Cowlitz Wisdom

It is an honor and privilege to be part of the first group of Cowlitz talking about the Wisdom of our Elders. We owe everything to our ancestors and family. I look forward to this great endeavor on behalf of the Cowlitz People.

Due to my deep involvement in our tribal fight for federal recognition, I strive to be a bridge for younger Cowlitz to the identity and values that held us together as a people through that century-and-a-half struggle. I try to be about respect, communication, persistence, and faith to move us toward what is right.

I am a proud Cowlitz and the descendant of a long line of Cowlitz that sacrificed tremendously to bring us where we are today. I honor and lift my hands up 🙌 to those ancestors who came before us. We honor our past, present and future generations of Cowlitz through our teachings.

I come from a family of “doers”. We see problems, look for solutions and take actions to address them. This is all directed to the love of our Cowlitz family. I had a career in the field of Human Resources Management. I began as a clerk typist with the state and progressed to Human Resources Manager over a span of 30 years. I was the main one in the office who dealt with the most complex employee issues. Those included disciplinary matters, discrimination complaints, grievances, lawsuits and others. I am also a senior mediator of 20 years with the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center. In joining our elders' efforts to improve access to information on historical and current events, I hope to apply my problem-solving skills to this important cause. I don’t want our history to be lost to my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and generations to come. There are so many stories to be told. Thank you for listening!

 My life as a Cowlitz – Hawaiian elder has been a progressive journey of growth and purpose drawn from my traditional teachings, my connection to my ancestors, and a special bond with nature and spirituality. I have dedicated my life’s work to “making things right”. My 20-year career as the manager for a large customer service center “making things right” either made or broke the company’s success. Years of volunteer work for legal and social advocacy to be a voice for battered women and abandoned youth has led me to become a voice for the Cowlitz People. I try to bring awareness to the things that may be important to the People.