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Building Sovereignty Through Knowledge…
This month, I’m reflecting on what sovereignty means beyond legal status. For me — as an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation — sovereignty is about what we do with what we know.
It’s not just a word on a tribal resolution or a federal document. It’s the action of building up our communities — educating ourselves and each other — so we can lead, protect, and prepare the next generation.
This month, during Native American Heritage Month, I’m not only honoring our traditions…
In the work I do — compliance, background screening, adjudications— it all circles back to one thing: protecting what matters most. And there is no resource more precious, more sacred, more worthy of protection than our children.
Sovereignty is Shared Knowledge
Our Nations are sovereign — we are sovereign — and our power multiplies when we share what we’ve learned. I’ve seen firsthand how a single training, a single conversation, a single “Did you know?” moment can ripple out across a whole community.
That’s why I don’t gatekeep what I know. I teach it. I train it. I pass it on.
Because when we understand the systems that impact our people — the justice systems, employment systems, security systems — we can step into those spaces fully equipped.
We can build better. We can lead better. We can protect better.
Real Tools for Real Protection
Every training I create is designed to serve a greater purpose:
- To help Tribes and organizations protect their communities
- To ensure compliance without compromising culture
- To center Indigenous values in systems often not built for us
So whether you’re working in HR, compliance, law enforcement, or tribal governance — you belong in this conversation. Our sovereignty depends on knowing how to operate both within and beyond federal systems — and then shaping them to better serve our people.
What We Can Do Right Now
- Learn how background checks really work — and how they can protect, or harm, our people.
- Take the training. Then take it back to your community.
- Encourage your teams to learn through an Indigenous lens — one that honors sovereignty and protects dignity.
- Ask questions. Ask again. And never stop learning.
Because when we understand the system, we can change the system. And when we share that knowledge? We multiply protection.
Michele’s Tip of the Month
“Celebrate sovereignty by protecting your people. Learn the systems. Teach the systems. Change the systems.”
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Behind the Investigation: Real Stories. Real Lessons.
Building Sovereignty Through Knowledge… This month, I’m reflecting on what sovereignty means beyond legal status. For me —
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