Standing as you: Celebrating Native United states Heritage Month
“In order to achieve success within whatever you attempt to do, you possess to start as if you’re hand-in-hand with most of creation.” – Keetoowah Cherokee Saying
From an early on age, these words were instilled upon me by my father as enrolled people of the Cherokee tribe – one of over 560 federally recognized tribes – with roots from Indian nation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. You can find seven Cherokee clans and I’m from the “Curly hair” clan.
This saying served myself well as We made my way through school, while We worked in commercial angling – running crab and long-range boat – and through philanthropic endeavors We participate in. It has also served me well when i began a lifetime career in tech start-ups, and yes, as a person Success Executive at Cisco.
This saying motivates me to use new things – to step beyond my safe place, to not hesitate of failure, also to inspire others.
We was taught on a young age to understand and train and mentor others – to help to keep our tradition relevant and to help improvement our people. We proceeded to go to Pow Wows with my father, learned about our lifestyle, an ultimately began advocating for Native privileges – which briefly brought me personally to advise in broadband plan for Native Americans inside the past due 1990s and early 2000s.
Presently, you can find approximately five million Native Us citizens in the United Declares – and welectronic don’t easily represent an individual demographic, voting bloc, or even cohesive financial conglomerate.
We can’t be compartmentalized into pores and skin because we have been beautiful shades of dark brown, copper, reddish, tan, beige, black and white. We have diverse shapes – high, short, wide, and slim. As a social people, our issues usually get ignored or glossed over by politicians, corporations, and modern society generally. When not getting represented as stereotyped caricatures by media or even in films – we possess turn out to be invisible.
To that end, We remain committed to Cherokee Nation, participating within Tribal Land Connectivity plan work, supporting our Cherokee immersion vocabulary program, dealing with local elders, supporting tribal domestic abuse applications, and mentoring STEM learners. These activities keep myself grounded and linked to Native leads to and the Cherokee Country – still thought I don’t reside in Tahlequah.
This dedication reaches what I do in Cisco, too.
About 2 yrs ago, some of us from Cisco came together to start the Native American System (NAN). It started as a casual network with the objective of sharing Native encounters with others at Cisco. With the effort of my fellow NAN peers, we gained Worker Resource Organization (ERO) position this past August.
Like a Native American, I’m proud to participate NAN’s core leadership group. I’m also extremely proud to just work at a company that acknowledges the different cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of Native individuals and the ones in other EROs. Our EROs and our individuals help to make up the wealthy and diverse tapestry that is Cisco.
I’d like to talk about another Keetoowah saying, which roughly translates: “A complete, in depth respect forever and creation does not have any end.”
These are powerful words to contemplate from the marginalized people. Because Cisco embraces everyone for who they’re and the talents they provide – while encouraging EROs such as NAN – I’m fortunate in order to share other lifestyle encounters and perspectives with my peers and the ones interested in Native American experiences.
To me, this displays how dedicated Cisco is within empowering us all to understand and grow from one another. We are seen as humans, with lives beyond our “9-5” plus they want us to have success in whatever we do truly.
ᎠᏥᎸᎤᎣᏗᏳ (respectfully), Ken Twist.
End up being you, around. Apply now.