Tom Goldtooth
Executive Director Indigenous Environmental network (IEN)
Tom is Dine’ and Dakota and lives in Minnesota. Since the late 1980’s, Tom has been involved with environmental related issues and programs working within Tribal governments in developing Indigenous-based environmental protection infrastructures. Tom works with Indigenous peoples worldwide. Tom is known as one of the environmental justice movement grassroots leaders in North America addressing toxics and health, mining, energy, climate, water, globalization, sustainable development and Indigenous rights issues. Tom is one of the founders of the Durban Group for Climate Justice; co-founder of Climate Justice NOW!; a co-founder of the U.S. based Environmental Justice Climate Change initiative and a member of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change that operates as the Indigenous caucus within the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. Tom is a policy adviser to Indigenous communities on environmental protection and more recently on climate policy focusing on mitigation, adaptation and concerns of false solutions. Email: ien@igc.org Bemidji, MN 56619 Tel: (218) 751-4967
Peggy Wellknown Buffalo
FOUNDing Executive director The Center Pole
Peggy Wellknown Buffalo "Ba La Se She Lesh " (She Who Wears the Money) grew up traditional Crow. Sent away to Indian boarding schools at a young age, she has nurtured more than 200 children in her home as an adult. She practices the Crow sweat lodge and has sponsored numerous Native American Church prayer meetings. She is the first woman in recent times to sponsor four sun dances to pray for her critically-ill grand daughter.
Susan Kelly
program director The center pole and founder kelly foundation
Susan "Dek Gash Bish" (Woman Eagle) helped Peggy create the Center Pole in 1999, bringing practical skills to blend with traditional ways. Originally a photo editor, researcher, writer and project manager in the publishing industry, she brought up multicultural children and worked providing promising youth with opportunities for many years. Her motto: "Start where you are...Use what you have...Do what you can." ~Arthur Ashe