Fort Totten, ND — Native Nations Rebuilders Program (cohort 6) - Ila is of the Cuthead and Ihanktowan/Sissitowan Dakota Bands. Her Dakota name is Hintunkansan Wastewin (Pretty Weasel Woman), a name that she carries forward from her great-grandmother. She is a descendant of Chief Little Fish (Sisseton Dakota). Ila has worked in various settings throughout her career—associate counselor to young girls in an alcohol and drug treatment center, editor for Indian Country Today, a training and technical assistance provider to tribes and villages seeking answers to youth suicide, an adjunct professor for American Indian studies, tribal chairwoman, and administrative roles related to diversity and strategic planning. Ila’s formal education includes an undergraduate degree in American Indian studies and business and public administration from the University of North Dakota. She has completed all coursework for a master’s in urban and regional planning from Eastern Washington University.
