Piikani Lodge Leadership Team

PLHI’s leadership comprises community leaders who carry Holy Bundles, Medicine Pipes, and Medicine Lodges for The People. They are Traditional Society members who are stewards of Amskapi Piikani (Blackfeet) Ways of Knowing and Being, dedicated to the protection and continuation of Piikani identity, sovereignty, and sustainability. They define solutions by collaborating with elders, local leaders, youth and other community members. Their voices are reflected throughout our plans resulting from years of in-person community meetings.

Medicine People

Medicine People, Soyopoksakii (Red Blossom Woman) Antonia Pemberton-Gray, Kootenaki (Kootenai Woman) Elsie Ground, Piitaa’pokaa (Eagle Child) Joe Martin, Miisami Sapai yi Aki (Long Time Charging into Battle Woman) Kim Paul, are respected elders and medicine people in the Blackfeet community. They direct cultural, language, and ceremony preservation and serve on Piikani Lodge’s Board of Directors.

**Soyopoksakii (Red Blossom Woman) Antonia Pemberton-Gray, MS**
Antonia is Amskapi Piikani and Northern Cree, a respected elder, honored teacher, and has been transferred into the rights as helper with the Holy Bundles. Antonia is also a Pipe Carrier and Sun Dance Lodge member and has dedicated much of her adult life to caring for and educating youth within the Blackfeet Nation and beyond. She brings a wealth of experience and community knowledge to the PLHI BOD.

**Dr. Kristin Ruppel, PhD**
Kristin is an Associate Professor of Native American Studies at Montana State University. Her training led to a focus on the United States' "civilization" policies and their ongoing consequences for American Indian allotted landowners. Dr. Ruppel brings a lifetime of experience and education to guide PLHI within the governance of the PLHI BOD.

**Kootenaki (Kootenai Woman) Elsie Ground, MS**
Elsie is Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet, a respected elder, Medicine Person and past carrier of two distinct holy bundles as well as the Grandmother within Okaan holy ceremonies for the Blackfeet community. She is a 5th generation rancher and steward of Blackfeet Homelands, guiding PLHI via an expanse of knowledge, experience and wisdom.

**Miisami Sapai yi Aki (Long Time Charging into Battle Woman) Kim Paul, PhDc**
A long-standing member of Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet traditional societies and ceremony, she carries the Siyeh Ksisk Staki creation bundle and pipes, was transferred the rights to wear the traditional stand up warbonnet, has dedicated her life to activism for equity, culture as medicine within areas of community wellness and mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and substance misuse reduction through building relationships, encouraging community, providing a home to those without, and by walking in a good way. After dropping out of school in the ninth grade and going back to school twenty-eight years later after singly raising her four children, her western degrees encompass undergraduate degrees in pre medicine and research psychology, Magna Cum Laude MS in environmental chemistry and biomedical science and her Summa Cum Laude doctoral coursework in biochemistry, biomedical science and community and public health and is the first female Piikani warrior to achieve these STEM degrees.

Piitaa’pokaa (Eagle Child) Joe Martin, MS, PhD

Joe is a member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. Joe is the Tribal Education Officer for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Auburn, WA. and for the past 18 years, has served as the administrator in charge of all education programs for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, including the Muckleshoot Language Program, the Muckleshoot Culture Program, the Early Childhood Education Division, K-12 Tribal School Division, the Adult and Higher Education Division, the College and Career Education Opportunities Program and the Muckleshoot Language Program.

Piikani Lodge Staff

PLHI’s multicultural team members (80% Blackfeet) are deeply rooted in the realities of the Piikani people and have backgrounds in conservation, research and economic development, workforce training, food systems and agriculture, landscape architecture, and other related fields.

**Andrew Berger, Director of Agriculture and Climate Programs**

**Laura Caplins, Director of Operations**

**Loren Racine, On the Land Guide/Program Assistant**

**Micaela Young, Director of Development**

Piikani Lodge Leadership Team

Medicine People

Piikani Lodge Staff

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