Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson

Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson (MPA 2018)
2024 Edwin O. Stene Award for Managerial Excellence

"I nominate Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson for her work with Bears Ears Coalition, which has set an amazing precedent for increasing Tribal Stewardship of land. She has had to face significant challenges from funders, federal government representatives, and settler community resistance. Through it all the tribal coalition has held firm, in large part due to her leadership, fighting for the best interest of the community- human and more-than-human all. We cannot even begin to know the benefits we will receive from returning land to indigenous stewardship, and it takes a truly courageous person to step into a leadership position in this battle. She truly is a treasure of our community- both KUCIMAT and Indigenous."
- C. Ren Morton (2018) | Syracuse University

About Charissa   —

Charissa and I graduation from the KU MPA in 2018. Over the last six years, Charissa and I have continued to share and support each other on our professional journeys. She has shared with me both the joys of the Bears Ears Coalition, such as working with tribal elders and laying out a holistic land stewardship plan based on Indigenous wisdom and land tradition. She has also shared her strugglesstaffing, training, traveling, speaking tours, grants being stolen, federal agents insincerity, and more. Still, she has worked with the community and held true to what is best for the land, the humans, and the morethan-humans who inhabit this place. In addition, she has continued to support her people, her family, her friends, and her professional network. Recently she has been on a speaking tour- talking to many audiences and communities about the importance of indigenous leadership and indigenous female-led movements while also mentoring new indigenous leaders. She has been working at high capacity for years now to see this initiative through. While, for her well-being, I do not wish to see her always have to give so much- I do very much want her tireless work recognized for the incredible accomplishment it is. It is still not easy being indigenous here, much less an indigenous leader. That she has achieved so much on behalf of our communities should be recognized and honored. Thank you for this opportunity

Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson Professional Profile

Nomination of Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson  —

Submitted by: C. Ren Morton (2018) | Syracuse University

I nominate Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson for her work with Bears Ears Coalition, which has set an amazing precedent for increasing Tribal Stewardship of land. She has had to face significant challenges from funders, federal government representatives, and settler community resistance. Through it all the tribal coalition has held firm, in large part due to her leadership, fighting for the best interest of the community- human and more-than-human all. We cannot even begin to know the benefits we will receive from returning land to indigenous stewardship, and it takes a truly courageous person to step into a leadership position in this battle. She truly is a treasure of our community- both KUCIMAT and Indigenous.

Charissa and I graduation from the KU MPA in 2018. Over the last six years, Charissa and I have continued to share and support each other on our professional journeys. She has shared with me both the joys of the Bears Ears Coalition, such as working with tribal elders and laying out a holistic land stewardship plan based on Indigenous wisdom and land tradition. She has also shared her strugglesstaffing, training, traveling, speaking tours, grants being stolen, federal agents insincerity, and more. Still, she has worked with the community and held true to what is best for the land, the humans, and the morethan-humans who inhabit this place. In addition, she has continued to support her people, her family, her friends, and her professional network. Recently she has been on a speaking tour- talking to many audiences and communities about the importance of indigenous leadership and indigenous female-led movements while also mentoring new indigenous leaders. She has been working at high capacity for years now to see this initiative through. While, for her well-being, I do not wish to see her always have to give so much- I do very much want her tireless work recognized for the incredible accomplishment it is. It is still not easy being indigenous here, much less an indigenous leader. That she has achieved so much on behalf of our communities should be recognized and honored. Thank you for this opportunity