Pilot
WHEN RITA RABBITSKIN WAS A LITTLE GIRL, bush planes were the primary link between her Cree community in Northern Quebec and the outside world. She watched the skies with fascination, dreaming of one day flying herself. “That was the world I wanted to be part of,” Rabbitskin says. “I used to go see the pilots and crews that worked back home, learning what my options would be. The initial dream was to be a bush pilot.”
Her path has had its share of turbulence and unexpected turns, eventually leading her to Air Creebec 12 years ago. Although the current pandemic crisis has forced the Cree-owned airline to lay off half its staff, Rabbitskin continues to connect remote communities with essential services. “She is a real role model and a hero for a lot of young women,” asserts Cree School Board (CSB) Chair Sarah Pash. “We are very proud of her. I know a lot of young women see her as an example of the kinds of goals they can reach if they have dreams.”
Rabbitskin always liked the idea of becoming a pilot, but she credits a high school math teacher with giving her the push she needed to pursue the necessary qualifications. She moved to Montreal to complete physics and math courses that weren’t offered in her community, while hoping to somehow enroll in flight school.
“You find the balance if you believe in yourself. In the end, you know how much you struggle, how hard you work for it, so you’ll have more pride in what you worked for.”
“When I introduced that program to the CSB, hoping for sponsorship, they said that it would be very expensive,” recalls Rabbitskin. “Sometimes when you see students come down south the first time, after one semester they go home. They said prove yourself first. Go to college, show us your marks. I did that, so eventually they decided to sponsor me.”
While aspiring pilots might question whether math and science skills are necessary, Rabbitskin explains that she sometimes needs to make conversions to calculate her fuel range and apply geometric principles to plan her routes. Physics is essential for understanding the fundamentals of flying.
During her studies at Laurentide Aviation, Canada’s oldest commercial flight school, she was pregnant with her first child. After returning home to give birth to a healthy boy, she was back in ground school days later. Rabbitskin jokes that she just has to ask her son how old he is to remember how long she’s been flying.
Still restless after successfully becoming a bush pilot back home, Rabbitskin convinced the CSB to sponsor helicopter training in Quebec City. She was then expecting her second son. Although many colleagues from that time have long since abandoned aviation careers, Rabbitskin persevered despite the challenges.
“I think at the beginning people get too discouraged,” she explains. “You’re still struggling to prove this is what you want. I’d be spending more money on babysitters than making money. You have to be prepared for that as soon as you finish your program.”
Being away for days as a helicopter pilot didn’t fit with raising two babies, so Rabbitskin joined Air Creebec. It was still a struggle to accumulate flight hours, but slowly she gained confidence and experience, which led to better schedules and compensation. Eventually, she achieved the stability she had been seeking. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now,” she says. “You find the balance if you believe in yourself. In the end, you know how much you struggle, how hard you work for it, so you’ll have more pride in what you worked for.”
Life as a pilot means regular emergency procedures and drills, simulation tests, and medical exams, not to mention flying in unpredictable northern weather. With so many ongoing challenges, Rabbitskin has little time to consider her pioneering role as a female Indigenous pilot, but when she can, she attends career fairs, encouraging young people that they can also achieve their dreams. “I grew up exactly like these kids back home,” she says. “It’s not easy, but it’s worth it in the end if it’s what you really want. If you work hard at it, the sky’s the limit.”
— Patrick Quinn
An Algonquin tribe and one of the largest in North America, the Cree tribe originated in subarctic Canada. Today Cree people live across Canada as well as in the Northeast and Great Plains of the U.S.
ATTENDING THE AISES LEADERSHIP SUMMIT can be a life-changing experience. Just ask Lincoln End of Horn, Standing Rock Sioux, who attended his first summit last February with his “Lala” (grandpa), Phil Lane Jr., a member of the AISES Council of Elders.
Lincoln, a senior at Aberdeen Central High School in Aberdeen, S.D., reports that his summit experience was enriching and inspiring. “For AISES to provide academic, cultural, and social opportunities to learn from each other, as students, professionals, and elders, was impactful for me,” he says. For Lincoln, it was also culturally empowering. “Being a minority in a predominantly white school means that I am often singled out and isolated,” he explains. “At this conference, I felt able to express myself and my heritage without fear of backlash from anybody. It showed me that there are people who accept me for me, who embrace my culture and identity.”
When he returned home, Lincoln was asked to make a presentation to the Aberdeen Public School Board about his experience. He shared what it meant for him to attend and the importance of encouraging more students to take advantage of AISES opportunities.
Lincoln credits his single mother, Tomee Brown, with setting an example of hard work and persistence. “She pushes me to be the best I can be,” he says.
Presenting to a roomful of town officials was a daunting experience, but Lincoln is no stranger to delivering a solid performance. After all, for the past seven years he has been a competitive swimmer, a sport that has taught him to push through difficult moments and strive for improvement, even down to a hundredth of a second for an individual race time. Swimming has also taught him to appreciate the gift of water. “When I dive into that pool and I feel that water rush over me, I feel balanced, grounded, and open to learning,” he says.
In addition to athletics, Lincoln participates in the performing arts, including Honors Acapella, Vocal Jazz, and Drama Club. He appreciates that the Fine Arts Department at his school is an inclusive place where all students are encouraged to express themselves through singing and theater. “I come from a very competitive family,” he says, “and I’m passionate about all the activities I get involved in.”
