlingit woman recognized her ability to fight the segregation occurring across her state when she became the leader of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood. She moved away from her village in Klawock to Juneau, where she believed that her and her husband could face the racial discrimination head on. When the legislature was out on an anti-discrimination bill, she organized lobbying forays to the capitol with members of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood and Alaskan Native Brotherhood. It was there that she addressed the Senate with her famous opening line, “I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of savagery, would have to remind the gentlemen with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” She is a courageous leader because she took it upon herself to speak for her people against the outright racism that Indigenous peoples of Alaska were facing. In spite of open discrimination like signs that read, “No Natives Allowed, No Dogs Allowed,” she showed courage by standing her ground before a senate of white men who held the fate of her people in their hands. She stood tall and proud, and eloquently fought for and helped achieve the first civil rights bill to be passed in the United States.

Resilient- Elizabeth Peratrovich stood up against the oppressive treatment of Alaskan Native peoples during the Jim Crow laws of the mid-1900s. The outward racism that was experienced by all Alaskan Natives through laws and social injustices inspired Peratrovich to stand up for her people.  Despite the many hurdles she faced as an Indigenous woman she rose up and spoke out to ensure the equal treatment of Alaskan Natives. On February 16th, 2020 Alaska celebrated the 75th anniversary of Elizabeth Peratrovich’s famous speech to the territorial legislature of Alaska which was sponsored by the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood. In a speech honoring her legacy, Alicia Maryott from the Alaskan Native Sisterhood stated  “Ms. Peratrovich made it clear that asking for equal rights implies that they’re someone else’s to give…As we honor her today, let’s remember her resilience.”  Peratrovich not only navigated the Alaskan legal system in her compelling speech but she utilized the public speaking skills of her ancestors. In a time where Alaskan natives were highly discriminated against she had the clarity to look beyond the current state and push for equality for all native peoples in Alaska. This is how Elizabeth Peratrovich embodied what it means to be a resilient leader as she faced oppression head-on and continued to fight for what she knew to be right.

Inspirational- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of Alaska’s most  inspirational Indigenous leaders. She faced many forms of discrimination during her lifetime but continued to uplift others. The Jim Crow laws of the 1900s encapsulated most aspects of daily life for Alaskan Natives, but Elizabeth inspired others to take a stand against these human rights violations. She is influential to many because of how difficult it was to create the change she did, and yet she was determined to keep fighting. This Tlingit woman inspired many around her while fighting against the oppression of the Native peoples of Alaska. As the grand president of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood in 1945, she addressed the territorial senate regarding the anti-discrimination bill. Her response to the call for action against the mistreatment of her people in the hands of the United States government is an admirable legacy she carries to today. On the day that the Anti-Discrimination Bill was signed, years after her death, the state of Alaska dedicated February 16th to be officially known as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Similar to other leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., she never gave up on her fight for her people. She knew that the discrimination against Alaskan Natives needed to be put to an end. She gave it her all to accomplish her goal; to set into law the equal right for all Indigenous peoples of Alaska, and to make it illegal to discriminate against Native peoples. She inspired many people during her lifetime, and to this day continues to inspire the new generation of American Indians to have the courage to fight for their rights. 

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Tame Wairere Iti – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Tibetan Language Erasure | References

Responsive

Tame Wairere Iti strongly displays the leadership quality of being responsive to his surroundings. This distinguishes Tame Iti’s leadership style from other activists because he has consistently demonstrated that he not only is well aware of all factors that affect his actions, but also of how his actions come across to others. By being responsive to change, Tame Iti has been able to easily adapt the movement he has created to be more readily inclusive and accessible to everyone. Tame Iti was one of the first Maori activists to begin using the internet and social media platforms in the early 2000s as he recognized the potential to mobilize interest in younger and more globally diverse audiences.  Furthermore, this has always benefited Tame Iti when organizing and leading events as he often changes the avenue in which his activism is delivered to best match the receiving audience and thereby have the most impact. For instance, after his 2005 arrest, Tame Iti began to create artistic expressions of Maori activism because “art is a form accessible to all”. His pieces still consistently reflect the theme of Indigenous rights, such as one of his most famous pieces of modern art in which “I will not speak Maori” is copied over and over again against a red background, yet these works are still a departure from his earlier and more violent activist strategy. Tame Iti recognized that after his imprisonment, in which he was granted a lighter sentence, subsequent actions of the same manner would result in both the end of his career and a diminished reputation. Although this is just one specific example, it is illustrative of a key quality of Tame Iti’s leadership style.

