The Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award: Guidelines
Here are the materials you'll need to nominate someone for the 2010 Leadership Award:
- Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award Nomination Contact Form (32kb doc)
- Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award Nomination Letter Template (31kb doc)
- Make Your Nomination Strong (40kb doc)
- Map: Pacific Salmon Territory of North America (703kb pdf)
- Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award Final Jury Panel
- Vision Statement (5kb pdf)
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, in early December of each year. The 2010 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award ceremony will be held on December 2, 2010.
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.
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 fellow 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 fellow 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 2010 nomination deadline is September 3, 2010 (extended). In September 2010, 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).
Ecotrust's Natural Capital Center in Portland, Oregon, is the site for the award ceremony and attendance is expected of the five finalists (one awardee and four honorees). Ecotrust covers related expenses of travel and lodging. The 2010 Award ceremony will be held on December 2, 2010.
For the nominator
Please submit one nomination letter and one nomination contact form for each nomination. Formats of both are online through the links below or you may call, write, or email the program associate 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 contact with the nominator and nominee if there are any questions. There is a Nomination Letter template to assist in the format and content of the Nomination Letter and to 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 2010 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award is September 3, 2010 (extended). Ecotrust encourages that nominations be sent to Gloria Borg Olds, Program Associate-Leadership Award, for review and assistance. You are encouraged to call her at 503.467.0773, or her with any questions.
Nominations or questions may be directed to:
Program Associate - Ecotrust Leadership Program
721 NW Ninth Avenue, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon 97209
telephone: 503.467.0751
fax: 503.222.1517
