REACH Indigenous Advocacy
A Collaborative Call to Action
R.E.A.C.H (h) I.A.
Mission
To advocate and uplift our rights as Indigenous/Native American community members living outside our Nations territories, and at the same time, building community bridges to empowered ally-ship with government agencies, and institutions to ensure Indigenous equity across the region, both at the local, state and national level.
Indigenous Vision
REACH is in alignment with the National Congress of American Indians statement on tribal sovereignty , the right to self-determination, and their stance on mascots.
REACH supports The Universal declaration of Human Rights, 30 articles, and the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 40 articles
Transparency
REACH GOALS
Advocacy to Legislation: Accurate historical and modern
R - Representation
E - Education
A - Advocacy in Water, Land, Air, Ancestors(NAGPRA)
C - Ceremony, Culture
H - HEALING
(h) The epidemic of Human Trafficking
Click the Link Below to see R.E.A.C.H. in the NEWS
R.E.A.C.H. Awards
Advocacy & Empowered Allyship
The 2nd part of REACH IA Mission is building bridges of community engagement with cultural understanding. Allies working to empower Indigenous voice, create a seat at the table, and actively engage in: reconciliation from past historical harms; ensuring educational equity; protecting our land, water, air, and ancestors; community building; and advancement of focused health initiatives.
THE GOAL FOR ALL OF US
TO END THE EPIDEMIC OF MURDERED MISSING INDIGENOUS WOMEN/PEOPLE
Human Trafficking is modern day slavery and is now a world wide epidemic.
The more we focus on community building and sharing our cultures, the deeper the understanding, awareness, and compassion we have for collective community as a whole.
Individuals working and advocating in the areas of REACH(h), often are unsung hero's in our region.
As you will see, REACH Indigenous Advocacy looks at both recent and long time efforts of Advocacy and Empowered Ally-ship Excellence!
2022 Inaugural Advocacy Award Recipient
"Man In The Arena"
Culture Protector, Water Protector, Air Protector, Land Defender, Ancestral Remains
Guy Jones,
Hunkpapa Lakota,
Standing Rock Reservation
2022 Inaugural REACH Empowered Ally Award Recipient
Jeffrey Trzeciak
Executive Director Dayton Metro Library
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2023 Advocacy Award Recipient
"Water Protector"
Kathy Arnett, Cherokee (Descendant)
Hydrogeologist, Water & Education
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Chair, City of Dayton Environmental Advisory Board
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Mentor, Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment's Environmental Leaders Program
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Wright State University's Environmental Science Advisory Board
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Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission Water & Environment
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Boonshoft Museum Watershed Project Vision Advisory
"All of the groups I serve, align with my overall desire to give back
to the community and play my part in supporting the environment and
protecting our precious water through education and advocacy."
2023 REACH Empowered Ally Award Recipient
Dr. Nicolyn Woodcock
Wright State University Dir, Asian and Native American Heritage center.
Dr. Woodcock, is the advisor for Wright State University's IACSA group, Indigenous American Cultural Student Association.
Her work in supporting the Indigenous student community is not limited to Wright State University, It also includes collaborations throughout the Greater Dayton Region and beyond. One tenant of her work is to ensure that all Indigenous events are cross-promoted and supported to the fullest extent, by making sure scheduling does not compete with existing events. This brings more opportunity for community support for the entire Indigenous population, and expands cultural relationships across the region.
Nicolyn exemplifies the definition of what it means to be an Empowered Ally; REACH I.A. acknowledges her as a co-creator for our community!
In honor of her work, REACH I.A. is donating $500 to the Native American Scholarship Fund at Wright State University.
Together, we can strengthen our collective community!
FOUNDER OF REACH INDIGENOUS ADVOCACY
Stephanie Van Hoose
Kenhte:ke
Stephanie is a tribally enrolled citizen of The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte T-MT. Originally from Buffalo NY, the early beginnings of her Indigenous advocacy and educational work began during her time in service with the U.S. Air Force, where she established the first Native American heritage committee at Little Rock AFB, AR. She has been a culture bearer now for almost three decades, and recognizes her role in healing generational trauma.
Stephanie is the granddaughter and niece of residential school survivors and has been given the sacred honor of carrying their stories. Generations of unspeakable pain have given way to an incredible legacy of resiliency in the women of her family. Their resolve, and determination to not only survive, but to thrive, is one that shines through in her life today.
Her families experiences, along with her own, are the driving force behind her life's work. After living in different communities as a military spouse and mother, she recognized the need for Indigenous Cultural programming, and educational support. A private group of women leaders in the Dayton region encouraged and supported her vision to build a more inclusive community. In the summer of 2020, she visited SunWatch Indian and Archeological village, and felt an immediate connection to the land and the ancestors waiting to be laid to rest. She began collaborating with DSNH, and continues to assist the site with the seed blessings before the spring planting as well as the gathering of medicines prior to the harvesting seasons. It is extremely important for the community to understand the sacred responsibility they carry as stewards of the land, and caretakers of ancestral remains. It's a call to action for the entire region, and one that invites city wide involvement.
In 2022, with the support of Judge Walter H. Rice, and key community sponsors, Stephanie organized Dayton’s Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Day. This event was the launch of the REACH initiative. Unveiled to the Dayton community, with key speakers from across the country and the local region, to address each letter; R – Reconciliation & Representation, E – Educational Equity, A- Advocacy & Ally-ship, C – Ceremony & Community, H – Healing & Health. The silent “H” for human trafficking, discusses the epidemic of MMIW and violence against women. The entire platform reinforces the vital importance of community building and interagency commitment.
REACH FEST! 2024
After 4 years of sharing the REACH vision, collaborations are expanding across the region. We getting ready for the 3rd Annual REACH Fest! Our Native American Festival is growing and will be a 3 day event! This year, we are welcoming a new partner, in Wright State University's Asian and Native American Center. REACH Fest will be held at WSU- Student Union, Dayton (Fairborn), OH. Dayton Metro Library is also our Platinum Plus Partner and will showcase, 4 photos in the Edward S. Curtis historical portfolio collection, for a "FIRST LOOK" to the public in over 50 years".
The photos were chosen by members of our local inter-tribal community.
Stephanie has arranged for "living relatives" of the Nations represented in the photos to share personal and generational knowledge and wisdom.
The goal is to facilitate the expansion of community knowledge of how our local Inter-tribal families, have 4-5 generations of Indigenous practices, still going strong today.
Stephanie currently serves on MVRPC’s Institute for Equitable communities sub-committee, She serves as an Indigenous Advisor for DUHR, Dayton United for Human Rights, the Upstander Project community outreach team, and is on Dayton Public Health’s Minority Health Advisory Council. In April 2024, Stephanie received the Ohio Commission on Minority Health's Community Action Award, and attended and spoke before the United Nations, at the UNPFII23 Conference.
She supports and endorses the Dayton Collaboratory's Well Being Project, and the organization DREAM, Diversity Recruitment Educators Association for Miami Valley, and the Levitt Pavilion for World Indigenous Day 2024.
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Note:
Stephanie's is a two time cancer survivor, with a lifetime of surgeries (27), an Autism mentor Mom, a "FREE Mom Hugs" Mom for Dayton Pride, and is passionate about improving health care, support services, advancing doctor-patient care, and closing the gap in underserved communities.