Tame Iti Art
Tame Iti presenting one of his pieces at an exhibition in London

Resilient

Tame Wairere Iti has always displayed resilience. From the time he was a young kid in primary school, and stood up to his principal by continuing to speak his native language, to when he continued to appeal his sentence in 2012, Tame has been resilient. Iti was arrested and convicted in 2012 for various firearm charges as well as one charge for unlawful possession of Molotov cocktails. He and his partner were sentenced to two and a half years in prison even though some of the surveillance footage was illegally acquired by the police. The legality of the evidence was not taken into account by the judge during the sentencing or trial, but Iti made sure to get justice by using this while appealing the case and his sentencing. His resilience proved effective, and he was released on parole a year early. This is only one example of Tame’s resilience, but he continuously shows it as he fights for the rights of his people. There are constant barriers and people who try to stop him, but nevertheless he continues on with his fight. His resilience also makes it easy for his followers to look up to him, and try to follow in his footsteps.

Courageous

Tame Wairere Iti has always shown great courage. Whether as a child, refusing to give up speaking Maori, or working as an activist as an adult, Tame Iti has always had a powerful ability to not show fear. At age 15, Tame Iti began a life of anti-authority protest, and his courage would serve him well. Beginning with his establishment of a Tuhoe “Embassy” in Wellington in the 1970s, Iti began a career of challenging authority to pursue indigenous sovereignty in ways most people would balk at. Perhaps the most notable example of this was in 2005, when, at a ceremony with many judges and officials in attendance, Iti fired a shotgun into a New Zealand flag, in an attempt to convey what it felt like to be Maori under the New Zealand government. Defacing the flag while government officials look on is not an act the average individual would be capable of doing, nor facing down police, or many of the other things Tame Iti has done on a regular basis in the past 50 plus years. His bravery in the face of those who oppress him and his people make him a great leader and activist, and it has helped him in the fight to get New Zealand to respect Maori sovereignty.

Tame Iti shooting a New Zealand flag
Tame Iti in protest of treaty violation shooting a New Zealand flag

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Hilaria Supa Huamán – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Lakota Education | References

Brave

Correo Tabloid
Tabloid attack on Hilaria Supa’s literacy (Correo)

Hilaria Supa boldly perseveres in her activism despite the constant criticism and barriers she has faced, truly embodying bravery. While she experienced violence, racism, and sexism, she confronted these and rose above the challenges to international prominence. In the late 1990s she protested the forced sterilization of Indigenous women. Government officials, including President Alberto Fujimori and local Health Ministry doctors either denied that it occurred or argued it was beneficial for the “family planning” of Indigenous families. Even other Indigenous leaders criticized Supa’s role in opposing this crime. Hilaria Supa showed resilience in the face of these protests, struggling for months so those affected could get the compensation they deserved. In 2006 she was elected to the Peruvian Congress. As a result, she received many negative comments, specifically ones directed towards her lack of formal education and her L2 Spanish abilities. However, she responded diligently, describing the experience of her youth and early adulthood and its impact on her education and opposing the racist tone in these criticisms. Additionally, she took her oath in Quechua, which grew the anti-Indigenous sentiments that came with her election. Congresswoman Martha Hildebrandt criticized Supa saying that Spanish should be the only language used in Congress. Further verbal and visual harassment, such as racist depictions of Indigenous peoples, reached a national audience on television. We choose this quality because Hilaria Supa bravely faced a racist and sexist society, surmounting every challenge to articulate the rights and desires of the Indigenous peoples of Peru. 

