Opinion | By Monica Paradise, Board of Trustees Secretary
I hope this message finds you all well, and your new year is starting off right. I am finding my footing as I navigate my new role as Board of Trustees secretary, and I wanted to reach out to share more about myself and express my enthusiasm for serving in this role for our tribal government, our community and our people.
For starters, I come from the Pond family. My grandfather is Ronald “Rooney” Pond, my grandma Anna Jane “Jainey” Wilkinson Pond, and my father is Clifford “Punky” Pond. My grandparents instilled in me their love for this community, our people and the land as well as our promise. They always reminded me of our “laws” of life, our Tamánwit.
I’ve overcome many hardships and faced barriers, as many of our people have, but it has inspired me to learn all I can so that I can give back to the community and our people. I believe that when one of our own wins, we all win. I was inspired by my grandfather Rooney, to pursue my education and utilize it to understand policies, procedures, and operations. I earned my master’s degree in legal studies of federal Indian law, which primarily involves understanding and exercising our autonomy and inherent rights. I wanted to put my education to use and, instead of only learning about policy, implement policy grounded in our traditions, knowledge, culture, history, innovation and advancing technology. I am honored to pick up the torch from past leaders and carry it as we plan for our future generations, including the grandchildren’s grandchildren and children we may never meet or know, but who are always at the forefront of our minds.
I look forward to the next couple of years and to learning more about the efforts underway to advance our tribes, economy and wellness.
