How does that relate to your current role within the cannabis industry ?
My mother , Niimaamaa ( in photo on the right side ), taught me how to treat everything with respect . When I was a kid , if I wanted to pick a flower , she would have me offer Asema to it — asking for permission to take it . This really impacted my life because now I see plants as important as humans . This respect made me see cannabis as a medicine , a sacred being , not just something for me to gain wealth or self-worth from , giving me a unique perspective and passion for it , and when you treat something , anything with that , you can only be successful with it .
Is it kind of like the movie Avatar for the average Joe reference ?
Absolutely ! This world is more magical than we can imagine . And the more things we discover scientifically , the more we will find this to be actually true .
Can you describe the patients ’ mental challenges you faced while working as an outpatient treatment technician , and why it made you move to Nevada , or tell us the story of what made you move to next chapter of life and the emotions you faced ?
Working as an Outpatient Technician was the biggest “ eye opener ” as to how much my community needed help . I think this is probably true for many in that field of work . Because most people do not just become addicted to drugs for no reason , things like trauma , either physical or mental , can drive us to medications or drugs because it relieves pain quickly . Seeing this literally in my home , among my people , broke my heart , to say the least . I had a choice , to become calloused or to change where I was and who I was . I decided that I had to make a difference . And something told me I had to move to do it . So , I looked at a map , pointed , looked at the details of where I pointed , and something again told me that was where I needed to be . With time , I could bring change . And it started by bringing my own change , so I followed my gut and heart .
In retrospect , what does it feel like to be where you ’ re at now in life compared to the past as an outpatient treatment technician ?
My life has been full of nothing but blessings . I cannot even put it into words . When I moved to Nevada , literally 10 minutes down the road from where I randomly selected to live was a brand-new commercial cannabis grow . I honestly was not interested in working there at first . I was ignorant and not sure how it could help my mission , but my friend dragged me along to a job interview anyway . And as soon as I saw those plants , I was instantly in love with them . Everything said about them from others , the “ stigma ,” just went away instantly . I had never smoked or tried them at that time , but they were plants ; they were sacred medicine . My love has not changed since . So just by genuinely enjoying where you work , what you do daily , changes your entire life .
When and where did you start your journey cultivating cannabis ? What were those early days like , and do you have a specific story that stands out in your mind about those early days of getting your feet wet in the industry ?
I started with Clear River , LLC , a legal , commercial cultivation facility in Laughlin , NV . In the beginning , it was challenging to say the least . It was so new , and everyone was just trying to figure out how to operate this large facility ! Each day something would change as far as training or methods , but I was determined to be with these plants , so I did whatever they needed me to do .
There are a few stories I could mention , but the main point to all of them is that communication , consistent protocols , training , and humility are the keys to success . It is easy to get an ego with these wonderful plants , but a friend once told me that the day you stop learning is the day you stop living . If you have an ego , if you know it all , how can you learn ? And with this industry , these plants have a lot to teach us ; even after seven years and growing well over 600,000 plants , I still learn every day . So , retain , train , communicate , love , and keep moving forward .
While researching women and minorities ’ lack of involvement in the cannabis industry in leadership / executive roles , it ’ s obvious that you are the exception to this trend not only for your gender but for minority race / heritage as well . How did you break through this unfortunate trend ?
It really is unfortunate that there are not more women and minorities in the industry . I think there are a lot of factors that go into the reason why , including the fact that there are less than 15 % of the population in a lot of races in the overall population . I know Native Americans alone only account for around 1.3 % of the population . So , there are not many in the running in the first place . However , for the small percentage that are in the industry , I don ’ t believe they are presented with many opportunities to progress in this industry .
How I broke out of this unfortunate trend , well , it was not easy to say . But what helped me was the fact that I have come from a long line of strong women , and my mother is Native American and one of the strongest women I know today . My mother was a single mother of three children , and I would watch her work several jobs to make ends meet . One of those jobs was construction , and I saw as a kid with my own eyes her work circles around at least three to four men at a time . Even in a laborious job ! She ignored comments about her looks by men and ignored any doubters . If a man said , “ oh , you can ’ t do that !” She would say “ Oh , yeah , watch me — just stay out of my way !”
I had to be like that , I told myself — a Super Woman , one that runs circles around anyone who doubts her . My mother is also very humble . She did not see herself as anything special , just a worker , a mother trying to provide for her family . She is confident but humble . I also had Grandmothers to teach me and help me build courage . These are things I always remembered as I went on my own path . It ’ s not easy because of society , men and women included . We always tend to judge one another as soon as we meet . When we judge , we place labels , and our interactions change or remain based on that . We don ’ t realize that when we judge someone , especially a woman , we are basically putting our foot on her neck . This is the primary reason why it is so hard to move forward because it impacts your confidence . And without confidence in your abilities , you really don ’ t have much .
I broke the trend because I have a family and friends network that , no matter what , believes in me — smacked all judgments placed upon me into the ground . I would say , if you are a mother , aunt , or grandmother , make it your mission to be that supportive . A woman can do anything ,
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