Opinion | By Lindsey X. Watchman, chair of the CTUIR General Council

‘ee’ysni’n heetewit leeheyn oykalo (happy Valentine’s Day, everyone) from your General Council. Prayers this month for heightened compassion, care and love shown to one another in our small tribal community. Every one of us holds a basic human need for affection from others, and for our concerns to be heard.

To that end, “Open Mic” has returned to the General Council regular meeting agenda.  This is an unrestricted time for members to share their experiences, knowledge and concerns about any topic for the good of the people. All concerns brought up before the Council, including past and future motions, will be acted upon.

I thank the Board of Trustees (BOT) members and the executive director (and staff) beforehand, for their due diligence to bring closure to any outstanding community matter, with the hope that it leads to realignment towards togetherness, not divisiveness. And thank you, General Council members, for your courage to share your concerns. Our primary goal is to provide all attendees with a safe, learning environment. And of course, carry your voice on.

During our January meeting, council members individually listed five top priorities they felt should be immediately addressed and considered at the BOT retreat. There were no real surprises or additions to our collective list, as most have already been identified in the past. Once ranked and summarized, the General Council will share the final retreat report (our “marching orders”, if you will).  Also, a shout-out to Althea Huesties-Wolf, who provided the annual Yellowhawk update and is completing her final term as chair of the Health Commission.

At our February meeting, the CTUIR (draft) Energy Strategy will be discussed. And over the course of several meetings, we will altogether brainstorm elements of a General Council Communications Plan to guide current and future interactions with the entire membership, whether living on or off the rez.

In closing, know that each of your perspectives is valuable…and that your involvement and feedback are critical to ensuring we create procedures which will provide for meaningful, timely engagement on any topic needing discussion amongst us.

This is your forum, and your officers will ensure to facilitate your concerns to the best of our abilities. Please let us know how we’re doing and how we can improve as representatives of your voice. Emails welcome at GeneralCouncil@ctuir.org.

Yox kalo.

Lindsey X. Watchman, chair of the CTUIR General Council