Exploring the 2024 ACE Institute Conference

 The 2024 ACE (Association of Cooperative Educators) Institute Conference was recently held at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Mandan, North Dakota.  This year’s theme was ‘Cultivating Cooperation’ and featured cooperative educators and professionals from around the US and Canda.  The stunning location was chosen not only for its beautiful setting but also because of the rich history of cooperatives in North Dakota. It provided a unique opportunity to explore new dimensions of cooperative excellence, drawing inspiration from the values and successes that have shaped this region for generations.

The Dakota Indian tribal leaders kicked off a phenomenal opening presentation, “Economic Development, Community Building, and Nation-Building in Native Communities” with panelists Carly Bad Heart Bull, Joseph McNeil, and Lakota Vogel.  These three Lakota natives discussed the positive strides their respective organizations have been making within their tribes.

Carly is working on many philanthropic works to help bring funds, particularly grant funds, to the Lakota tribes.  She believes the disconnect lies with all humans and we can get back to the land and work together to make positive changes.  Through the Native Ways Federation, Carly works with other Indigenous peoples to activate and expand informed giving to Native-led nonprofits in Indian Country through donor education and advocacy.  Native Ways was founded in 2008, a group of seven national Native-led nonprofit organizations to activate and expand informed giving to nonprofits in Indian Country through donor education and advocacy.

Lakota is the Executive Director at Four Bands Community Fund. In this role, Lakota provides leadership for Four Bands, establishes new and fosters existing partnerships, and leads and manages efforts to reach organizational goals. Prior to becoming the Executive Director, Lakota served as the Assistant Director at Four Bands for five years. She works with CDFI’s to help native tribal people gain access to home loans and other lending needs.  She is passionate about helping more people to take charge of their financial independence and put them in charge of their finances, all while unifying the communities.

Joe McNeil is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the president of Standing Rock Development Corporation and manager for Rock Industries Corp. in Ft. Yates, North Dakota. He was recently awarded the Bush Foundation Fellowship for leadership, as well at the MIT Oceti Sakowin Fellows Tribal Community Innovation, and is an activist for Indigenous rights and community economic development.  Joe is working hard to bring wind turbines to the reservation to help provide electricity to all of Standing Rock.

The conference also featured tours to Standing Rock Reservation, Sitting Bull College and Prairie Knights Casino, where participants were given a first-hand look at the operations of the Indian Reservation as well as the future home of the wind turbines that will bring much needed power to a vast majority of the reservation.  During a portion of the drive to the reservation participants were shown the site of the Dakota Access Pipeline.  The DAPL site became well-known in April 2016 were a grassroots initiative of Native American protestors chained themselves to equipment in protest of the pipeline running through the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.  Native Standing Rock residents feared the pipeline would threaten their water supply as well as disturbing the ancient and scared burial grounds of their people. The movement became known as #NoDAPL to the Native American people.  The protests lasted ten months along the lands of Standing Rock, making travel very difficult along Highway 1806, the main route to Bismarck for Natives.  The people of Standing Rock continue to fight for their native land as the pipeline is still active and flowing today.

Tours were also provided to Capital Electric Cooperative, Strengthen ND, North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives and National Information Solutions Cooperative.

Participants also enjoyed an evening at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum, where they learned about the rich traditions and heritage, as well as view many artifacts and relics of the land.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *