Q&A with Jodi Archambault

In honor of Women’s History Month, we spoke with Jodi Archambault (Hunkpapa & Oglala Lakota), a nationally recognized advocate & artist, and former Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs. Without her, there would be no Generation-Indigenous movement, which helped pave the way for CNAY’s work today.

You led the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) movement and initiative during your time in the Obama Administration, which led to much of the work CNAY encompasses now, from the Gen-I challenge to Champions for Change, for example. Over the past decade, you’ve witnessed the growth of youth leadership and advocacy by CNAY and other organizations. What has it been like watching these efforts evolve, and what progress gives you the most hope for the next generation of Native leaders?

Watching our young people rise has been genuinely inspiring. Today’s Native youth carry so much pride in who they are. They’re not weighed down as much by the conflicting messages that shaped my generation, which was still so close to the wounds of institutional abuse like boarding schools. These young people lead with their nations’ values front and center, and in doing so, they’re pointing the way toward a healthier, more powerful future for everyone who comes after them. That shift is everything.

You’ve held roles across federal policy, advocacy, and community leadership. What advice would you give to Native youth who are just beginning their careers in public policy or public service?

Go back to your nation and serve your people so you know what you are talking about. You can read all the books and sit through all the lectures, but there’s no substitute for showing up in your community and learning firsthand what you’re actually fighting for. It’s not always easy, but standing with your community and learning from your elders while you still have the chance is something you will never regret. Especially if your elders still speak the language. That time is precious.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, which Indigenous matriarchs or women leaders come to mind when you think about those who paved the way for the work you do today?

First and foremost: my mother, Betty Archambault, and my grandmothers. Some of the women who shaped me beyond my family are Suzan Harjo, Madonna Thunderhawk, Nellie RedOwl, Cecelia Fire Thunder, Elizabeth Little Elk, Zona Loans Arrow. Each of them left a mark on who I am and how I move through this work.

Advocating for Indian Country can carry great responsibility and emotional weight. What message of hope or guidance would you share with Native youth who want to make a difference in their communities?

Your outlook is your greatest asset. Being of service to your community is one of the greatest acts in being Indigenous. We are not defined by the stories others tell about us. When we root our advocacy in time-tested Indigenous values and ways of life, we are at our most powerful. Nothing can stop us.

You’ve spent much of your career working on issues that deeply affect Native communities. How do you stay grounded and take care of yourself while doing this important work?

Ceremony keeps me grounded. Practicing the spirituality that survived every attempt to erase it is a source of strength I return to again and again. Beyond that, I’ve come to believe that understanding yourself- your patterns, your body, your spirit- is one of the greatest gifts you can give your community. So much of how we move through the world is shaped by history, but when we acknowledge that honestly, we get to make new choices. We get to build something better for the next generation. There’s no single path to knowing yourself, just stay open to the journey.

Jodi is a nationally recognized advocate and artist who sees her work as a manifestation of her love for Lakota and Dakota ways and her profound respect for other Native People’s cultures and the global human experience.

Jodi obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Government at Dartmouth College and her Masters in Public Administration from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. She is a former Bush Leadership Fellow, and now serves on the Board of Directors for the Trust for Public Land.