Strong-willed

Andean Ceremony at a Lima zoo (Flickr/winder west)

Hilaria Supa exemplifies a strong-willed leader. From her earliest activism, she never took no for an answer. Despite living in a patriarchal and racist society, she fought to give the peasant and Indigenous women of Anta province a voice, creating and leading movements and organizations such as the Federation of Peasant Women of Anta (FEMCA) to defend their common interests. She understood where colonial modes of relations were harmful and criticized the prevailing culture that contributed to alcoholism, malnutrition, domestic abuse, and financial instability. She also pushed for a return to traditional knowledge in a society that outright rejected Indigenous foods, medicines, and farming techniques. Furthermore, Hilaria Supa’s strong will enabled her to push through her disabilities to benefit the society that surrounded her. She has suffered from arthritis since her early life but that didn’t stop her activism. In her memoir, Supa recalled travelling on horseback to remote villages, sleeping in the cold, and relying on local charity in order to spread her messages of women’s rights, peasant’s rights, and Indigenous rights. Hilaria Supa’s strong-willed nature ties in directly with her bravery, as both enabled her to face the challenges of an oppressive system and work for a more free and equal society. 

Empathetic

Hilaria Supa has taken on an active role in an attempt to restore justice to the indigenous peoples of Peru. Hilaria’s mission is based on empathy and her fight for the indigenous people was fueled by personal experience. With her political platform she continues to shine the spotlight on the neglected and marginalized Native communities. Hilaria empathizes with the people she fights for because she, too, had grown up with a background of poverty, Spanish as a second language, and no formal education. Also having experienced sexual assault from her husband, Hilaria felt compelled to take on more roles for Indigenous women’s organizations and to educate Peruvian women, Quechua or not, on abuse and domestic violence. When Hilaria urged the Peruvian government and the UN to stop the encroachment of Indigenous lands, promoted education for indigenous people, and exposed the illegal sterilization of Indigenous men and women, it showed her desire for equality for the peasants and Indigenous peoples. When Hilaria learned of the racist sterilization practices, she lobbied for women to be compensated. She assisted these women in their battle against the corrupt dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori because she knew what it was like to be seen as a second-class citizen. We know that empathy fuels connection, it allows us to experience the emotions of others on their level and to be able to feel their feelings with them, and that is exactly what Hilaria did when she met with the peoples she fought for and listened to their concerns.


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Hilaria Supa Huamán – Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Lakota Education | References

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John Trudell – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | OK Tribal Gaming Dispute | References

Inspiring

John Trudell was and continues to be an inspiration to Native American activists across the globe. He created an image and a brand that “made the spirit of the people stronger.” He was able to unite generations of Native Americans because his music and poetry drew on traditional Native American styles and themes that older generations could connect with, while incorporating modern characteristics that younger people could relate to as well. His music worked to preserve part of his cultural heritage and inspired people to connect deeper with their roots. Not only did he reach across the age gap, but across the gender gap as well. In his time with AIM John was constantly advocating for the voices of women to be heard, because he felt that they were so often lost in the crowd. He was a particularly strong advocate for the agency of his wife. After her death he made sure that people knew the amazing work that she had done, that her death was not simply defined by his work, but by her own advocacy for Native American rights and sovereignty as well.

Charismatic

People were inspired by John because they were drawn to him, he was powerful in the way that he could draw crowds when speaking at events. His charisma is what gathered the attention of federal agencies, and even frightened them and caused them to label him as dangerous. John did not back down from his beliefs or ideals and he challenged and criticized those who were lacking in upholding their own morals and beliefs. The US government was a main recipient of his criticism because he argued that they not only lacked care for their own people, but for the planet they lived on as well. During the Alcatraz occupation John fought to protect the rights of ALL Native Americans, and would not be paid off in order to back down from his beliefs. He burned an American flag on the steps of the FBI building because he said it was desecrated by the racism, classism and sexism that it represented. The American flag did not represent freedom in John’s eyes because not all were free.

