The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award: Guidelines

ILA nominations are due April 1, 2012.

The families of Peter and Howard Buffett founded the Ecotrust leadership award to honor outstanding individual leaders in the indigenous communities of Oregon, Washington, California, Western Montana, Nevada, Idaho, Alaska, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award is a recognition program with an endowed cash award of $25,000. This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates durable qualities of leadership for improvement of the social, economic, political and environmental conditions in his or her homelands. In addition, four other honorees receive a $5,000 cash award. The recipients are required to attend the Honoring Ceremony in Portland, Oregon, toward the end of each year.

Who is eligible?

Individuals are eligible if they are First Nation or tribal members, over 35 years of age, and work, or have worked, with an indigenous organization or community within the states of Oregon, Washington, California, Western Montana, Nevada, Idaho, Alaska, or the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. We refer to the major part of this geography as the Pacific salmon territory of North America. The nomination is stronger if the individual has support of his or her tribes or work organization. The nominee is someone who is working on issues which serve to improve the community's resource base, cultural base, economic security or health and wellness. Previous finalists of the award are ineligible with the exception of the finalists of 2001–2002 who did not receive a cash award, but Ecotrust requires nominators submit a new packet of materials. Current employees of Ecotrust and its affiliates are ineligible.

How do I nominate someone?

Ecotrust accepts nominations all year but announces the specific nomination deadline and award ceremony date during the second quarter of the year.

Complete the nomination letter and nomination contact form and submit by April 1, 2012.

Specific criteria:

Enrolled tribal members, Native corporation members, or someone recognized by a First Nation or tribe are eligible to receive this award. Nomination of un-enrolled members of a tribe or First Nation must provide a letter of endorsement and terms of acceptance of this individual into their community, such as Clanship adoptions or lineal descent of family who are members of the community.
The nominee is someone who has been working on issues in his or her community related to conservation-based development — conservation of resources, culture, economic security, or health and wellness.
The nominee's project or goal is of importance to his or her community and to the region as a whole. The individual should demonstrate the support of a tribal government, clan or longhouse for his/her work. Ecotrust respects tribal authority. A letter of support or tribal newspaper article describing the person's relationship with the tribe will suffice in this instance.

What qualities are valued in this award?

The Reading and Jury Panels use these values in the determination of the finalists and awardee:

Affirms traditional cultural values, traditional knowledge systems and natural environment;
Strengthens continuity of intergenerational knowledge and experiences;
Works for enrichment or increases understanding of conservation of natural resources, culture and economic security;
Possesses a global perspective resulting from the experience of exchange, dialogue, and negotiation with indigenous and non-indigenous, regional, and national leadership

How may the fellowship be used?

This award is a cash resource in recognition of outstanding leadership. It also affords Ecotrust the important opportunity to expand its knowledge of and experience with indigenous communities. There is potential to share information, learn and encourage mutual enrichment. The award may be used by the recipient for activities in any combination of the following areas:

Professional development and/or skills enrichment
Program or organizational investigation and development
Personal research and associated expenses
Traditional activity or ceremonial participation

At the core of this program is a dialogue about the importance of what is presently happening in indigenous communities, and how others can support these communities and core values.

What will the awardee need to provide Ecotrust?

The one-year fellowship does not represent a grantor-grantee relationship. It is a relaxed mutual exploration of the awardee's topic and activity. Ecotrust and the awardee will begin with an agreement in principle for the year of the fellowship, and statement of expectations of positive outcome. Completion of the fellowship concludes with a one- to two-page statement of use of funds written to Ecotrust, explaining how the award made a difference in the life and community of the individual.

What happens in the selection process?

Ecotrust accepts nominations all year but announces the specific nomination deadline and award ceremony date during the second quarter of the year. The 2012 nomination deadline is April 1, 2012. In June 2012, a Reading Panel, which includes three Ecotrust staff people and at least three outside readers, read all nominations. A majority of the Reading Panel is always Native people, ideally from various locations in the bioregion, who use a consensual process to select five nominations to forward to the Final Jury. The Final Jury is comprised of eminent indigenous leaders who agree to make the final selection of the awardee and guide the program's processes and policy. The Final Jury members include Dalee Sambo Dorough (Inupiaq), Alan Parker (Chippewa-Cree), Chief Leah George-Wilson (Tsleil Waututh Nation), Kathy Hill (Klamath Tribes), Antone Minthorn (Cayuse), and non-voting members, Ecotrust founder and president, Spencer B. Beebe and Elizabeth Woody (Navajo-Warm Springs-Wasco-Yakama).

For the nominator

Please submit one nomination letter and one nomination contact form for each nomination. Formats of both are online or you may call, write, or email us for materials or assistance. Please note, the nomination letter is critical and has the greatest persuasive influence in the review selection and so it is very important that the letter follow the recommended format. The nomination contact form helps the staff to keep in touch with the nominator and nominee if there are any questions. The nomination letter template may assist you in the format and content of the letter and facilitate the reader's understanding of the nominee's qualities. The nomination should describe the candidate's accomplishments in detail, using the template as a guide.

The deadline for submission of documents for the 2012 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award is April 1, 2012. Please send nominations to Rick George, Vice President of Policy & Indegenous Affairs, for review and assistance. You are encouraged to call him at 503.467.0773 or him with any questions.

Nominations or questions may be directed to:

Rick George, Vice President of Policy & Indigenous Affairs - Ecotrust Leadership Award
721 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97209
United States
tel: 503.467.0773, cell: 541.969.9220
fax: 503.222.1517