LAPORTE, MN — Shirley Nordrum (Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians) has poured her life’s work into her community. As environmental director for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, she built programs to protect reservation resources for future generations, and as co-founder of the Leech Lake Traditional Foods movement she has increased the amount of locally grown and harvested foods. She has infused traditional ecological knowledge into her teaching at Leech Lake Tribal College. Now, she wants to expand culturally relevant science courses in both college and tribal school settings. To lead that change, she will pursue a master’s degree in environmental stewardship, seek ways to improve her facilitation skills and build a network of Native knowledge keepers. With the understanding that she must be in good health to be an effective leader, she will also build practices around self-care and personal sustainability.
