Joanie’s background is in cultural anthropology, and she’s interested in Indigenous sustainability. Her goal is to help Indigenous communities become stewards of their land once again. She also wants to see more harmony and healing between people and the environment. Joanie has helped facilitate land management recommendations from Indigenous leaders to agency staff through ethnographies — the formal documentation of customs and cultures. The devastating impact of cattle-induced erosion on sacred landscapes was a common theme and led Joanie to the Trust. Joanie grew up in Colorado and is Hopi (Sun Clan), Meskwaki, Cherokee, and Ojibwe, but she culturally identifies as Hopi and feels a deep connection to the Colorado Plateau. She looks forward to advocating for better grazing policies and management of our public lands this summer.