November 7: Kerry Steiner, Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission

Native American Civil Rights: Past and Present

When we think of civil rights, we often think about freedoms won toward an end goal of equality. What we don’t think about is the civil liberties lost through oppression. In an effort to civilize a “savage people,” federal laws were created in the early 1800s to control where and how Indians lived – laws that stripped them of the same rights afforded to foreign immigrants. Spurred by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Native American Indians began a slow and steady march to regain their right to live according to their beliefs. Learn more about this march and celebrate the start of National Native American Heritage Month on Tuesday, November 7 when we welcome Kerry Steiner to Rotary.

Kerry Steiner has served as the Executive Director of the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission since March 2015. Her involvement in Indiana’s Native American Indian community began in 1992 when she was involved with the American Indian Center of Indiana; she continues to volunteer with them today. Following her education at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Kerry joined the U.S. Army and worked as a journalist for 13 years, serving in Alaska, Maryland, Indiana and Panama. Her love of research, writing and a desire to tell people’s stories created a platform to give a voice to those who are not always heard.