Philosophy & FAQ’s
Dedicated to the People of the Quapaw Nation
Leadership is Service to others
I believe in Education for ALL Quapaw Nation members…
Quote by Confucius… If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.
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Questions presented by the Quapaw Post
1. What does it mean to you to be a member of the Quapaw Tribe?
I feel like all tribal members are blessed to be born into the Quapaw Nation. We are lucky to have that birthright to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and be a part of the rich culture that makes up the O-gah-pah people. I believe that every lineal descendant within the Quapaw Nation has a right to be proud of our heritage and know where we came from and the culture that defines who we are. It is in the very depths of our souls. Being Quapaw is a big part of my identity. I was raised to respect my Quapaw heritage. It has always brought meaning to my life and given me a sense of pride and belonging. The Quapaw culture and traditions that I have learned throughout my life have guided the direction of my life in many ways.
2. Why did you decide you wanted to be involved in tribal leadership?
I was raised to live my life in such a way that serves the community I am part of. I was taught that living a life of service to make others’ lives better is part of who we are. I have lived my life serving the community I am a part of. After serving many other communities that I have been a part of, I am grateful that life has given me the opportunity to serve my O-gah-pah people. My education and professional experience have provided me with skills and knowledge that I can capitalize on to move the Quapaw Nation forward for the benefit of all Tribal members. It is my desire to utilize my abilities to build a foundation for at least the next seven generations. The decisions I make are guided by the sacred duty to perpetuate prosperity for our O-gah-pah people for generations to come. Leadership is service to others.
3. Would you be willing to have a drug evaluation?
I absolutely would be willing to have a drug evaluation. It is a small way for me to prove that I respect the O-gah-pah people enough to always be free of any mind-altering substances and stay clear minded.
4. How important is it for you to find common ground with other elected officials?
Respectful Collaboration – it gets things done and moves people forward.
We can only advance the Quapaw Nation if our elected officials and community stakeholders respectfully collaborate with one another. This must be rooted in mutual respect and a desire to build a cultural and economic foundation that will be strong for at least the next seven generations. There will always be disagreements, but those can be overcome with respectful collaboration and compromise. The goal should always be to do what is best for all O-gah-pah people, no matter where they live. My purpose in serving on the Quapaw Nation Business Committee is to represent all Quapaw tribal members and work towards building a strong cultural and economic foundation for generations to come.
5. As a member of the B.C., how would you convey your honesty to tribal members?
I will convey my honesty not only as an elected member of the Business Committee, but as a member of the Quapaw Nation mostly through my actions.
There are several ways that I can do this.
Most importantly, I will communicate with everyone openly and honestly. I will provide information from different perspectives to allow others to form their own evaluations of a situation. I will let you know if I may have personal bias or a conflict of interest with an issue that may arise and recuse myself when appropriate. I will explain my rationale and intentions behind any decisions that may be questioned.
If I am incorrect with something and it is brought to my attention, I will be grateful for the opportunity to correct any mistakes I may have made. I will accept responsibility and attempt to make any appropriate corrections that can be made.
Likewise, I will also hold others accountable when the situation warrants it. I will never compromise my integrity and ethics, especially if it could be harmful to the people of the Quapaw Nation.
6. Why should people vote for you?
I am asking for your vote to reelect me as the Business Committee Secretary Treasurer, because I have the education, professional experience, heart and desire to serve the people of the Quapaw Nation.
My education includes the following:
I have an Associate’s degree in Accounting and an Associate's degree in Native American Studies from Tulsa Community College.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration (emphasis on Taxation and Accounting) from the University of Tulsa.
I have more than 20 years of experience in accounting and taxation. I have spent most of my accounting career assisting and advising business clients in progressing their businesses, by improving their business processes, compliance issues, as well as preparing their taxes. If I don’t know the appropriate regulations or guidelines that apply to a situation, I know how to research them and apply them to the situation.