Courageous

There were many instances in which John Trudell should have been afraid for his life, but nevertheless he upheld his values and kept fighting for what he knew was right. During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s the FBI began a program called COINTEL, which aimed to shut down the movement, but when AIM began vamping up as a political player they shifted their focus to John Trudell himself. His active involvement in the Alcatraz occupation and other sit ins at Wounded Knee and the BIA placed a target on his back. The FBI feared John because of his ability to motivate and mobilize not only Native Americans, but non-natives as well, as seen at Wounded Knee. AIM was eventually labeled as a militant terrorist group at the Wounded Knee protests, which was a way to enable and excuse violence against the activists there. One of the more terrifying moments in his life came with the death of his wife, mother-in-law and three children after burning an American flag atop the FBI steps. Although the fire that killed his family was ruled as an accident, John was certain it was murder. This moment in time was a sure indicator that if someone could kill people as innocent as his family, they could surely kill him.

John Trudell FBI file
A page from John Trudell’s extensive FBI file, which lists the many “militant” activities he participated in while advocating for Native American rights.
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Leanne Betasamosake Simpson – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Colonial Gender Violence | References

Brave

Leanne Simpson has created a wide range of literature and research addressing numerous amounts of issues within Indian country. Her discussions touch on issues that are often overlooked or internalized within Indian country. She pushes the envelope and shows true fearlessness by addressing issues that are further perpetuated within the community by the community. For instance, Simpson addresses the damaging effects of heteropatriarchy within Indigenous communities by “queering resurgence”. Leanne has created dialogue that provides a voice for Native women and two-spirit/queer Indigenous folks. In Queering Resurgence: Taking on Heteropatriarchy in Indigenous Nation Building, she addresses and dissects the the topic of involving more Native women in nation-building. Simpson explains that hearing the statement “we need more women involved in nation-building” sounds like an effort to improve the community on the surface, but this statement invalidates the immense amount of work and leadership roles that Indigenous women have been involved in for centuries. Leanne fiercely addresses issues that other Indigenous leaders do not prioritize or dissect. Many Indigenous leaders focus on the battle with dismantling and decolonizing the damage solely caused by the colonizer but fail to address the toxicity that exists within these communities that are further perpetuated by community members. Leanne bravely critiques the patriarchal tendencies engrained into Native communities in efforts to further decolonize and build relations. She provides a voice for community members that are marginalized within their own communities. In many cases there are situations where colonial patriarchy and community power dynamics can be disguised as traditional and cultural practices. Simpson provides examples such as, the perpetuation of colonial gender roles, pressuring women to wear certain articles of clothing in ceremonies, the exclusion of LGBTQ2 individuals from communities and ceremony, the dominance of male-centered narratives regarding the Indigenous experience, and the lack of recognition for women and LGBTQ2’s voices, experiences, contributions and leadership. Leanne Simpson shows true bravery by fighting for the interrogation of heteropatriarchy to become a part of Native communities decolonizing project. Her speech is radical and defies some extreme traditionalist’s beliefs and practices and forces communities to acknowledge their lack of inclusivity, patriarchal, and heteronormative tendencies that are normalized and engrained into community practices and protocols.

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Visionary

Leanne Simpson throughout her life has continued to maintain focus on her vision of reforming the social issues of First Nations. She has strategically put her efforts in areas she deems will result in the greatest aid to her cause. This includes participating in the Idle No More movement and attempting to help gender-based violence and protect indigenous homelands by revisiting Canada’s Indian Act. Simpson also helps to turn her ambitions into reality through other means that may seem unorthodox relative to physically protesting/reforming. Simpson holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and has written numerous novels (Islands of Decolonial Love, Dancing on Our Turtle’s Back, The Gift is in the Making, etc.) that educate the common reader on Indian traditions, customs, and oppression. The philosophy she attempts to spread is contrary to that of “extractivism”, which is the removal of Earth’s natural resources, assimilation of Natives, the removal of Indigenous ideals, and cultural appropriation. Through her protests and novels she attempts a resurgence in Indigenous ideology, intelligence, and community.

