Indian tribes in the United States have a distinct political status that sets them apart from other minorities. This status is political in nature, giving them sovereignty recognized by the courts. Indian tribes engage with the federal government on a nation-to-nation basis, which distinguishes them from state, city, and county authorities. This political tie shields them from strict scrutiny concerning race, as they are politically connected to their tribes. Unlike other minorities, Indian tribes are not striving for equality or the American dream but focus on rebuilding their nations within the United States while seeking fair treatment and access.
On this episode, Jodi Archambault, a member of the Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota tribes, joins the podcast to share her experiences as an activist, government official, and someone who has lived amidst many cultures. While this podcast is primarily dominated by a western and US point of view, there is a huge variety of perspectives and social models we neglect and can learn from. The many different indigenous tribes within the North American continent each have a unique viewpoint and are widely recognized as leading lives that are more in tune with the Earth - known to the Lakota people as Grandmother Earth. Can we learn to respect nature not as things to be exploited and used, but rather as living relatives that are too sacred to be sold?
About Jodi Archambault:
Jodi Archambault is currently the Director of Indigenous Peoples Initiatives at Wend Collective, a social impact fund working across sectors to create positive change. Prior to joining Wend, Ms. Archambault was a Policy Advisor at Sonosky, Chambers & Sachse, a national Native American rights law firm. Between 2009 and 2015, she was a political appointee for President Barack Obama. During her tenure in the Obama Administration, Ms. Archambault served as the Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Ms. Archambault holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/62-jodi-archambault