letter

Vol 8, No. 1 Winter 2005

Board of Directors

Edgar A. Bowen (Coos), Coos Bay, Ore.
Mary Jo Butterfield (Makah), Neah Bay, Wash.
Michael Chapman (Menominee), Keshena, Wis.
Kate Cherrington (Maori) Hamilton, New Zealand
Amanda Cobb (Chickasaw), Albuquerque, N.M.
Andrew Ebona (Tlingit), Juneau, Ala.
Coy Eklund, New York, N.Y.
Jeanne Givens (Coeur D’Alene), Coeur D’Alene, Idaho
LaDonna Harris (Comanche), Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
Minerva Jenkins (Mohave), Needles, Calif.
Louie LaRose (Winnebago), Winnebago, Neb.
David Lester (Creek), Denver, Colo.
Charles Lohah (Osage), Hominy, Okla.
Grace McCullah-Ryan (Navajo), Arroya Seco, N.M.
Lewis Moeau (Maori) Hamilton, New Zealand
Puka Moeau (Maori) Hamilton, New Zealand
Jerry Muskrat (Cherokee), San Diego, Calif.
Bentham Ohia (Maori) Hamilton, New Zealand
Phyllis Old Dog Cross (Mandan-Hidatsa), Parshall, N.D.
Elma Patterson (Tuscarora), Lewiston, N.Y.
Ivan Posey (Eastern Shoshone), Fort Washakie, Wyo.
Faith Roessel (Navajo), Bethesda, Md.
Joe Sando (Jemez Pueblo), Albuquerque, N.M.
Gilbert Thompson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw), Choctaw, Miss.
Eddie Tullis (Poarch Creek), Atmore, Ala.
Judy Winchester (Pokagon Band Potawatomi), Dowagiac, Mich

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Thirty-five years, one-hundred and fifty-two Ambassadors, and my greatest pride is the AIO family, continuously growing and stretching across the globe. As we enter this landmark year, I hope you will join Americans for Indian Opportunity, as we pause, reflect and renew.

Pausing to acknowledge the changing world and the immense change that has come about from natural and man made disasters, while reflecting upon the impact that AIO has had over the years. AIO celebrates its 35 th anniversary by designating it to be a year of renewal. “Continuous renewal is necessary,” the words of our dear friend and Ambassador Program Advisor, John Gardner.

AIO uses a four-year cycle for renewal, assessment and development because the number four has significant meaning in many Native American cultures. The number four has religious powers. Related to the four cardinal directions, four is spiritually important. Four is used to signify more than numeric value alone. For example, in the Comanche language the word hyaarokwetū means both the number “four” and to convey that something is “just right.”

AIO has always been governed by assessing the past, studying future trends and positioning AIO to address new challenges. Some of our board members have been with us since the beginning, some have come along over the years, many of the newest members hail from the Ambassadors Program. Ambassadors will take us into the future. We must work with the Ambassador Alliance to articulate the change in future trends and how AIO will figure into that. New needs are arising from Indigenous communities and new solutions are needed, requiring a new level of consciousness.

2005 will include a strategic planning session in which AIO will create a strategy for the future, establishing new roles and responsibilities. Evaluating our programs and examining the needs of Indigenous communities is necessary for AIO to continue being a catalyst for new ideas and innovative methods of problem solving. The year also marks a new home for AIO. AIO’s tradition of change continues.

Warmest regards,

LaDonna Harris

Traditional Wisdom, Today’s Strength, Tomorrow’s Vision