Prairie Bighorn Fort Peck Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Tribes
 Administration for Native Americans

Prairie was a member of the Rocky Mountain College AIBL Chapter for two years during her undergraduate education. Her chapter attended the 2000 AIBL conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which she says was the highlight of their year. While in graduate school at the University of Montana, Prairie was the Graduate Assistant for the AIBL’s National headquarters. She said, “Being at the AIBL national office helped me prepare for my career by showing me a realistic view of how Native non-profit organizations are managed. It prepared me to be a part of the workforce by providing a solid foundation for building my work ethic and developing my networking skills.”

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
• Master’s degree in Business Administration
• 2004- Present: Program Analyst, Administration for Native Americans, Washington D.C.

“The principals that AIBL was founded on are vitally important for native business students.” “American Indian business majors have to figure out how to balance their education, work experience and native culture to become great business and community leaders.” “The skills you develop while you’re away from your community will serve you well and you’ll be able to make a larger impact on your community when you go home.” ___________________________________________________________________________________

Vina Little Owl
White Clay People
Ribail, Stauffer&Associates

Vina is a member of the White Clay Nation, part of the Black Lodge Clan of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Her spiritual name is Ah-Nat-Dath which means, "Where the Breeze Comes From." With her Bachelors of Science degree in Accounting and the leadership skills that she developed through the AIBL Student Chapter Program, she began working as a corporate auditor with Nike, Inc. at their world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon in June of 2006. She left Nike to work for Ribail, Stauffer and Associates, an Accounting firm whose clients are 95 percent Tribal based organizations.

• Bachelors of Science in Accounting
• Corporate Auditor, Nike, Inc.
• Present: Accountant, Ribail, Stauffer and Associates
• Present: CPA Candidate
• Present: Board Member, Fort Belknap Indian Community Tribal Business Investments

"You can do anything with the support of AIBL. That is why I am where I am now. AIBL inspired me to reach my goals." "The challenge faced by American Indian students is that of achieving success in a system entirely different from that of their own communities and traditional teachings. AIBL recognizes the cultural issues must be addressed in the business world. AIBL encourages member to merge the two value systems to obtain the best of the two worlds in developing successful, culturally appropriate businesses." ___________________________________________________________________________________

Dominic Ortiz
 Prairie Band - Potawatomi Nation
Prairie Band Casino&Resort

Dominic was the President of the Haskell Indian Nations University AIBL Chapter for two years and has been an active member since 1995. During this time he was chosen by AIBL to introduce President Clinton at the Building Economic Development for Indian Communities Conference in Washington D.C. in 1998. Currently, he is the National Representative for the American Indian Business Leaders (AIBL), and was the Honorary Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association in 2003.

• Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts
• Bachelor’s Business Administration and Accounting
• Master’s Degree in Accounting and Information Systems
• Harvard Business School Alumni

2004: Key Result Area Manager at Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino 2005: Financial Controller at Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino 2006: General Manager Program at Harvard Business School 2007: Oversees 7 departments at the Prairie Band Casino&Resort “AIBL allows native students to see the broad spectrum of paths that are available and gives them the chance to see what they may or may not want to pursue.” “AIBL represents a significant opportunity for natives to meet others that are interested in pursing a career in business.” Dominic says the most useful part of his experience with AIBL was “the ability to build a network with fellow natives interested in business and business ownership.” ___________________________________________________________________________________

Jon Paul Swan
 Chippewa Cree Tribe
Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government

During his sophomore year at The University of Montana, Jon served as the President of AIBL. His Chapter was named the 2001 AIBL National Chapter of the Year. Jon attended the AIBL National Leadership Conference every year of his undergraduate education. While actively contributing to the campus and Missoula community he also served as the 101st student government president for The University of Montana.

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics
• Attending the Harvard Kennedy School of Government;
• Master’s in Public Policy and Business Administration

2001&2003: Fellow for the Ford Civil Rights, Harvard Law School 2003-2006: Assistant Vice President, Native American Bank 2005: Keynote Speaker, National Congress of American Indians the Indigenous People’s Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was instrumental in drafting various pieces of the Declaration of Indigenous Rights. The UN’s General Assembly passed it in the fall of 2007. “AIBL has an invisible mission of ensuring that the transition from reservation to off-reservation life is palpable for native students interested in pursuing higher learning in business.” AIBL is “incredibly important to the long-term strategy of cultivating a generation of Indians interested in business. It has made a real impact and improved the chances of Indians who want to succeed in business, especially in their hometowns.”