By: McKenna Green, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior
Leilani Wesley is a citizen of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and a recent Harvard graduate. She was selected to be a part of the most recent NAFOA Leadership Summit this past Spring. To Wesely, the finance world always seemed “so Western,” but she was excited when the conference opened with an Indigenous color guard in full regalia to sing an honor song. Wesley noted how refreshing it was to see everyone’s culture brought into the finance world, saying “attendees represented where they came from and their profession at the same time,” something that she rarely sees in finance. Wesley was truly inspired by the environment NAFOA has created for Native people in finance, where traditionally, Native cultures have not been incorporated. She aspires to work in Indian Country and assist tribes in growing their economies and urges other young professionals to apply to the Leadership Summit. Wesley highlights that the NAFOA Summit and conference experience “gives young professionals ideas of how to contribute to Indian Country.”
This year’s Leadership Summit hosted a diverse set of speakers from different aspects of Indian Country, including lobbying, advising, entrepreneurship, and banking. Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and this year’s featured tribal leader at the Summit discussed the resilience of Indian Country, especially in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Summit participants also heard from Bank of America, which was inspiring to Wesley to see that major companies are also valuing Indigenous voices. Overall, Wesley stresses how appreciative she is that the speakers took time to network with the young professionals and that their presentations were “phenomenal.”
One of the most beneficial parts of being in the NAFOA Leadership Summit is the networking opportunities afforded to young Native professionals. Wesley expressed her surprise in meeting Chairman Butler again at a recent Harvard Native American Program reception. Wesley noted how meaningful the relationships gained from NAFOA have been, and was honored that Chairman Butler recognized her as a NAFOA alumna.
As one of the youngest in her Leadership Summit class, Wesley said it wasn’t just building connections with the speakers of the Summit that left her feeling connected to Indian Country. Wesley also networked with other Indigenous young professionals at the Summit, some whom were further in their careers than herself. Wesley said she was fortunate to be a part of such “an inspiring group .” During her time at the NAFOA events, Wesley learned of the tribal finance and economic opportunities that exist to serve Indian Country, saying “there are meaningful careers at the community, tribal, state, and federal levels that all need Indigenous representation.”
