[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 160 (Thursday, September 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: HONORING THE LIFE OF JUDI GAIASHKIBOS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of Nebraska's 
daughters for Native American Heritage Month, Judi Gaiashkibos, a 
descendant of Chief Smoke Maker of the Ponca Nation, who was a 
signatory to an early treaty between the United States and the Ponca 
people in 1825.
  Judi has served as the Executive Director for the Nebraska Commission 
on Indian Affairs since 1995, where she focuses on creating 
partnerships and coalitions with elected representatives, Tribal 
leaders, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. She has 
been the principal liaison to the Nebraska legislature in developing 
policy for the State's four federally recognized Tribes and all its 
native citizens. In 2006, she was elected as the president of the 
Governor's Interstate Indian Council. In fact, Nebraska Governor Pete 
Ricketts praised Judi as ``an advocate for Nebraska's first people and 
a loyal spokeswoman for their priorities.''
  Judi earned a bachelor of arts degree in Human Relations and 
completed her master's in Management, both from Doane College in 
Nebraska. In 2009, Judy was a lecturer and advisor for the first Native 
Daughters Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of 
Journalism and Mass Communications, and is currently an adjunct 
professor for the second Native Daughters project, focusing on the 
Indian women of Oklahoma.
  In her long and distinguished career, Judi has served on many 
advisory councils across the State, including the Nebraska Minority 
Justice Committee, the P-16 Leadership Council, and the Nebraska 
Partners in Prevention Coalition. In 2008, she was appointed to the 
University of Nebraska President's Advisory Council.
  Additionally, Judi is a member of the Racial Profiling Advisory 
Committee, the U.S. Census Advisory Board, the Interchurch Ministries' 
Grants to American Indians in Nebraska, the Nebraska Rural Development 
Commission, and recently completed a 3-year term on the Board of the 
United Way. She is a member of the Sheldon Museum of Art's Advisory 
Council and, in 2012, was appointed to the Doane University Board of 
Trustees.
  Judi is a leader. Because of her courageous leadership, she has 
garnered many prestigious awards, including the Douglas County 
Historical Society 2009 Door Keeper Award for opening new doorways in 
the spirit of unity, equality, and understanding. She was the 2012 
recipient of the prestigious Nebraska Humanities Sower Award. She 
received the distinguished NEBRASKAlander Award at the 2017 annual 
Statehood Dinner.

  An enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Judi descends from 
a family of great leaders and role models, and credits much of her 
success to their love and support. Her mother was born in 1913, and as 
a young girl attended the Genoa Indian School. Following this, her 
mother returned to the Ponca homelands and served on the Ponca Tribal 
Council in her thirties, at a time when non-Indian women were not 
serving in these elected positions.
  Later, Judi's mother and grandparents moved with her and her 10 
brothers and sisters to Norfolk, Nebraska. Her mother and grandmother 
took turns working and caring for the family at a time when most women 
were not working outside the home. As other Ponca followed them off the 
reservation, Judi's mother continued to serve as a leader to many of 
them, helping them get settled and find opportunities. Her mother was a 
liaison between the two worlds, much like Judi is today.
  Eager to share the history of the Ponca, Judi will eagerly tell you 
about two key historic moments. The first is the trial of Chief 
Standing Bear. After the forced removal of Ponca to Oklahoma and the 
``warm lands,'' Standing Bear began the return journey home to bury his 
16-year-old son, keeping a deathbed promise he made. The Ponca were 
arrested in Nebraska by General George Crook's soldiers.
  On May 12, 1879, Standing Bear won an important victory for himself 
and for all Native Americans, stating that he was a person under United 
States law. The second significant event in Ponca history was their 
Tribal termination in 1966, and the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's historic 
restoration on October 31, 1990.
  Judi believes we are all ambassadors for our people, and it is 
important that we show up each and every day for duty and live by our 
traditional principles. She is motivated each day by a famous quote by 
Wilma Mankiller from the Native Daughters publication and the women of 
Oklahoma that states, ``The secret of our success is that we never, 
never give up.''
  We are inspired by the life and example of Judi Gaiashkibos. I can 
think of no one more fitting to honor for Native American Heritage 
Month.

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