Boozhoo and About Me!

Boozhoo! Hello!

WHO AM I?

I'm a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in Northern Minnesota. I'm also a Realtor with Bridge Realty based in the Twin Cities, and I'm combining those aspects of myself, along with my military service, Masters's in Public Health, and life experience to help give back to the tribe that has given so much to me.

I was raised in the Twin Cities, left briefly to join the Army, but came back and bought my home in Richfield in 2008. Leech Lake, along with the GI Bill, helped pay for my Bachelor's Degree from Metro State in 2010, and subsequently, my Master's in 2013. 

My tribal enrollment also gave me a job at the Bureau of Indian Education where I learned so much about my Tribe and the other midwestern Tribes our office supported. The amazing people I worked with taught me more about my culture than I had learned in my first 25 years of life.

I left the BIE after graduation and moved into prevention work for the Minnesota National Guard, where I have been in various roles for the last eight years. I started in Army Substance Abuse Prevention, and moved up to the state lead for Substance and Suicide Prevention, before leaving to start a similar initiative at the 133rd Air Wing. I moved back to Army to support Family Programs, and today I am an Army Preventionist with a focus on Family Violence and Abuse Prevention.

Military violence prevention is my full-time job and vocational passion, but there are many overlaps in the Guard community that parallel struggles in Ojibwe culture, which makes sense as Native Americans have historically served in the military at higher per capita rates than any other American demographic. But I'm doing this in addition to my primary job, as a means of giving back, as was intended by the scholarships my tribe gave me years ago.

WHY AM I HERE?

On a motorcycle ride north this October, I had a realization: My ancestors didn't survive Minnesota winters in Wigwams for me to suffer from seasonal depression in the suburbs. I need a bigger purpose and I need to bring my people up with me. 

All of my life experience has shown me how the Minnesota Ojibwe people (and many other tribal people across Minnesota and the Nation) have been held back by the generational trauma of land grabs by the federal government, histories of tribal council corruption and a lack of support at the most local levels to help raise Native people up to get back what was once ours. 

My initiative is to give that power back, one person and one property at a time. I want to use my knowledge, skills, and abilities to mentor our people into homeownership and breaking these generational curses; to guide them through the complex rules of the game as written by our consumer-driven economy; and to ultimately shift our culture from one of dependence on the institutions that have failed us into one of the power, asssertion, and self-reliance that I know we, as a people, are capable of.

HOW WILL I DO IT?

This blog will share personal stories of overcoming obstacles of ownership because I believe sharing my own past vulnerabilities and lessons is like being a guide on a path I've already walked. 

It will do deep dives into various aspects of the path to homeownership - everything from budgeting and credit score to loan pre-approval v. pre-qualification to how to find the home that best fits your season of life. 

It will reference grant and support programs that are unique to Minnesota and Ojibwe culture, but really, a lot of these lessons will be applicable to anyone trying to move into ownership someday. 

I understand the path to homeownership isn't a single focus. It includes everything from mental health support, career stability, financial literacy, and other components of the Eight Dimensions of Wellness and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to be understood and developed to create a life where home ownership is a blessing and not a curse, and I want to support you in all of it while encouraging connection to outside experts to facilitate all-around life improvements.

Ultimately, I want to utilize my position as a Realtor not to make quick sales, but to mentor people who are willing to do the work to come up into home ownership. I want to have monthly budget meetings with you, answer your questions about the process, and guide you to the financial, emotional, and powerful position where you can create a wish list for your home needs and find one to buy. This is me giving back, not generating income, so please reach out if you'd be an ideal candidate for my one-on-one vision!

WHERE WILL I FOCUS?

My primary focus is on Twin Cities' urban Ojibwe population because it's the place I know best and the people I want to support. But I also have the unique understanding and passion to help military Veterans, single moms, and victims of domestic abuse. I hope to move my focus north into supporting more ownership on and near the various reservations of Northern Minnesota, but geography is still a weak spot for me, and something I will continue to seek to learn.

But really, I'm willing to help anyone who is willing to focus on the work. I'm here as a guide, support, and cheerlead for your growth and unique goals.

So join me on a new journey that I'm sure will take different shapes as we go, but I'm grateful for your support and encouragement along the way!