Our Impact
Meet Our Students
ADVANCING OUR INTERESTS
"...it brings together Indigenous people...to critically think about things and get into those uncomfortable spaces.. as a group of young Indigenous leaders trying to advance our interests. If you want to talk about building nations... this is the place to be."
Kluane Adamek (Kluane First Nation)
Director of Government Relations, Northwestel
THE NEXT STEP
"JIT has offered a lot of insight into how other tribal communities have dealt with issues... how tribes have pursued their identity and demonstrated self-determination. The next step is trying to see if we can make those efforts in our community too."
Mikhail Sundust (Gila River)
Acting Managing Editor, Gila River Indian News
SEVEN GENERATIONS
"The seven generations behind me, I want to be there to help them lead a good path. The level of teaching here is beyond any scope that I've seen."
Louis de Jaeger (Red River Settlement Michif)
President, Stó:lō: Business Association
TOOLS FOR MY PEOPLE
"When I take courses in professional development it really re-ignites my fire, my passion. What do I want to do moving forward? How can use what I learn here, the tools, for my people?"
Nicole Charley (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs)
Executive Assistant, Office of the Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
PARADIGM SHIFT
"...I've actually had a shift, like a paradigm shift, which is [an] incredible thing to happen to somebody that's been working for over 20 years in Indian Country..."
Elva "Cookie" Allen
Owner, Advanced Management Strategies
IMPLEMENTATION
"Power, self-governance, and self-determination...now I know the information to back it up and how to implement that with the nation."
Rachel Hood (Yavapai-Apache Nation)
Councilwoman, Yavapai-Apache Nation
CULTURAL MATCH
"[JIT] gives another perspective of self-governance and what strong institutions are in our communities and how those can culturally match or culturally fit in terms of their relationships within the wider communities."
Dean Jarrett (Gumbaynggirr), PhD Candidate and Fulbright Fellow, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
STRUGGLE OF OUR PEOPLE
"It was really powerful, seeing the the work they're doing on an international level. It's a good feeling, coming from what my parents have gone through, the struggle of our people... and then having two kids and looking to the future. It really touched home for me to be a part of this program."
Kandice Charlie (Xaxli'p Community (St'at'imc Nation) and Sts'ailes Nation)
NATION-BUILDING REVOLUTION
"We bring in faculty, people who have a variety of experience and depth, and in this nation-building revolution that has been going on, many of the lessons that they share are stories from Indian Country."
Professor Jaime Pinkham (Nez Perce)
Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
EMPOWERING FOR ALL COMMUNITIES
"Learning about what other communities are doing is always really empowering for all communities...I can bring a lot of those stories forward to different people."
Pah-tu Pitt (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs)
Community Engagement Specialist, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES
"When you're here, you meet people from all different communities...around the world. That's learning that you can't get in very many places."
Joy Cramer (Sagkeeng First Nation)
Director of Indigenous Programs, Simon Fraser University
SELF-DETERMINE AND MOVE FORWARD
"...it's a movement to propel Indian country to self-determine and move forward. The concept of self-determination is afforded to us and its up to us to pick up that mantle to do whatever is culturally appropriate for our community."
Derrick Leslie (White Mountain Apache Nation)
Higher Education Coordinator, White Mountain Apache Nation
ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION
"When you have a full-time schedule at work and are taking care of your children, it's really hard to access educational opportunities...I attended to have this opportunity at an educational institution to challenge your thinking on how you work with Indigenous populations..."
Candida Hunter (Hualapai Tribe)
Senior Director of Tribal Affairs, First Things First
EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES
"The class was a mix of attorneys, an elder, a judge... a good mix of people who aren't doing exactly what I'm doing... which expands your opportunity to learn."
Melissa Borton (Chignik Lagoon Tribe)
Tribal Administrator, Chignik Lagoon Tribe