I have developed community leadership skills as I served in the United States Civil Air Patrol. I held leadership positions within my Unit, including Finance Officer, Professional Development Officer, Events coordinator, Fundraising coordinator, Deputy Commander, and finally as the Unit Commander. My time in the Civil Air Patrol has provided me with invaluable leadership skills. It has also taught me how to deal with conflict resolution.
My goals are to assist the Quapaw Nation in becoming prosperous for all Tribal members and to create a sustainable infrastructure that will keep the Nation strong for generations to come.
A few of my ideas to achieve prosperity for the Quapaw Nation are the following:
Dept elimination – increase equity in the tribal businesses: (Over the last 2 years the Downstream debt has been refinanced, lowering the interest rate and assisting with the repayment of the debt. The DCR debt has been greatly reduced)
Cultural and tradition preservation, perpetuation, and education: (Over the last 2 years the culture department has expanded, cultural events and education classes have increased)
Expansion and diversification of tribal businesses: (Over the last 2 years the Business Committee has focused on revitalizing our struggling assets to drive profitability)
Build an adequate infrastructure for the people of the Quapaw Nation: (Over the last 2 years new housing has been built, improvements to the campgrounds have been made, land has been acquired for economic development, business operations have been improved, employee development has increased, just to name a few, and there are more projects in the works)
Provide adequate education assistance for members of the Quapaw Nation: (Over the last 2 years the education department has expanded and been conducting life skill and financial literacy classes for the community and tribal members)
Expand on service to our Elders: (Over the last 2 years the Elders have received an increase in funds for their programs)
Continue to create and expand our food sovereignty program: (All those who have been by the food sovereignty property can see all the work that has and is continuing to be done with the gardens)
Programs to assist in encouraging more Quapaw people to get involved in the Quapaw community and activities: (Over the last 2 years the Communications department has been utilized to expand the media that is used to communicate to our tribal members and the community)
The above are my original goals from when I was elected the first time. I cannot and will not take credit for all the things that have been accomplished thus far. It has taken all seven of the Business Committee members, Tribal employees, and other stakeholders working collaboratively to make things happen and improve the lives of all Tribal members.
I do have more goals that I would like to accomplish if I am reelected. Some of those goals include:
Creating a Sovereign Wealth fund for a strong financial foundation for future generations.
Create an Education Endowment fund that will provide a stable source of funding for assisting with the cost of education for all tribal members.
Create an Endowment account for Social Services, again to provide a stable source of funding for the services that are provided to all tribal members.
Build an infrastructure that will support economic development. This starts with the acquisition of land and the installation of utilities to support new businesses.
I believe we need to look at today’s world and the technologies of the future and find ways to blend them with our culture and traditions. It is imperative to the future sustainability of the Quapaw Nation to create an infrastructure (physical, economic, and financial), that will keep our Nation strong for generations to come. It starts with us and what we do today. The decisions we are making now. How we educate our O-gah-pah relations. The choices we make with our current and future businesses will build a sustainable infrastructure to support our future generations.
If you have the same goals for the Quapaw Nation as I do, please vote for me and allow me to continue doing the work necessary to respectfully collaborate and take our people into a stronger, more sustainable future. It will be my honor and pleasure to utilize my education, experience and skills in service of the people of the Quapaw Nation.
If you would like more information about how I can and will work for all the people of the Quapaw Nation, please visit my website at lindavalliere4qnbc.com, or email me at info@lindavalliere4qnbc.com.
I will be holding “Meet the Candidate” Zoom meetings online for those who would like to know more about me. The Zoom meeting schedule will be posted on my website lindavalliere4qnbc.com. You can also email info@lindavalliere4qnbc.com for Zoom meeting links, dates, and times.
Guhnegay,
Linda Valliere
Dedicated to all Quapaw Tribal members and always willing to respectfully collaborate to get things done and move our O-gah-pah people forward.
Watch this page for more information to come.
As I receive questions and/or concerns via email or during the Zoom meetings, I will post those questions with my answers here for all to view.