Dr. Cynthia A. (Lindquist) Mala President, Cankdeska Cikana Community College Diversity Foundation, Inc. Senior Cultural Advisor
Cynthia A. Lindquist earned Liberal Arts Bachelor’s degree in Indian Studies and English at the University of North Dakota in 1981 and a Master’s degree in public administration (Indian health systems emphasis) at the University of South Dakota in 1988. As a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, Ms. Lindquist completed a PhD in educational leadership, University of North Dakota in 2006. She began responsibilities as President of Cankdeska Cikana (Little Hoop) Community College in October 2003, which is the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation and her home reservation in North Dakota.. During her presidency, the college has grown tremendously and has gained a leadership role in American Indian Higher Education, partically among Tribal Colleges.
Ms. Lindquist served as an adjunct faculty member at UND Community Medicine & Rural Health, with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She is a founding member of the National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center, a non-profit advocacy organization. Ms. Lindquist serves as a member of the Barbara Jordan Health Policy Fellowship advisory board for the Kaiser Family Foundation and is also a member of the Council of Public Representatives (COPR), an advisory council to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Appointed by President Bush to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) in April 2004, Ms. Lindquist serves as the Council’s chairperson. NACIE advises and makes recommendation to the Secretary of Education and the administration on American Indian/Alaska Native education issues. Dr. Lindquist was elected & has served as President & Secretary for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) the advocacy organization for the thirty-six tribal colleges and universities.
Myra Peterson Tribal Chairperson, Spirit Lake Dakota Nation Former financial Accountant, Little Hoop Tribal College; Fort Totten, ND,
Donita Loudner Outreach Coordinator, Crow Creek Wellness Committee- Buffalo County Commissioner – Ft Thompson District 3 Enrolled member Crow Creek Sioux Triber
Andrew (Andy) Paul Favorite Educator, Archivist, Historian, White Earth Reservation Waubun, MN
After 25 years as an educator, primarily for Indian children or their teachers, Mr. Favorite in 1997 became the Director of Archives and History for the White Earth band of Ojibwe, building upon prior work as an Ojibwe linguist, storyteller and developer of educational resources on Native American Treaties, language, culture and values. Mr. Favorite is an enrolled member of White Earth, but also counts his descent from the Yankton Sioux “Dakota” Reservation. He also spent two years as economic development planner for the Grand Portage Reservation, and prior to his current position, served as executive director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which seeks to reacquire properties lost or sold by the White Earth Band from its original reservation allotted under a treaty with the US Government.
Mr. Favorite earned an MA in educational psychology and studied in the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at the University of St. Thomas, where he also became the first Native American ever inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame. He has worked as a recruiter, advisor, counselor, program administrator or curriculum developer at the University of St. Thomas, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, as well as Public and Native American schools throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. From 1990-93, he served as Educational Director and Home School Coordinator for the Shakopee M’dewakanton Sioux (Dakota) Reservation. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees including the White Earth Tribal College Board of Trustees and Elder Mental Health Advisory Committee. Andy has broad expertise in the history of oppression of indigenous peoples in Minnesota and the USA, and is in high demand as an educator and public speaker.
COLLABORATORS
Prairie Island Indian Community
Crow Creek Sioux (Dakota) Reservation
Santee Sioux Reservation
Spirit Lake Dakota Nation
City of Winona, Minnesota;City Manager Eric Sorensen & Mayor Jerry Miller
Winona County Historical SocietyWinona, MN (Mark Petersen, Director)
Ernest and Vernell Wabasha(6th generation Hereditary Chief & descendant of Chiefs Wapasha I, II & III of the Lower Sioux Indian Community! DF's Long time friends & Diversity's Cultural Advisors with Dakota Outreach, Reconciliation & Documentary Films!
Leonard Wabasha(7th generation Chief Wabasha descendant…) Mpls., Lower Sioux Reservation, MN, Shakopee Tribal Cultural Educator & Advisor. also Cultural Advisor to Diversity's Dakota Outreach & Reconciliation as well as both Winona & Mankato Reconciliation.
Ray DretskeMusic Producer & Webmaster, Founder & President of Website Distributors, (formerly Vanguard Productions) Winona, MN
Spirit Lake Dakota NationFt. Totten, ND, Myra Pearson, Spirit Lake Chairwoman
