JOURNEY the LEGACY
Circle Legacy Center - Board
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BOARD PRESIDENT: Mary Ann Robins - Onondaga |
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BOARD VICE-PRESIDENT: Sandra Cianciulli - Oglala Lakota Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Sandra has been an advocate for Indian issues both nationally and internationally. She has been a member of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) since 1969, serving on several committees and volunteering at convention events. Beyond her activities at NCAI, she served on a White House committee convened to prepare a report documenting the status of off-reservation Indians. The final report was delivered to President Clinton in April, 1995. She served as a member of the American Indian Advisory Committee to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) which was instrumental in developing strategies and passing resolutions, within the Party structure, to solidify Party support for tribal sovereignty and propose the formation of an American Indian Caucus. She represented the American Baptist Churches USA in the discussions on the Declarations of Indigenous Rights for both the UN and OAS, and serves as a member of the Council of Native American Ministries, a group consisting of ministry leaders from various denominations. She currently serves on the Return-To-The-Earth Committee that is pursuing a national plan to gather unidentifiable Native remains and funerary objects from institutions and private collections for respectful, traditional interment. |
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BOARD TREASURER: Barbara Andrews-Christy - Seneca
Barbara Andrews-Christy was born in Phoenixville, PA at the Valley Forge Military Hospital (Navy kid). She is a member of the Phoenixville Diversity In Action group, the American Indian Society, Bucks County Folk Song Society, the Eastern Woodland Pathways Education and Dance troupe, SpiritWing.& RedKrozBlues. Barbara is of Seneca, English & Irish Heritage. She is a floutist, bassist, percussionist, and singer with the popular East Coast Contemporary Native American musical group, SpiritWing,
which has been nominated for 5 NAMMYS in the past 5 years. Spirit Wing also extends themselves to teach through music and dance about the history and ways of native people. She has recently extended herself and the rest of her band to develop an alter-ego group, a Chicago style blues band, RedKrozBlues, which incorporated the Native Flute into traditional blues music. The bands have performed and taught/lectured in schools from Texas to Illinois to the Atlantic Shore line at powwows, public schools and universities, community events, government and private businesses. Barbara also sews regalia and creates beadwork in traditional Iroquois fashion.
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BOARD SECRETARY: John Irwin I was born in Grand Rapids MI in 1944 and spent public school years there. Since then I have lived in Ohio, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania including my present home in Pequea near Lancaster PA. Married to Cindy - 2 children & 1 grandchild. I have degrees in History, Geography, Environmental Education, and Sustainable Studies/Permaculture tract. I have taken a Permaculture Teacher's Training Course, a Permaculture Practicum, and two Permaculture Design Courses. Some of my work experience: Metropolitan Washington Coalition for Clean Air, Executive Director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, used book store owner, tennis instructor, Adult Basic Education, Adult Education, Junior High School, and High School Teacher. Hobbies: tennis, nutrition, gardening, tree-climbing, strength-training & green investing. Affiliations: Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Susquehanna Sustainable Business Network, current President of Threshold Foundation (sustainable urban farming youth organization) , Lancaster Permaculture Study Group, candidate for Secretary of the Circle Legacy Center (forming), and I'm investor #37 in the Permaculture Credit Union. That's most of it. The older I get the Greener I become. |
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BOARD MEMBER: Ronni Sakamoto
Born and raised on the island
of O'ahu when we could still go horseback riding in the Ko'olaus.
Took hula as a P.E. course at the UH, where my kumu hula taught
me not only hula kahiko, but Hawaiian. I was privileged to be
part of this during the Hawaiian Renaissance of the late '60's
and '70's. My kumu hula stressed understanding the true meaning of the
culture and not simply dancing for an audience. We also traveled
to the Big Island of Hawaii where I was so blessed to meet reknowned
kumu hula Iolani Luahine. To see her dance was magnificent, breathtaking,
and indescribable!!! I traveled to the University of Idaho as an exchange student and
then matriculated there a year later to complete 2 B.S. degrees,
one in Wildlife Resources and the other in Fishery Resources. My first job following graduation was doing environmental impact
studies for the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission out of Rawlins,
WY. Then on to the Big Island to study native birds in the rain
forests of Volcanoes National Park at the 6,000'-7,000' elevation.
I was also privileged to exercise a Forest Service horse who
had been terribly abused. I can't describe the exilaration of
riding Wailele at VNP, just him and me!!! Back to Honolulu to work for the Cancer Institute as their
Animal Facilities Manager, and then Queen's Medical Center in
the same capacity. My last job in HI was working for the Fed Gov't as a medical
machine tech, giving PE to civilian employees at Pearl Harbor
Naval Air Station and Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station. Then, packed up a few things and went on a pilgrimage to the
Continental US. Shipped my car to Oakland, flew into SF and drove
down the Pacific Coast Highway. Bought all my camping gear in Huntington
Beach and car camped out of a tent for 15 months until we landed
in Lancaster County, 24 yrs ago. Though now retired, I work PRN as a life enrichment assistant
at at local retirement center, teach ESL, share my Hawaiian culture
in a power point presentation, and do hula shows.
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BOARD MEMBER: Michael Salamh |
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Valentine Victoria is an activist who works diligently to establish environmental awareness and aboriginal paradigms into mainstream ethos. She is a member of: Eastern Woodlands Pathways Education & Dance Troupe, Lancaster/York Native Heritage Council, Return to the Earth Committee, and supports Transition Lancaster. As a Licensed Practical Nurse, she has benefited from the training and experience the health and service field has provided. Gaining management skills as a charge nurse for 15 years in long term facilities, she also was an Assistant Program Director for Community Service Group in a MH/MR group home, which secured skills in budgeting for the program, staff scheduling, and organizing and initiating activities. Graduating from the ASSETS business course in 2004, skills were acquired to become a successful Executive Director. In her quest to successfully support First Nations' people, Victoria founded Native Nature Awareness Group, co-founded Earth Rhythm, joined GAYA International, Women to Women International, and then founded Circle Legacy Center. These organizations work with the community, schools, and media to educate, raise funds, and coordinate benefits, symposiums, lectures, youth outreach, art events, trash clean ups and campaign initiatives which enhance and support First Nations' communities and global wellbeing. |
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