A proposal for completing the reorganization of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation with new executive leadership by March 1, 2008

1. THE DAYBREAK STAR RISING
A proposal for completing the reorganization of United Indians
of All Tribes Foundation with new executive leadership by March 1, 2008.
Unanimously adopted by the UIATF Board of Directors
on December 1, 2007
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2. THE DAYBREAK STAR RISING
A proposal for completing the reorganization of United Indians of
All Tribes Foundation with new executive leadership by March 1, 2008.
Unanimously adopted by the UIATF Board of Directors on December 1, 2007
“Then I was standing on a highest mountain of them all and beneath me was the
whole hoop of the world, a hoop of many hoops. And I saw it was holy. Then I
saw two men were coming from the East like arrows and between them rose the
Daybreak Star. They gave an herb to me and said: ‘With this on earth you shall
undertake anything and do it.’ It was the Daybreak Star herb, the herb of
understanding, and they told me to drop it on the earth. When it struck the earth it
rooted and grew and flowered, four blossoms on one stem, a black, a white, a red,
and a yellow; and the rays from these steamed upward to the heavens so that all
creatures saw it and in no place was there darkness.”
– Black Elk’s Daybreak Star Prophecy
OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND:
Beginning on July 11, 2005, Phil Lane Jr. was entrusted and empowered by the UIATF
Board of Directors to fulfill the following mandate:
1. Develop a vision and plan for the ongoing development of UIATF.
2. Assess the current state of the organization and its capacity to carry out the new
vision and plan.
3. Plan, design and implement interventions focused on building UIATF’s overall
capacity to achieve its goals and objectives toward an organization with a unified
community, board and staff, a strong enduring infrastructure and smoothly
operating financial systems.
It was agreed that the Four World’s Model for Human and Community Development, a
holistic and culturally-based framework for participatory development, would be utilized
as the foundation of this development. This integrative scheme of thought includes
Principles for Consultation and Talking Circles, Guiding Principles for Building a
Sustainable and Harmonious World and Developing Service and Wisdom in the
Workplace.
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3. Administrative authorities and directions unanimously mandated for achieving these
goals include the following:
1. To call, convene and conduct mandatory meetings of all UIATF staff and agents
to develop, recommend and implement the approved transformation work plan.
(July 11, 2005-December 10, 2005)
2. To conduct community forums and trainings to help build understanding of and
broad community support for the transformation work plan. (July 11, 2005-
December 10, 2005)
3. To recommend restructuring or realignment of program, staff, volunteer and
committee duties and responsibilities to enable support for and commitment to the
transformation planning process. (July 11, 2005-December 10, 2005)
4. To recommend allocation of financial and capital resources through the UIATF
budgeting process so as to ensure that appropriate Foundation resources are
focused on successful implementation of the transformation work plan. (July 11,
2005-December 10, 2005)
5. To further the mission of UIATF, our CEO Phil Lane Jr. is authorized to review,
modify, reorganize or alter all current positions in staffing and to create different
positions to meet the need of the organization. (December 10, 2005-March 1,
2006)
6. That the CEO and the Board of Directors will work together, “so that by March 1,
2008 we will be able to select and prepare new executive leadership for UIATF.”
(December 10, 2005-March 1, 2008)
7. Phil’s work will be carried out under the direct supervision and authority of the
UIATF Board of Directors via the UIATF Executive Committee. The Chair of
the Board or his designate will serve as the official liaison of the Board. (July 11,
2005-March 1, 2008)
The UIATF staff and Head Start Policy Council were very respectfully requested by the
Board of Directors to work with Executive Leadership during this process of
reorganization and transformation in the following ways:
June 29, 2005
“Beginning immediately, the UIATF Board of Directors looks forward to the full
and unreserved support and cooperation of the UIATF staff in supporting Phil and
Four Direction’s mandate. This includes providing any human resource, program,
financial and other related information requested for undertaking a comprehensive
and detailed review of all UIATF operations. Your respectful and full assistance,
participation, cooperation, patience and understanding during this stage of
transition and transformation at UIATF are greatly appreciated.”
January 4, 2006
“We look forward to working together with Phil so that by March 1, 2008 we will
be able to select and prepare new executive leadership for UIATF. It is my prayer
that throughout this process we will be able to work together in the utmost
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4. respect, love, unity and selfless service. By walking together in this way, we will
be able to build a strong, sustainable, and principle-centered foundation and
vision for UIATF that will move us forward with ever increasing health,
happiness, success and prosperity through the 21st century and beyond. Those
that founded UIATF that have gone to the spiritual world before us fully expect
and are spiritually supporting us in nothing less.
