Winds of Change - 2017 National Conference Wrap-Up - 6

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Hattie Kauffman
SHARES AND INSPIRES

Before the keynote speech, partner organizations shared several
instructive videos and important announcements. Melvin
Monette (above, right), president and executive director of
Indigenous Education Inc., spoke about the Cobell Scholarship
program, which his company administers. He let students know
that there is now a one-stop shop for funding specifically for
indigenous students at cobellscholar.org, where you can link to
sites like AISES and the American Indian College Fund.
Like Cobell funding, UNITY (United National Indian
Tribal Youth) empowers young people. That was
the message of Mary Kim Titla, UNITY CEO, in
describing the organization's National Council,
comprising representatives from 10 regions, and
the UNITY 25 Under 25 program, which
recognizes young leaders. She also took the
opportunity at the conference to launch a new
phase of the organization's free UNITY Wellness
Warrior app, which now includes a wellness
tracker to monitor physical, social, spiritual,
and mental development through daily entries.
The goal is to help Native young people lead
healthy, balanced lives in accordance with the
shared traditional value of being a well-rounded person.
Tracy Monteith (left) from Microsoft

explained his role in supporting
better communications for tribes and
tribal citizens and ensuring that
broadband signals reach across tribal
lands. He described the company's
Skype for Good and Skype in the
Classroom programs, which enrich
student experiences in far-flung
classrooms by enabling teachers to
connect with guest speakers, like Microsoft technology professionals; arrange for virtual field trips; and much more.
Erik Stegman (right, top), executive director

of the Center for Native American Youth at the
Aspen Institute, and Dr. Erik Brodt (right,
bottom) from We Are Healers stepped up to
urge AISES members
to join the Gen-I
(Generation Indigenous)
Challenge by sharing

what they are doing or
want to do to inspire
other Native young
people to move into health professions and
other important STEM careers. To join the
initiative text IAMGENI to 33222.
6 WINDS OF CHANGE * Denver » 2017 National Conference Wrap-Up

Four-time Emmy Award-winning news correspondent
Hattie Kauffman (above), Nez Perce, captivated the audience
with her remarkable personal story. As children, Kauffman
and her siblings were impoverished and neglected, often left
to fend for themselves in an apartment in the projects in
Seattle, far from family on the Nez Perce Reservation where
she spent her early childhood.
From the people who helped and inspired her, she learned
lessons and developed principles that helped her make the big
leap to the University of Minnesota, where she was able to see a
path forward. "The difference between a C and an A is doing a
bit more," she reflected.
Kauffman told stories of how a few people "doing a bit
more" changed her life, and of how when she did a bit more at
crucial points, she changed her own life and that of the people
around her. "When someone does a little bit more for you, you
do a little bit more for yourself," she said.
As a 17-year-old freshman and member of the American
Indian Movement on campus, she was attending a meeting
when the group was asked if someone would like to represent
their position in a regular short segment on the campus radio
station. No one moved, so she raised her hand - a brave step,
but one that eventually led to the next step and the next step
and a career in broadcast journalism. "I've had a great, big
career," she said. "You have no idea how many doors can open if
you do a little bit more. Raise your hand, do that little bit more."
After the Opening Ceremony, Kauffman generously spent
time with conference attendees and signed copies of her
autobiography, Falling into Place: A Memoir of Overcoming.
She left the audience, urging that attendees should "tiptoe past
the job description in all parts of your life. Walk with the
Creator. Someone you don't even know may let you know that
you inspired them."

aises.org

http://www.cobellscholar.org http://www.aises.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Winds of Change - 2017 National Conference Wrap-Up