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Creative

Leanne Simpson is a renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg artist, musician, poet and writer, who has been widely recognized as one of the most compelling Indigenous voices of her generation. Her work intersects between story and song, bringing audiences into a rich and layered world of sound, light, and sovereign creativity. Her latest album, f(l)ight, was released in 2016. f(l)ight is a collection of story-songs that effortlessly interweaves Simpson’s complex poetics and stories of the land, spirit, and body. Simpson’s work breaks open the intersections between politics, story and song. Leanne Simpson creates work that is a form of activism and resistance, addressing issues such as discrimination within her community. She created a music video for her song-poem “Leaks” from the album Islands of Decolonial Love. The video is shares the story of a young Anishinaabekwe experiencing racism for the first time, the poem is the voice of the mother realizing that she cannot protect her daughter from such injustices and acts of hate, but she can influence her in healing from these experiences. The video shows visuals of Leanne with her daughter on the land of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg. The film is about living as an Anishinaabekwe, displaying the powerful connection to the land and the importance of passing that knowledge down to future generations. She states in the poem, “you are not a vessel for white settler shame”, teaching her daughter to take pride in her Indigenous identity and the importance of decolonizing her self-image. The poem and visuals are a notion of resistance, teaching her daughter to find healing through her land relations and cultural practices.

 

 

 

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Katie John (Athabaskan)- Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Atlantic Salmon | References

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Louis Riel – Sixties Scoop Settlement Snub

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Sixties Scoop Settlement | References

The ‘Sixties Scoop’ was a period in the late 20th century when provinces of Canada forced adoption of indigenous children into white families in Canada, the United States, and as far as Europe. As the federally-supported boarding school system of cultural genocide was wound down, the task of forced assimilation was placed on social workers in provincial child welfare systems. Social workers coerced parents and used any reason possible to take indigenous children away from their parents, such as after doctors appointments, using any minor accidental injury as an excuse. The sixties scoop was arguably even more effective at the goal of the residential schools that Prime Minister Macdonald laid out in 1879, writing, “Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men.” Forced adoption furthered this goal in a way the residential schools could not.

Ending over 18 class-action lawsuits, on October 6th the federal government reached an $800m settlement agreement to make reparations to surviving adopted indigenous people, who should each receive around $25,000. However, people of the Métis Nation and other native people without Federal Indian Status are not eligible for compensation, despite being victims of the sixties scoop. Jeffery Wilson, the class action lawsuit attorney who represented Ontario First Nations scoop survivors, commented that, “the reason Métis are not included is because there is no records to identify Métis during the relevant period of time.” This is contradictory to the many lived experiences that survivors have come forward with.

In a television interview, David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, rebuffed the claim, “I can give them a list of names and names and families and families. We’re finding them every day, and on our own dime.” Chartrand saw the snub as yet another case of Canada disregarding the Métis, as they have done in the past with the sixties scoop itself. He connects it to Canada’s 1870 land grab after the Red River Rebellion, where Louis Riel’s achievement was promised in the Manitoba Act for 240 acres of land to be set aside for each Métis nation member, giving them a “head start” before white colonialists arrived en masse. After the act, the federal government improperly distributed the land, failing their promise and allowing white settlers to prospect, ultimately leading to the Northwest Rebellion and Louis Riel’s unjust execution. Chartrand spoke, “There’s a sense of being again left out, not only the first time. You go back and reflect on history. Canada left us out in 1870 in the land claims. And again in 1960, they did that to us as children, they left our children out, they sold our children – because it was a cost saving for Canada to give them away to the United States and other countries, and again in 2017 we’re being abandoned by Canada and the children are being left out.” Louis Riel would likely agree with his present successor – Canada continues to ignore Métis sovereignty while conquering and dividing indigenous communities through uneven reparation.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of the Métis on Canada’s land theft after 1870, requiring Canada to negotiate a treaty with the Métis. At the time, Chartrand reminisced about Louis Riel’s philosophy, “He said there were two societies with treaty together. One was small but in its smallness had its rights. The other was great but in its greatness had no greater rights than the rights of the small. You know, how more fitting can that be today?” Riel would engage in sixties scoop reparations as a negotiation between two nations; diplomatically, as he did with the creation of the provisional Manitoba government, Bill of Rights, and petition for a reservation in Montana, while also willing to take military action when necessary, knowing he’s doing the right thing as a leader for his people.

