Board of Directors

Staci Luton is the Executive Director and Founder of Indigenous and Irish Alliance. She's also a Knight of Seborga, a Principality in the French Riverias near Italy. Originally from Pennsylvania where she received an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice Administration, she has relocated to South Dakota where she is working on a Bachelor's Degree in Dual Majors of American Indian Studies and Sociology, with the plan to later pursue a Masters of Education while teaching on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Staci is currently on leave and Maggie Dodd WhiteEagle is taking over in her absence.

Peter V. Catches is the President and Founder of Oceti Wakan since it first formed in 1991, and is the Oceti Wakan Camapign Director for Indigenous and Irish Alliance as well as the Director of IIA's Advisory Board. Peter V. Catches, the descendant of 37 generations of medicine men, is recognized as the Keeper of the Spotted Eagle Way medicine, oral history, sacred rites, and experiential teachings. For the past 30 years he has conducted the Spotted Eagle Sundance (The longest running sundance in Lakota country). He also assisted in bringing Sitting Bull’s Sundance, the Buffalo Sundance, back to the Hunkpapas, Standing Rock Reservation and conducted Spotted Eagle Sundances at Cheyenne River and Lower Sioux Reservations Peter V. Catches is Oglala Lakota and lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Author:

•Co-authored ‘Sacred Fireplace – The Life and Teachings of a Lakota Medicine Man’ Clear Light Publishers, Sante Fe, NM 1999

•‘Lakota Language Book/CD’ Oceti Wakan Publishers 2002

•‘Seven Sacred Rites of the Lakota CD’ Oceti Wakan Publishers 2004

•‘Lakota Language Workbook/CD-Book One’ Oceti Wakan Publishers (curriculum for schools) 2005

•‘Realities Within’ Oceti Wakan Publishers 2005

•‘Lakota Language Workbook/CD-Book Two’ Oceti Wakn Publishers (curriculum for schools) 2006

•Numerous short stories for children

Speaker on Lakota Culture and Lakota Spirituality:

•100th Celebration of ‘Parliament of World Religions’ Chicago, IL 1992

•‘Association of Professional Chaplains Convention’ CNN Center, Atlanta, Ga 2006

•UCLA Medical Students, Los Angeles, CA

•University of Houston, Clear Lake, TX

•University of South Carolina, Students of Religion, Charleston, SC

•University of Miami, Medical Students, Miami, FL

•University of Kansas Medical Students, Kansas, MO

•Taught Native Origins at University of Hawaii 1980

•Oglala Lakota College and many, many other places

Terrance Booth Sr. is the Director of the Tsimshian Cultural Heritage Center Campaign and Grant Writer for Indigenous and Irish Alliance. Currently, he is also Incorporator/Director, Native Nations Sustainable Alliance. Founded as sister non-profit of Council on Sustainable Systems Development primarily to target Native Americans with technology that can create substantial tribal wealth for the tribes and becoming energy independent through creation of their own tribal electrical utility companies. Actively seeking tribes to participate with Alternative Energy and leveraging of tribal revenues for substantial tribal wealth development. Presentations to National Congress of American Indians Annual 2003 Meeting, presentation to Coalition of Large Tribes and regional, national and local presentations in the Southwestern States. Also, will participate with Systems Built Homes working exclusively with Native American and First Nations of Canada - systems built housing is one of the fastest-growing modern forms of construction gaining a growing recognition of its increased efficiency and ability to apply modern technology to the needs of the market place. With this type of system Native Americans can meet their housing needs compared to conventional building which depends upon construction season and systems built homes can be year around construction. He is also the co- coordinator for Tsimshian Cultural Event.

Previously, Terrance was Community Outreach Specialist, Maricopa Association of Governments, directly assigned to three tribes, namely Ft. McDowell Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community and Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Participating Arizona Department of Transportation, Native Transportation personnel, and Intertribal Council Of Arizona – Working Committee on transportation purpose was to seek active participation with transportation planning for Maricopa County area including the three tribes.