Lincoln credits his single mother, Tomee Brown, with setting an example of hard work and persistence. “She pushes me to be the best I can be,” he says. “She knows when to be firm, when to hold me accountable, and when to have fun.” Lincoln also has the support of a large extended family. “They are very boisterous and loving,” he says. “My grandparents are hugely supportive, and I am so grateful for the hours and miles they put in to get to my events. Education is important in my family, with my mother, aunt, and uncle having multiple post-secondary degrees.”
Lincoln is also charting a post-secondary path, setting his sights on medical school. “Being a doctor has been my dream career for as long as I can remember,” he says. “I want to be that person people come to for help. I want to be that hope for patients and their families when everything seems bad. That would be the best feeling in the world, and I want to give that to people at the worst moments in their lives.”
He speaks from experience. A couple of years ago, his family almost lost his grandfather and was fortunate that he had a highly skilled medical team. The doctor was so impressed by the family’s interest and support that he taught them about different techniques, wound care, and biomedical treatments. That experience reinforced Lincoln’s goal to do something in medicine.
So far, he’s on track. A top student and avid reader, Lincoln enjoys being challenged in Advanced Placement classes. “I’m very fortunate to have the teachers and mentors I have,” he says. “It’s appealing to me to be challenged at the next level.”
— Kyle Coulon
After gaining international attention in 2017 for their opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe won a major victory in March 2020 when a federal judge ordered an environmental review of the project.
Senior Sales Excellence and Strategy Manager
GROWING UP, DENISE LEBEAU BOIS felt it best to downplay her Native heritage because of reactions she received early in her school life. She also felt judged for being from a divorced family, her mom of Western European ancestry and her father, Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux). As a result, she had the sense that most people outside her family did not expect her to amount to much.
Her father, a Vietnam veteran, was proud of his Lakota heritage and military service. Bois was estranged from her father for many years and rarely shared photos of her dad or his side of the family. That changed when, at age 25, she attended a family reunion and spent time with her father, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Bois made a promise to begin sharing that side of her life.
One constant throughout her life was education. Her parents’ curiosity and passion for learning greatly shaped her path. Her grandmother Ethel LeBeau, Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux), also supported her early education. “I was asked what college do you want to go to?” Bois recalls. “It was never phrased ‘if you go.’ The expectation was that I would go.”
After attending Regis University in Denver for freshman year, Bois transferred to the University of Montana. She graduated in 1995 with a degree in political science, followed by graduate school in political science and history. Even with a heavy financial burden, Bois loved her college experience. She held work-study positions and part-time jobs throughout college to supplement scholarships. “I slept on an air mattress until I could afford a futon,” she says. “I was on the dean’s list several times, but what I’m most proud of is that I never quit.”
“I was asked what college do you want to go to?” Bois recalls. “It was never phrased ‘if you go.’ The expectation was that I would go.”
At the University of Montana Bois felt she could be of mixed heritage and not apologize for or deny it. She found a Native community and studied tribal history and law along with women’s history and political theory. As a graduate school teaching assistant, she helped other Native students navigate the college world.
Bois had a post-graduation plan in mind: apply to the Peace Corps and work for the State Department. But the diagnosis of an eye condition prevented that, and her career journey became a winding path that included residential and commercial property management, massage therapy, and a return to school at the University of Washington for certification in accounting.
Through her network, she learned about an accounting position at aQuantive, a digital marketing company. Bois got the job and found a passion for sales operations, later moving into a program manager role. After two years, the company was acquired by Microsoft. Initially, Bois wasn’t sure it was going to be a fit since she had never worked at a large company. Her concerns were short-lived. In August 2020, she will mark 13 years at Microsoft. The company is working to transform the culture. “It is truly inspiring to witness the change,” Bois says.
Bois works within the Microsoft Advertising organization as senior sales excellence and strategy manager. Previously, she worked with Global Sales Operations teams in various roles, including developing internal sales processes and tools, collaborating with engineering teams to translate sales processes into requirements for tool development, and ensuring efficient processes and experiences for clients and partners.
She is also a strong voice and leader in Microsoft’s employee resource groups (ERGs). The Indigenous at Microsoft ERG is the organization’s ninth and newest ERG. Bois recalls an occasion last fall working with other groups within Microsoft as they pulled together a successful event honoring tribal veterans in the area. In addition to recognizing the veterans, the event was an opportunity to increase awareness of tribal customs and tribal sovereignty, and to create a safe space for tribal visitors on the Microsoft campus. “It was impactful for me to see my fellow Microsoft employees remain curious and excited, to learn about the diversity within tribal communities, and to be so well-prepared to honor our guests,” she says.
The Indigenous at Microsoft ERG is a strong supporter of AISES, which aligns with its key goals of recruiting Indigenous talent and perspectives. Bois offers a unique perspective on working in STEM. Her career is proof that you do not need a computer science degree to have a satisfying career in an organization focused on technology. “I share the same advice I received,” Bois says. “Be open to new opportunities and learn from everyone, even those showing you what not to do. Follow your dreams because you are worth it.”
— Ann S. Boor
The Cheyenne River Lakota tribal lands, which cover 3 million acres in central South Dakota, are home to four of the seven bands of the Lakota: Mnicoujou, Itazipco, Siha Sapa, and Oohenumpa.