The Intertribal Agriculture Council was founded in 1987 to pursue and promote the conservation, development and use of our agricultural resources for the betterment of our people.
We only accomplish the above, because of the people we serve. Right now, we are seeking two Technical Assistance Specialists (TAs) to serve the Eastern Region and Great Plains Region of the IAC network. Below, some IAC TA team members took some time to share why they take their roles so seriously. They look forward to all regional positions being filled! We simply want to encourage readers of this newsletter to share the TA story and the job opportunities with your networks.
IAC will be accepting applications for the Eastern Region TA and Great Plains Region TA until February 1.
Thank you for being part of the IAC family and for the honor of serving you! The following are some ways that inspire TAs to do the work they do each day:
“We’re working to ensure folks can maintain a lifeway of historic importance (community, tradition, culture, and family) that ironically is the very cornerstone of modernity and essential to the continued success in a vastly different landscape than that of our ancestors.” – Steven Bond Southern Plains/Eastern Oklahoma Region TA
“The privilege of working for an organization to inspire and ignite a passion for agriculture through innovative approaches geared towards well-earned successes by our next generation’s leaders across Indian Country is why I love my role as a Technical Assistant Specialist,” Matt Denetclaw – Navajo Region TA
“Being a TA Specialist with the Intertribal Agriculture Council is about growing strong and lasting working relationships. It’s about bridge building and catalyzing engagement with critical resources that bolster resilience in Tribal food systems. I wake up grateful every day to work for an organization with such far-reaching and identifiable impacts in Indian Country and beyond,” Keir Johnson-Reyes – National TA Lead/TA for Pacific Region
“What inspires me about the work I do is witnessing producers who have struggled with the realities of intergenerational hardships overcome these challenges. I honor those producers by ensuring access to needed resources to improve and strengthen their livelihood and culture.” Desbah Padilla – Southwest Region TA
“Working as a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Alaska Region is very much the realization of a dream job for me, it provides the opportunity to work directly with Tribes and Tribal members across the state to accomplish their goals around food security and food sovereignty. I am very grateful to be able to contribute to this important work, and strongly believe that food is the foundation for identity, culture, economy, and health. Through this position, I am able to share what I have learned through my many years of gardening, farming, and community organizing to help others have access to locally grown food. I can’t think of anything that matters more.” Tikaan Galbreath – Alaska Region TA
IAC Leadership agrees – there is little more important than strengthening Indian Country agriculture.
“Our TA network is so valuable because they are connected directly to our membership on a daily basis. They are out face-to-face in their communities assisting individuals and groups by disseminating information and gathering concerns that are of the IAC’s mission. Our TAs possess the working knowledge of their Regional Tribal operations, procedures, and policies, which are key when delivering information related to Indian agriculture policies and programs. Our 34-year history of being connected to our membership enables us to know them and realize where we can be a voice for effective change in Indian Agriculture. The TAs ensure the work at other levels has a meaningful impact on the ground,” Kari Jo Lawrence, Director of Programs
“As a tribal producer, there is nothing more welcome than a passionate, considerate, and willing to help friend. That is the void of agriculture that our TA network fills. Our specialists are skilled and diligent. They find innovative solutions that address issues our producers experience across the industry, ensuring a brighter and even more rewarding future for Indian agriculture.” Kelsey Ducheneaux – Natural Resource Director
Connect with an IAC TA serving your area: www.indianag.org/technicalassistance