The Obama Foundation has selected eight Native leaders from across Indian Country for a special program that focuses on leadership development and civic engagement.
The eight were among 205 people from 70 different nations selected for the 2024-2025 Obama Leaders program, including 100 people selected for the six-month Obama Foundation Leaders USA program.
“The initiative is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to expand their impact across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, fostering transformative change in their communities,” according to a statement released by the foundation.
“Leaders come together for weekly virtual sessions featuring subject matter experts, practitioners, case studies, and peer learning to deepen their leadership practice,” according to the website. “Leaders will discuss how to move from hope to action through practical tools and training on values-based leadership and strengthening democracy.”
The program focuses on emerging leaders who 24-45 years old. The seven Native people chosen for the program are:
*Emily Edenshaw, president and chief executive of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a statewide cultural center. With roots in Emmonak, Alaska, Edenshaw was adopted into the St’langng Laanas Thunderbird Raven clan in Old Massett, Haida Gwaii. She is a tribal citizen of the Native Village of Emmonak and a Doyon Limited and Calista Corporation shareholder. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she is researching Alaska Native Boarding School healing strategies. Edenshaw serves on multiple boards and commissions and was nominated by President Biden to serve on the National Council on the Humanities.
*Dustin Goslin, chief talent officer at Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, overseeing investment strategies for the more than 2,000 associates who primarily live and work in the Mille Lacs tribal economy in Minnesota. In his previous economic development role, Goslin oversaw more than $245 million in investments. His involvement in various workforce housing tax credit projects has been instrumental in enhancing the region’s economy.
*Sharen Kickingwoman, the policy, advocacy, and organizing director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana. where she built the first-ever community engagement program to address Indigenous justice and criminal legal reform. In her previous role as legislative assistant for Montana Sen. Jon Tester, she was tasked with finding legislative responses to the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis in Indian Country. Kickingwoman is a citizen of the A’aaniii and Blackfeet tribes and conducts her work in rural areas.
*Rhylee Marchand, an attorney for The Tulalip Tribes of Washington and a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation. She works to show all communities that they are stewards of their land by promoting tribal sovereignty, economic development, and natural resources preservation and restoration. She works directly with clients to purchase land for salmon restoration and drafts policies that support Indigenous children. She has been practicing Indian law since 2015, and is committed to civic engagement and teaching students that democratic participation is their primary responsibility.
*Nazune Menka, is an assistant professor of law and faculty director for the Center for Indian Law and Policy at Seattle University School of Law. Menka believes a more just and equitable society is possible through building coalitions and increasing self-determination for Native nations, peoples, and communities. Before joining Seattle University, Menka served as executive director of the Center for Indigenous Law and Justice at Berkeley Law, where she also served as supervising attorney for the Environmental Law Clinic and as the Tribal Cultural Resources Project Policy Fellow. Menka is Denaakk’e (Koyukon Athabaskan) and Lumbee.
*Elizabeth Rule, deputy secretary for First Nations for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the highest-ranking Indigenous affairs role in the state. Rule supports Indigenous self-determination and well-being and fosters diplomatic relations between the state and the nine Indigenous nations within its borders. She is working on three policy initiatives: addressing derogatory depictions of Indigenous peoples in the state Capitol, introducing new rules for child welfare proceedings, and expanding health care resources for clinics on Indigenous lands. Rule, PhD. is also an author, scholar, and professor of Native American Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. She is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.
*Sheldon Spotted-Elk, senior director of Judicial and National Engagement at Casey Family Programs, an organization focused on improving the well-being of children and families. Sheldon works closely with court systems to promote best practices in child welfare, including family preservation and reunification strategies. He also provides support to many Indian Child Welfare Act courts to improve outcomes for Indian families. Sheldon also serves as a judge on the Ute Indian Tribe Court of Appeals. He and his two sons are Tsistah and citizens of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe from Lame Deer, Montana. Northern Cheyenne.
*Abby Mashunkashey, Osage Nation director of Communications, is Wahzhazhe from the Pawhuska District. Strengthening sovereignty is at the center of her social marketing work. She amplifies the significant societal contributions of Tribal Nations, a testament to their resilience and strength, and celebrates Indigenous culture. A storyteller at heart and trade, she believes that shared respect and reciprocity strengthen communities and enhance the quality of life for all. READ MORE.
*The list has been updated to include Abby Mashunkashey.
Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT’s free newsletter