Tradition of Advocacy: Being a Good Future Ancestor

Guest Opinion

As we commemorate Native American Heritage Month, it is helpful to take stock and assess whether we are living up to the legacy of our ancestors who ensured our existence. Are we doing everything we can to provide for future generations? Are you a good future ancestor? What will people say about you long after you leave this physical world?

My maternal Tribal family, the Boulleys, were indeed firekeepers, as fictionalized in my first cousin Angeline’s novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter. They were also salt-of-the-earth farmers and lumberjacks who lived on Sugar Island, Michigan. I recently learned that our great-great-grandfather, Ed Boulley, served on the Sugar Island Board of Education for more than 32 years—the very community where the story of Firekeeper’s Daughter is set.

Angeline went on to earn a Master’s degree in Public Administration, serve as our Tribal Education Director, and become Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. I conducted our Tribe’s first educational needs assessment in 1992 and eventually served as President of our Joseph K. Lumsden Public School Academy. Clearly, advocacy for education runs deep in our family.

Participating Matters

Like many Native people, I often take a cynical view of partisan politics. Nonetheless, I remain 100% supportive of Social Security, a New Deal program, as well as Head Start, Upward Bound, Food Stamps, and other social welfare programs ushered in through the Great Society initiatives of 1965. These programs recognize the stark disparities between American Indians and the general population, as documented in the Broken Promises Report.

My career has been dedicated to ensuring the continuation of the federal government’s treaty and trust obligations. After all, we prepaid for nearly 2 billion acres of ceded land transferred to the federal government. We expect the United States to remain true to its word and honor the treaty and trust obligations that promised health, education, and social welfare in perpetuity.

Not “D” or “R,” But “I”

As elected Tribal leaders, we strive to carry out our responsibilities in a nonpartisan manner while advocating for our people.

Over the last two years, we have had our friend Tom Cole (Chickasaw, R-OK) serving as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He consistently prioritizes the treaty and trust obligations. We have also had Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo, D-NM) and Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk, D-KS) fighting for us. Both women made history in 2018 when they were elected as the first two Native women to serve in Congress.

Banner Year for Indian Country!

This year, we added our first Native woman U.S. Senator, Peggy Flanagan (White Earth Band of Chippewa, D-MN), and are awaiting the results of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race to see whether Mary Peltola (Yup’ik, D-AK) prevails.

Another major milestone is that Deb Haaland was just elected as the first Native woman governor. Deb previously made history as the first Native American to serve in a Presidential Cabinet, as Secretary of the Interior, where she ushered in the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative’s investigative reports, including Reports I and II.

In addition to Peggy and Deb’s victories, Tom Cole was returned to office and was joined by Claire Valdez (Ysleta Pueblo, D) from New York. Another Anishinaabe, Sean McCann (Citizen Potawatomi, D), was elected as the first Native American to represent Michigan’s 4th Congressional District.

Indians 101: Doing My Part

I am an alumnus of the nonpartisan Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP), having graduated with its inaugural class in 1992.

With advanced degrees, including a doctorate, and national expertise in Federal Indian Policy, I have trained every MPLP fellows’ class for 32 years on the treaty and trust obligations and the origins of Tribal sovereignty.

Most recently, three MPLP alumni were elected to the U.S. Congress from Michigan: Sean McCann (Citizen Potawatomi), Christina Hines (D, 10th District), and Jeremy Moss (D, 11th District). We also count Governor Jocelyn Benson, a 2007 MPLP alumna, among our program’s distinguished graduates.

As elected Tribal leaders, we face the ongoing challenge of educating newly elected legislators on “Indians 101.” It is a responsibility we take seriously, and we are up to the task!

2026 Native American Heritage Month

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, I will be presenting a version of the very training I have delivered for more than three decades, including to the new members of Congress mentioned above. The training will focus on the treaty and trust obligations of the United States and the origins of Tribal sovereignty.

This is a story of empowerment, advocacy, and fulfilling our responsibilities as good future ancestors.

Please join me for my webinar:

What Does Sovereignty Mean to Native Nations?

Wednesday, November 18, 2026
8:00–9:30 p.m. (ET)

Click here to register: REGISTER

Dr. Aaron A. Payment (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) has served in elected Tribal leadership for more than 24 years, including as Tribal Chairperson/CEO and Tribal Council member.He also serves on the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Executive Committee, where he has held several leadership positions, including First Vice President (twice), Secretary (twice), and Midwest Regional Vice President.Prior to his election to Tribal leadership, Dr. Payment served as a faculty member, teaching Native Studies and Political Science. He is also a frequent contributor to Native News Online.