printer friendly version
BIA head Anderson speaks to tribal youth
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
The new head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is taking his message of
positivity and empowerment to the next generation of tribal leaders.
As founder of the Lifeskills Center for Leadership, Dave Anderson is
used to working with Native youth. But his appearance before the United National Indian Tribal Youth last Friday was his first as a government bureaucrat.
Yet Anderson didn't necessarily want attendees of the Washington, D.C.,
meeting to see him that way. Calling attention to his own troubled past,
he urged Native youth to stay free of drugs and alcohol as they
lead tribes in the next century.
"As Native youth, you are the leaders of tomorrow," he said.
"You are the leaders of Indian Country."
Anderson said his battle with substance abuse was so bad that at one
point he didn't remember wrecking his car. Another time, he
suffered a heart attack from drug use.
"My immune system was so shocked that I barely made it to the hospital,"
he recalled. "The doctors told me that if I had gotten there two hours later
that I would have been on life support."
"So today, I really feel I'm living a life of gratitude," he continued.
"I really feel that, today, my purpose in life,
the reason God kept me alive, was so that I could be able to come and share
my story with you."
A member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe from Wisconsin,
Anderson's message mixes Native empowerment with business acumen
and a big heaping of motivational-style speaking. In 1994,
he opened a restaurant near his tribe's reservation. Famous Dave's
is now a publicly-traded chain of of 87 restaurants in 23 states.
Part of the reason for his success, he said, was his
desire to be more than average. He spent most of his early
life that way -- ranking at the bottom of the class and
failing graduate from high school.
"There is no reason for you, as Native people, why you should live lives of
mediocrity or just being average," he said.
Another factor, he told the youth, is to keep a positive outlook
when encountering obstacles. "Become solution conscious, not problem conscious,"
he said.
That's a philosophy he intends to take as head of the BIA, one of the most
troubled agencies in the federal government. He's jumping headfirst
into the scandal over the broken trust fund, a reorganization
that tribal leaders oppose and other problems.
But he said he doesn't intend to shoulder it alone. He urged youth
not to blame the federal government, or their tribes, for everything
that goes wrong. "Don't go your tribe and say, 'Where's my free
housing?'" he said. "Every one of you should be thinking, 'How
can I become a homeowner?'"
Anderson was sworn in to his post two weeks ago. His next major appearance is
before the National Congress of American Indians, which is holding
its annual winter session in Washington, D.C., next week.
Relevant Links:
United National Indian Tribal Youth -
http://www.unityinc.org/index.php
Famous Daves -
http://www.famousdaves.comLifeSkills
Center for Leadership -
http://www.lifeskills-center.org
Related Stories:
Anderson asks for prayers in new job as head
of BIA (02/05)
Dave Anderson
finally sworn in as head of BIA (2/3)
Q&A with Dave Anderson: 'I'm not an Indian
leader' (12/15)
Dave Anderson: So
much to do, so little time (12/12)
'Famous' Dave Anderson confirmed to head BIA
(12/11)
'Nobody better' to head BIA
than Anderson (12/10)
Dave Anderson
nomination hits another snag in Senate (12/01)
Daschle meets with BIA nominee Dave
Anderson (11/21)
Anderson asked to
reconsider Pequot recognition (11/20)
Indian Affairs panel had placed hold on
Anderson (11/17)
Ex-Anderson partner
funding Nipmuc recognition bid (11/11)
Anderson faces challenges upon arrival at BIA
(11/10)
Hold on Anderson nomination
for BIA baffles some (11/3)
Anderson
nomination to head BIA put on hold (10/31)
Anderson involved in opening of new restaurant
(10/31)
Minn. senator rejects talk
of Anderson hearing snub (10/24)
BIA
nominee wins endorsement of Senate panel (10/23)
Minn. senator upset over Anderson hearing snub
(10/23)
Anderson firm took 40
percent of casino profits (10/22)
Anderson's marching orders: Avoid controversy
(10/22)
Hearing on BIA pick Anderson
moved to new room (10/21)
Editorial:
'Cloud' hanging over Famous Dave (10/17)
Ex-Anderson partner has projects before BIA
(10/13)
BIA nominee Anderson not so
famous beyond BBQ (09/26)
Martin not
upset she was passed over for BIA post (09/25)
White House acts to fill top BIA leadership
post (09/15)
Biography: BIA nominee
'Famous' Dave Anderson (09/15)
Lack
of BIA nominee puzzles Indian Country (08/07)
Copyright © 2000-2004 Indianz.Com
