Mission

MISSION

Pronunciation: wah-KEE-yah

OUR WHY

For well over a century, federal and state policies have created significant and often insurmountable hurdles for Native Americans and their communities. While recent policy shifts have trended toward addressing these hurdles, progress is slow due to myriad issues, including chronic deficiencies in federal and state funding. The Wakiya Foundation is committed to providing resources and tools to expand opportunities and strengthen the conditions required to achieve excellence in all they do–specifically as it relates to opportunities in education.

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children."

- Sitting Bull

OUR STORY

The Wakiya Foundation was established by Christopher (an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) and Shalon Ironroad in 2022. Together, they seek to leverage Mr. Ironroad’s decades of experience in Washington, D.C., representing tribal nations and organizations, combined with Mrs. Ironroad's passion for bettering the lives of youth, to facilitate impactful, sustainable change for Native Americans and their communities.

What does Wakiya mean?

What does Wakiya mean? Wakiya comes from the Lakota word Wakinyan, which means “thunder,” or “thunder-being,” and combines the Lakota words “wahka” (sacred) and “kinyan” (wings). The significance of the word is that those who dream of thunder have the sacred responsibility to live on a higher plane and support and lift those around them. In choosing this powerful name for our foundation, we aim to lift all we can so that they can in turn raise their communities to a higher plane.

OUR PEOPLE

The Wakiya Foundation is led, run, and strengthened by a remarkable team of people -- each bringing decades of experience related to their role in moving this work forward. While we have a wide variety of expertise, we are united in our passion for supporting Native American students and their communities.