By Wozek Chandler, Aaniiih Nakoda College ANA Project Director-White Clay Immersion School
2025-2026 Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program
I am fortunate to have grown up with men and women in my life who showed me what true leadership is. My parents, aunties, and grandparents paved the way and set an example. Their work is grounded in our cultural lifeways and success of our communities. This is a mindset our ancestors had, thinking of the future generations. Witnessing my family’s hard work growing up inspired me to obtain my higher education and return to work in my community.
I have always been on the quiet side, so much that in high school people questioned if I was mute. Simultaneously, growing up, I was given leadership opportunities such as presenting and leading teams. Somewhere along my journey, it became difficult for me to see myself in these roles and believe I was doing it “right”. This is something I know I am not alone in, but I hope to overcome it one day. I often have to remind myself the work I take part in at Aaniiih Nakoda College is bigger than me– it is for my community, to honor my family and those that came before me.
Later in life, I experienced a great loss—my mother. She was an extraordinary person in the way she executed her goals. She made her dreams reality, even when many thought her dreams were too big. I thought I would always have her to lean on for guidance, but when she left, a lot of my anxieties came to the forefront. Following her passing, many people expressed how my sister and I are her legacy. It is a great legacy to be part of, but I often wonder how I will honor her when it’s difficult for me to show up in ways that she did.
I have had time to navigate these thoughts and feelings. While I still have my struggles accepting my role in life, I have to remind myself of who I come from. In conversations with relatives, I have gained insight on the struggles my parents and grandparents faced to achieve their goals. We are all human— it takes courage, strength, and perseverance to reach our goals.
My goals have put me in positions that force me to get out of my comfort zone. In these times, I struggle with who I am and how I am expected to present myself. I continue to be put in leadership positions. I realized after trying to put a wall between myself and those situations that I cannot deny this role. It continues to seek me out and if I embrace it, I can do justice to the upbringing my family and ancestors have provided for me. I have learned that whatever role I step into, I am still me. I encompass qualities of those who raised me, but I am still me.
This is why I applied for the Indigenous Visionaries Women’s Leadership Program. I no longer want to get in my own way. Through this experience, I gained another support system among women in tribal colleges. I am learning to embrace what comes my way and to take healthy risks for my tribal community and college.
At one point or another we will face hardships and grief, and while it is important to take care of ourselves, we cannot let it hold us back or give up in those times. I have learned to seek out support systems, remember who I come from, and to lead each day with prayer.
My Mother, Lynette Chandler, horse Mask, and I, at Eagle Child on the Fort Belknap Reservation.
Getting ready to present on language curriculum for a conference in 2024.
My parents, Sean and Lynette Chandler, my sister Serena, and I before my graduation at Aaniiih Nakoda College in 2017.