A recent debate has been made over whether to posthumously exonerate Louis Riel. Riel remains controversial among white Canadians: Québécois widely support him, but many anglophones still view him as a traitor, including the conservative political scientist Thomas Flanagan, who has written extensively on Riel. George Goulet is a Métis scholar who argues that Louis Riel was genuinely illegally convicted under an English statute of treason carrying the death penalty that was no longer the applicable law in Canada. The fact that fresh wounds continue to be made against the Métis nation show a government that is still in the wrong. The Métis National Council believes the act could be one of whitewashing history. Chartrand spoke, “This would probably alleviate Canada’s stress and pressure and guilt that they have maintained when the facts are very clear that they murdered this great leader. Exoneration is not about Riel. Exoneration is about Canada.” Settler colonialism continues in Manitoba; the federal government fought the Supreme Court to continue violating the agreement they made with Riel while leaving his people out of the sixties scoop settlement. The Métis survive with strong leadership, willing to demand sovereignty just as Riel did.

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Carl Gorman (Navajo) – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities |  Bear Ears National Monument | References

Selfless

Carl Gorman lived a life of selflessness, and it can be seen in everything he accomplished in his life. In the late 1930’s Carl Gorman began what would be a lifelong pursuit of advocating for his people by working with the United States government when trading prices and practices became unfair. While serving in the military in the 1940’s during WWII , Carl and other Navajos serving often faced discrimination from their superiors. Once Carl showed his selflessness and desire to protect his people by standing up to their particularly abusive drill sergeant, knowing full well he could be severely punished for doing so.

In Carl’s postwar life he continued to be selfless by participating in his community and trying to preserve his native culture. In 1948 Carl helped form the Navajo Club, an organization designed to socially and monetarily help urbanized Navajo’s prosper. He continued his selflessness in the 1970s by teaching at UC Davis  and the Navajo Community College because he recognized the importance of education, especially within the Navajo community.

Brave

Carl Gorman primarily displayed his bravery as a leader with his service as a Navajo Code Talker during WWII. Joining the military itself was an act of bravery, as the United States government has a long a tumultuous history of disrespecting native peoples, especially Navajos. A large part of WWII was the ability to intercept and decipher enemy codes, and the code developed by the Navajo servicemen in their own indecipherable,unique language gave the US a significant advantage

Carl Gorman and the other Navajo Code Talkers risked their lives by entering the war, for in the heat of the moment they were often mistaken for the Japanese enemy or captured and killed while relaying messages. While if was not common for the Code Talkers to be placed directly into combat, it was not entirely unheard of. Some of the Code Talkers died in the war fighting or under ambushes, and Carl faced possible death every day he continued to serve.

Respectful

Carl had an immense amount of respect for his culture, and he tried both to preserve its traditions within the community and to educate other non-Navajos about his customs. He first reached notoriety outside of the Navajo community with his art and paintings. This fame allowed him a platform to educate through his work.

Carl also showed respect for his culture during his service during WWII. Himself of and many of the other Navajo Code Talkers brought their culture with them in protection rituals and ceremonies that they shared with the other non-native soldiers. Carl also used his platform as a professor at UC Davis in the 1970s to teach about native culture and history to help spread awareness for his people. Within his community, Carl showed respect for his culture by recording and writing down over 1000 stories from Navajo elders. Carl allowed this previously oral tradition and culture to become more solidified.

Why These Qualities?

For inspiration of qualities of a leader that best describe Carl Gorman, we turned to the values of the U.S. Army. These values include loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Being a solider, Carl Gorman certainly has qualities of bravery. Another part of what makes him a leader is his lifelong commitment to selfless acts. He demonstrates this through both his military service and his actions taken to preserve the Navajo culture. His third leadership quality, respectful, comes from how he presented himself within the Navajo community and to the outside world. He had an immense amount of respect for his culture, and he was open and respective of sharing that culture with others.