Although it has not been an easy road to take, this mother, grandmother, and national Tribal leader says it has been a most rewarding and positive experience one that has definitely made a difference!
"As one tribal member once told me, "it seems like you are just like the salmon, you are always having to go against the current." It has always been my destiny to overcome great odds and obstacles but given my choices, I would not have changed anything working for my people is the most rewarding thing I could have done," says Susan Masten, Yurok tribal chairperson and president of the National Congress of American Indians. Working two jobs to put herself through Oregon State University, Masten credits her life-long role models for giving her the strength and determination to balance her educational and cultural goals. "My role models are my maternal grandparents and my mother, Lavina Bowers. I do not recall ever hearing my grandparents speak badly about anyone. My mother instilled confidence and self worth to each of us. She always assured us that we could be and accomplish anything we wanted to in life," proudly states Masten. That held true for the five Masten children who all graduated from college. Masten's background is certainly impressive. She served as one of the first Oregon State University Native American Club presidents, then after graduation moved to the Bay area.Masten worked for United Indian Development Association (UIDA) as the promotion and marketing specialist, and returned to the Yurok Reservation during the "Salmon Wars" of 1978 when the theme of the day was "can an Indian save a Salmon." "It was my uncle's Supreme Court case Mattz v. Arnett that reaffirmed the fishing rights for the Klamath Basin Tribes. I was involved in fishery negotiations from 1978 to 1994 and have had the honor to serve Tribal people in fishery issues and government on the national level for the past 23 years," says Masten. Now in her second three-year term as Yurok chairperson and at the end of the first two-year terms as President of the NCAI, Masten identifies infrastructure development as the most important issue facing Native Americans today. "We need infrastructure development such as telephone services, electricity, and running water before we can even begin to compete in the business world. Our people will never be self-sufficient until we create economic stability for our communities. Infrastructure must be developed and we must create incentives to bring investment capital to Indian Country," argues Masten. Masten predicts that during the next few years, Native Americans will be challenged as a sovereign people and for our place in the 21st Century. As a national leader and Tribal chairperson, Masten hopes to bring federal, corporate, and private agencies together to continue to remove economic barriers for American Indian businesses, which she argues will result in economic wholeness for Native communities. "By encouraging business development on Indian reservations to employ our people, we will ensure that we create healthy sustainable communities," says Masten. So what are some of the solutions to problems facing Native Americans today? One of the first, says Masten, is educating Congress and Congressional staffers on Native American issues and the importance of treaty and sovereign rights for Native peoples. National Indian organizations can be influential in this process through lobbying Congress on bills, pushing for assurance of the government-to-government relationship among the federal government and American Indian Tribes, and through consultation on new and current issues that can affect Tribes. National Indian organizations are also the "watchdogs" for Indian Country and have the power and capability to alert Tribes of possible upcoming problems. "I'm a firm believer that when you have capabilities as individuals or organizations, you have responsibilities to be a part of making your communities healthier and more prosperous," says Masten. The first ceremony she participated in was the Yurok Brush Dance, when she was 11 years old. "My tradition, culture, and religion are very important parts of my life, and I have the responsibility to care for my family's basket collection and dance regalia. I also have a wonderful husband Leonard who I have shared my life with for the past 21 years, two great grandchildren, a daughter, Crystal, and son, Greg," Masten adds. "I believe that the Creator gave me many talents and brought many challenges and trials my way to better prepare me to make a difference for our people. I hope in the process that I have brought honor and dignity to my Tribe and people across Indian Country," says Masten. -- Andr� Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes (http://www.americanindianonline.com) COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN INDIANS/NATIVE AMERICANS/ALASKAN NATIVES & HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS. For news of interest to Natives subscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/NativeAmericanNews/subscribe/?location=listinfo Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. 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