Experience:

Terrance most of his adult life was been working directly with Alaska Native and Native Americans with training and expertise in tribal economic development.

Tribal Economic Development Specialist, Metlakatla Indian Community, Metlakatla, Alaska working with all tribal entities of the tribes; in 1998 under USDA Rural Development co-authored grant with tribal leaders qualify the tribe to becoming an “Enterprise Community” with several tax incentives and a ten-year grant qualifying tribe to be eligible for several economic development opportunities. Attended workshops for training on tribal economic development.

Tribal Planner – Grant Writer attended Grantsmanship Center for five-days extensive training on tribal grants. Worked and assigned all of the tribal entities, working directly with Tribal Council, Tribal Administrators and Mangers apply for state and federal program funding. Successful with Economic Development Administration to upgrade or modernizing tribal for-profit entities with state of the art equipment, new tribal building, upgrading seafood processing plant and qualifying for feasibility studies. Attended training sessions with state and federal personnel or staff for insight on upcoming grants.

Appointed Board Member for-profit tribal entities: Metlakatla Indian Timber Enterprise – tribally owned and operated custom cutting sawmill. Watched the timber markets, recommended potential customers, hiring of key personnel for its operation and received reports of its progress.

Board Member Annette Island Packing Company – Tribally Owned Seafood Processing Plant overseeing budget development, attendance at meetings approving or recommending loans for operational costs, worked to diversify its marketing strategies, hired key administrators, receive financial reports, informational reports, business reports of its progress.

Appointed by Tribal Council to serve on the Alaska Native Health Board and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium that under tribal self-governance tribes of Alaska took over care and services of Indian Health Service in Alaska. Attended quarterly meetings, hiring of top administrators and key personnel, approve operating budgets, financial audits and hiring of auditing firms and consultants to both of the Alaska Native Health boards. In annual negotiations with Indian Health Service on the budget and taking over health care and services for Alaska Natives.

Volunteer Experience:

Founder and President, Native Service Organization, Denver, Colorado

Coordinator – Voter Registration Gila River Indian Community

Chairman of Board of Commissioner - Gila River Housing Authority, Gila River Indian Community.

Treasurer–Council on Systems Sustainable Development, Tempe, AZ

Board Member – Alaska Native Health Board and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, Alaska

Tribal Council, Metlakatla Indian Community, serving 8 ½ years. In behalf of the tribe extensive lobbying both at state legislature and Congress seeking tribal projects for the community. Appointed to attend regional, national and local meetings concerns Indian Affairs. Designated by Council to attend the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, a Native American advocacy organization and having important workshops specific to tribal economic development.

Maggie Dodd White Eagle is the Director of the Sacred Pipes Campaign and is Media Director of Indigenous and Irish Alliance. She has extensive involvement with the Native American, and Aboriginal peoples through her photography, teaching, and writing brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about the culture to the table. Her associations with professionals in the film industry garnered through interactions with numerous American Indian actors, writers, artists and musicians brings a wealth of talented people to the projects.

Producer, Maggie Dodd White Eagle is an educator, freelance writer and photographer. She is the founder of Dreammakers Corporation which provided motivational speaking workshops for under represented youth in cooperation with members of the National Football League. She was appointed advisor to the Jicarilla Apache Youth. Ms. Dodd served on the Leadership Committee for the Advancement of Mathematics and Sciences for Native American Young Women. She also served on a Leadership committee for a Navajo youth organization in Torreon, New Mexico. Ms. Dodd White Eagle is co-author of a soon to be published children’s book written with second grade students at Gila River in LaVeen, Arizona. She works with the Native Nations Sustainable Alliance, “re-awakening tribal excellence and building profitable tribal economies through their own tribal resources and finances.” Maggie Dodd White Eagle sits a board position on the Native American Junior Golf Association.