The UIATF Board of Directors looks forward to the full and unreserved support
and cooperation of all UIATF staff in supporting Phil as our new CEO. Your
respectful and full assistance, participation, cooperation, patience and
understanding during this stage of transition and transformation of UATF is
greatly appreciated.”
January 10, 2006
“Again, the UIATF Board of Directors looks forward to the full and unreserved
support and cooperation of all UIATF staff in supporting Phil as our new CEO.
Your respectful and full assistance, participation, cooperation, patience and
understanding during this stage of transition and transformation of UATF are
greatly appreciated.”
HEARTFELT LESSONS LEARNED:
Although it is true great strides and developments have been made toward becoming the
organization we all believe United Indians is destined to become, with our tribal wisdom
and spiritual understanding that “the honor of one is the honor of all and the hurt of one is
the hurt of all”, it is also true that during this very intense dynamic and challenging
change process that, despite our very best efforts, there were decisions made, actions
taken and behaviors evidenced by many parties including the CEO, the Executive Team,
Board members, Staff, and others that have (at times) led to unhealthy and unhelpful
results.
At the same time, we have all learned some very fundamental things about the history,
the many accomplishments, the future promise and potential role of the Foundation
locally, regionally and internationally. Without question, UIATF is part of the core
identity of the Native American community in the greater Seattle Area and beyond. In
many respects, UIATF has taken on the feel of an Urban Tribal Community. As such
there is deeply rooted, almost family like, interest and investment in its image, actions,
priorities, sponsored activities, vision and leadership. The depth of this attachment is
highly personal and speaks to the huge emotional, sometimes seemingly irrational
investment that individuals and their communities have in what goes on at the Daybreak
Star. It speaks also to the divisive and unhealthy behaviors we sometimes find ourselves
witnessing and, at times, participating in.
To some degree this depth of attachment and dysfunction explains why our current non-
profit governance model is inadequate and has never been able to fully contain or meet
the foundational expectations of our “Tribal Members”. There are inherently insufficient
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5. and too narrowly defined accountability structures and communication processes in our
Board of Directors/Chief Executive Officer model to provide a culturally-based and
holistic leadership and governance environment for the participation and uplifting of all
members of our community. The current model magnifies disagreement and invites win
– lose decision making rather than shared visioning, co-creating and unified action.
Though many dimensions of these unhealthy cyclic dynamics in the Foundation have
improved over the past several years, evidence of the destructive nature of this mentality
that existed in varying degrees throughout the history of UIATF is still present at many
levels of the organization. Failure to address these unhealthy dynamics on both the
behavioral and structural levels will result in a continuation of the highly politicized,
adversarial “fox-hole” mentality that continues, not only at United Indians but in many
Native American communities and organizations. Encampments, loyalty tests, blaming
and being blamed, lack of trust, behind the scenes organizing on the part of people at all
levels, and feelings of being undervalued and unappreciated among leadership, staff and
Board are all compelling evidence that the current UIATF organizational model is
fundamentally flawed and does not have the capacity to fully empower and uplift our
communities towards the leadership role long prophesized and prayed for by those who
have gone before us. Not only do these unhealthy attitudes and behaviors have to
continue to be transformed but the very structures and processes that sustain these
behaviors now need to be left behind. Until these crippling organization-wide dynamics
and cyclic patterns are fully transformed, whoever is in leadership will not be secure and
wonderful members of our UIATF community will continue to come and go.
IMPLICATIONS:
The community leadership, governance and organizational management structures must
continue to be transformed in such manner as to ensure development of community wide
participation and consensus, achieve authentic accountability that will ultimately assure
the support of all members of our community and enable high quality, transparent
management of human and financial resources, institutional initiatives, program activities
and fixed assets of the Foundation. THE DAYBREAK STAR RISING: A proposal for
completing the reorganization of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation with new
executive leadership by March 1, 2008 is built upon the participatory, culturally-based,
natural organizing strengths and assets of Indigenous peoples and on the very positive
developments that have taken place at United Indians during the past two years rather
than on organizational processes and structures which come out of and are centered on
differences, disagreements and power politics. Your review, input and support are
warmly invited.
