Triumph through Tragedy

Jun 30, 2025 | Blog, Indigenous Visionaries, Our Programs

By Kathleen Baker, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University Business Faculty Director
2024-2025 Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program

Aaniin Kathy Baker indizhinikaaz zhaaganaashi mowin. Animibatoo-ikwe indizhinikaaz Anishinaabe mowin. Makwa inddodem. Odaawaa zaaga’iganing indoonji-baa. Jiingwan endaayaan. Kathy Baker is my name in soldier’s talk. Animibatoo-ikwe (running away fast woman) is my name in Annishbe. Bear is my clan and Lac Courte Oreilles is where I am from. Meteor, Wisconsin is where I live.

2 Years of Tragedy on Earth

    • A Full Year of Tragedy
    • Another Year of Losing so Much

2001 First Round of Tragedy

My family called it the year of tragedy. The first thing that happened was my daughter moved her three daughters back home with us. She decided to leave an abusive relationship after four years of heartbreak. We then lost my mother-in-law during what was supposed to be a routine surgery. It was rough, but at that time we were making the most out of our difficult situation. That wasn’t the end, I lost my job and fought for unemployment. My husband, Rocke, was also diagnosed with leukemia at the same time. I knew I had to find a job quickly, as Rocke was the only one with health insurance. The only job I could find was being a cart pusher at Walmart in Hayward, Wisconsin. A lump was found in my breast at a routine checkup, so I had a lumpectomy done. I went back to work the next day hoping not to bust a stitch from my surgery. It was days of doctor visits, babysitting my grandchildren, and working full-time while caring for my family.

2023 Second Round of Tragedy

Things were going well, so I thought. Rocke was doing well with his leukemia treatments. He started on a trial drug, but it quit working. The doctor had to put him on a new medication. The new medication seemed to be working well but it had side effects, such as heart issues. He had to go through surgery to have three stents put in his heart. The college was working to become Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU). I was also working on my master’s degree in business management and LCOOU was looking for a business instructor. I interviewed and landed the job. I was ecstatic. I started teaching while completing my masters. I left for work with only a few weeks remaining in the semester. As I left for work, Rocke was standing on the porch smiling and waving as usual. I later came home that evening, and he was gone. He had sat down for a nap and never woke back up. My life was upside down. I was in a fog for about a week. I wanted to quit everything. My instructor and my colleagues rallied around me at LCOOU. My instructor told me that even if I didn’t turn in any more assignments, I would pass my courses. That ignited a fire within me. I was determined to complete this master’s degree with all As.

I did it! Graduating Class of 2024 from LCOOU!

Out of the Ashes

I had applied for the 2024-2025 Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program with the American Indian College Fund, and I was chosen! This experience has been life changing. I have been surrounded with Indigenous women who have experienced their own tragedies and have risen from the ashes. We as Indigenous women are all warriors and from various Tribes. Our stories shape us as leaders in our tribal communities. Before entering the Indigenous Visionaries program, I struggled to say I am a leader, because I didn’t think I was worthy of being a leader. I learned from the cohort to hold my head up high and to tell myself, “I am worthy.”

This is Me from Tragedy to Triumph

Not all days are triumphant, but I try to make the most of every day with the help of those who mean so much to me.

I would highly recommend the American Indian College Fund’s Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program. In the program you learn that you are worthy, wanted, and a leader.

 

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