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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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Ramona Bennett – Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities |Little Shell Chippewa Recognition | References

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Katie John (Athabaskan) – Atlantic Salmon Farming

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Atlantic Salmon | References

Katie John in Batzulnetas, with fish wheel in background.

Katie John grew up learning how to live off the land, also known as subsistence living, specifically fishing. Many tribes in the Pacific Northwest also grew up this way. When one grows up in a certain ecosystem with certain animals, any change can throw off the entire system. Atlantic salmon are being farmed in the Pacific Northwest and due to human error, these fish break free sometimes. This leads to many issues such as the disease and parasites that the salmon contract. Katie John would be against Atlantic salmon farming in the Pacific Northwest because it interferes with the natural balance of the eco system. This effects those that survive off of the salmon like she did growing up. Natives that are still fishing for substance will not eat the disease ridden Atlantic salmon in their waters, for obvious reasons. Katie John already fought for the right to fish on her land, she would not be okay with the fish being tainted.

A salmon with sea lice.

A great concern that came upon the impact the Atlantic salmon issue brought upon was the impact it Native Pacific salmon. These Atlantic salmons are invasive species which then lead to the problems of them being competitors whether it be of finding food or even eating the other species. Not only does this negatively affect other species in the same ecosystem, but it also economically affects the people there too. Although other corporation might see this event as a great thing due to the increase of production and selling they could do off it, Katie John knew this would hurt her people. Not being able to use their sources because they have been interfered with lead to the decrease of what they could use to benefit themselves. Along with this, she would be against any idea of not trying to fix this problem, even if that meant taking action herself.

The way of life of Kate John’s people was one of subsistence . You took what the land gave, you did not take more than you could use, and you worked to replenish it when you were done. Katie once said, “Our land , air and water have always been good to us.” The land and animals took care of you, and you took care of them. For many tribes, this lifestyle was common, but it has been interrupted by colonialism–often by commercial and capitalistic ventures. These ventures have been shown to deplete and damage the land, and are often not sustainable. Katie John believed that the western world did not know how to take care of the land, and she knew that it was up to her and her people to fight for it. The case of Atlantic Salmon farming is a clear parallel to her fight in Alaska, and she would strongly support and advocate with tribal rights to those lands and lifeways.

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Winona LaDuke (Ojibwe) – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Whanganui Water Rights | References

Winona LaDuke’s success in movement-building can be attributed to her personal mix of leadership qualities. The most critical of these qualities are her vision and ability to innovate, her patience, and community-oriented philosophy. These traits have been specifically highlighted because they are the pillars on which LaDuke’s work has been built.

Vision 

Winona LaDuke is a visionary, taking innovative approaches in her activism. Her career in raising awareness for indigenous issues began in earnest in 1985, and since then she has shown a remarkable ability to adapt and take advantage of changes in society and technology to further her cause. She has made abundant use of media, and her outreach has evolved over time , now spanning an impressive list. She has written several books (including a novel), essays, and articles, as well as appeared on television in documentaries. More recently, she has extended her campaign to the internet, keeping pace as it quickly became popular. In short, she has entered nearly every single form of media in existence. Her highly creative approach to media has led to recognition on several levels.

LaDuke has also been highly innovative as an environmentalist, with her work on renewable energy systems and issues such as climate change. She has used the broader scope of general environmental problems to draw attention to issues of environmental injustice regarding Indigenous communities. LaDuke rarely approaches issues from the “traditional” standpoint; more often, she paves the way for a new type of solution, often larger in scale and proportion than is expected. Using her background in economics, she has advocated for new  energy economic systems based on wind and solar power. By doing so, she hopes to draw both economic and environmental benefit for Native America. On her website, she also supports a crowd-funding initiative for solar energy, claiming that this new, unconventional method could prove to be a more effective means of financing solar energy. This shows a clear trend in LaDuke’s activism of being quick to embrace new and innovative methods to solve old problems. Rather than simply following in the footsteps of other native leaders before her, LaDuke clearly saw a vision of her own and pursued it, resulting in explosive success.

LaDuke with a solar panel as part of her clean energy initiative

Patience

Patience is one of Winona LaDuke’s most powerful qualities, and it is one of the driving forces behind her success. She exhibited patience from the beginning of her career as an activist, but also in her personal life. When she first moved to the White Earth reservation, for example, she was not accepted by the Ojibwe nation that she felt she belonged to. Rather than explosively confront this rejection and start a movement from the get-go, however, she bided her time. LaDuke worked at White Earth as a school principal and slowly got involved in local issues. She used her education in economics to help the reservation’s community, and then slowly transitioned into activism. Though she had been involved in activist groups since her undergraduate education at Harvard University, she worked patiently over the years to gradually establish a movement among her people, starting small and growing larger until groups from all over the nation became involved. As a Native leader, she tackles issues that have spanned centuries and will likely carry on for years. Attempting to rush these kinds of change would likely end in failure. While LaDuke still pursues great change, she takes her time, serving a higher purpose in looking to posterity. 

From LaDuke’s Acceptance Speech for Green Party V.P. Nomination Jun 25, 2000

Concern for her community 

Winona LaDuke’s leadership philosophy is highly community-oriented. Instead of leading from the front, her movements are often based within the community. Her first major ventures into activism came from within the local Ojibwe reservation at White Earth. Rather than just attempt to drive change by challenging an adverse outside environment, she has also chosen to focus on strengthening communities, preparing them for these adverse conditions. For example, to a greater extent than other leaders, LaDuke engages with youth. LaDuke has said, “We make sure the kids are part of everything. In most of America, it seems you don’t matter if you’re not between 25 and 50.” With her focus on youth, LaDuke targets  She frequently sets up and attends events to simply meet and discuss issues with communities all over America.

In the beginning of her career, LaDuke first devoted her energy to changing her personal community from within. Early on, she faced resistance to the White Earth Land Recovery project. “I need to deal with them because it affects other people where I live,” she said, referring to the power structure in her community.

Winona LaDuke engaging with local youth in the community

Winona LaDuke’s first major work as an activist was helping found the Indigenous Women’s Network, a platform that focuses on ensuring Native women have sovereignty over themselves and their environments. It is telling that instead of immediately trying to challenge their white oppressors, LaDuke valued strengthening the Indigenous community as a whole by targeting this deep social issue.

 

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Katie John (Athabaskan)- Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Atlantic Salmon | References

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Billy Frank Jr. – Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Fishing Rights in Alaska | References