THE PROPOSAL:
Building on the ongoing UIATF Organizational and Shared Governance initiatives
unanimously mandated by the UIATF Board of Directors, it is proposed that the
following proposal be adopted:
1. With oversight and collaboration with the Executive Committee of the UIATF
Board of Directors, all authorities and directions of the Office of the CEO that
have been fully shared with the Executive Team during the past year by the
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6. CEO be fully and formally invested in the UIATF Executive Team, effective
today. Until March 1, 2008, UIATF Board of Directors Executive Committee
participation will include two representatives of the Executive Committee who
will fully participate in weekly UIATF Executive Team Meetings (Monday
mornings, 9am-11am).
2. Following the lead of our UIATF Head Start Policy Council, the Executive
Team will continue to utilize the Principles of Consultation and share these
participatory, consensus-based decision-making principles and processes
throughout the Foundation.
3. To further reflect and uplift the growing spirit and intent of participation,
collaboration and consultation that the term “Coordinator” will replace the term
“Director” in all UIATF leadership positions.
4. That Board Oversight and Community Advisory Committees be established
and chaired by active members of our Board in the following areas of UIATF
development:
(a) Arts and Culture (already established, Chairperson -- Randy Lewis)
(b) Board Training and Development
(c) Capital Projects (already established for NW Canoe Center --
Chairperson Marty Bluewater)
(d) Community Economic Development
(e) Daybreak Star College
(f) Finance (already established, Chairperson -- Willard Bill Sr.)
(g) Head Start (already established, Chairperson -- Marty Argel Laronal)
(h) United Indians Institute for Indigenous Development (already
established, Chairperson -- Michael Reichert)
(i) Social, Economic and Environmental Justice
(j) TANF
(k) Tribal Involvement and Participation
(l) Youth, Elders and Family Services
(m)Youth Home (already established, Chairperson -- Deborah Guerrero)
5. That the Board Chairs of these Oversight and Community Advisory
Committees, “a hoop of many hoops”, consult together with the Board
Executive Committee via regular conference calls or in person during the next
90 days and beyond if needed, as an overall Board Oversight Committee to
ensure the full actualization of all the unanimously adopted Board initiatives
(December 10, 2005), including the Head Start Governance for Community
Building and Program Excellence and Collaborative Management for Better
Accountability and Program Development in all areas of UIATF development..
6. That the Collaborative Management for Better Accountability and Program
Development Teams (the Executive Team, the Management Team, the
Integrated Services Team, the Monitoring and Evaluation Team, the Planning
and Development Team) will be expanded to include a Media and
Communications Team and a Daybreak Star Event Coordination Team.
7. That the Executive and Management Teams be facilitated by monthly rotating
Chairpersons.
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7. 8. Beginning January 2008, that regular community-wide consultation processes
in each area of UIATF development is implemented through our Community
Development Coordinator, Tim Collins, in consultation with our Board
Oversight and Community Advisory Committees.
9. By March 1, 2008, as per Board Agreement, Phil Lane Jr.’s position as CEO
will be replaced by new Executive Leadership as described in this proposal.
10. That by March 1, 2008, the UIATF Institute for Indigenous Development will
be established by the Board of Directors. Michael Reichert will be the Chair of
the Board Oversight Development Process and be the initial Chair of the
Institute. Phil Lane Jr. will serve as the Coordinator of the Institute.
Functional details of the Institute will be developed during the next 90 days in
consultation with the UIATF Board Executive Committee.
11. Phil Lane Jr., in consultation with the Executive Team and other related Staff
and Board, will continue to develop funding and strategic alliances that support
the overall development of UIATF with the City of Seattle, Martin Luther King
Jr. County, the State Legislature, Tribal Governments, El Centro de la Raza,
Northwest Folklife, the Magnolia community including the Magnolia
Community Club, the Magnolia Rotary Club, Alesek Institute, Friends of
Discovery Park and Heron Habitat Helpers, the University of Washington,
Antioch University, the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, the media,
other Native American organizations and NGOs including the Chief Seattle
Club, the Seattle Indian Health Board, the Potlatch Fund, IWASIL, the
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the corporate
community including REI, the Vulcan Cooperation, Microsoft and Certiport,
Key Bank and private Foundations including the Northwest Area Foundation,
American Express Center for Community Development, Paul Allen Family
Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Key Foundation, Peter Gerbic
Family Foundation, and the Boeing Foundation for Corporate Social
Responsibility. Phil will continue to involve other relevant Board, Staff and
community members in these developing relationships, funding and strategic
alliance and partnership-building processes to ensure that Phil’s contacts and
networks are fully integrated into the current and future development processes
of UIATF.
www.fwii.net
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