We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ty & Masami Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ty & Masami below.
Ty & Masami, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Ty & Masami Smith’s purpose in life first started when they were born as Native Americans. Growing up on their tribal homelands in Oregon, as tribal members of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, truly influenced and shaped their entire being—family, friends, marriage, parenthood, education, work, culture, traditions, spirituality, hobbies, world view, etc. Looking back, they would have never known that such a rich background, full of an array of life experiences, was only preparing them for their path later in life as a husband-and-wife team.
Upon moving to Ohio in the mid-90s, Ty and Masami quickly realized that they weren’t in Indian Country anymore. Rather, they found themselves in a state with a very small presence of Native Americans and with little to no infrastructure representative of their People. Needless to say, it was very different in comparison from what they knew growing up in Warm Springs, Oregon. As time passed however, during their early years of parenting, working, and going to school, they became part of a newfound Native family in Ohio. Notably, through the love and support of the elders and leadership at the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO), along with a variety of others from the local Native community, the Smiths found the solid footing they needed to make the transition into becoming Buckeyes.
Through the years and experiences of both growing up on their reservation homelands and later moving across the country to make a life in Ohio, Ty and Masami have grown to appreciate and understand the importance of what it means to hold on to one’s true identity as Native People. They also understand the importance of what it means to find a home away from home, or rather, a place where one can feel connection, belonging, love, warmth, purpose, and family. Today, in their directorship roles at NAICCO, they are now the ones striving to help their People in Ohio, by sustaining the same mission and vision work that positively impacted their lives years ago.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Masami Smith, NAICCO executive director, and Ty Smith, NAICCO project director, manage the affairs at NAICCO today. They are married with three children and two grandchildren and have been by each other’s side for 30+ years. Together, they have chosen to combine their life experiences and education to seek out the best possible ways to give back to their Native People, both in Ohio and around Indian Country.
Since 2011, they have had the honor and responsibility of serving as the directors at NAICCO. Over the years, they have not only helped maintain the legacy of NAICCO, but they have also revitalized the agency into that of a sound urban Indian center in Ohio. Together, they have been able to positively impact the lives of countless Native American individuals and families. Today, they continue to hold steadfast to their mission and vision work of preserving and restoring balance in the lives of their Native People through traditional, cultural, educational, family, community, and wellness driven values and initiatives. Much of their good work can be witnessed through the initiatives being prioritized at NAICCO today—NAICCO programs and events, NAICCO Cuisine, and Land Back NAICCO.
The Smiths, by means of NAICCO, are wholeheartedly focusing on writing a new successful chapter in Native American history—one not based on the common storyline of deficits, disparities, diseases, weaknesses, dysfunction, hopelessness, helplessness, etc., but instead, one based on culture, traditions, strengths, integrity, resiliency, perseverance, pride, community, forward thinking, and all other positives associated to the true virtues, practices, and identity of Native People.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
At a very young age both Ty and Masami learned what it meant to hunt, fish, gather, and harvest foods traditional to their People (Wasco, Yakama, and Tenino) since time immemorial. The skills and knowledge that they gained were bestowed upon them by their family, their friends, their extended family, their tribal People, and ultimately their ancestors. Because of this longstanding transfer of knowledge, Ty and Masami know in their heart of hearts what it means to be connected to place, and how all the intricacies of culture and tradition interlace with both the physical world and spiritual world. Such knowledge and wisdom have not only helped them navigate through the trials and tribulations of life, but have also helped them identify who they really are in this world, and why it’s important that such understandings be passed on to the next generations; i.e., their children, their grandchildren, their family members’ children and grandchildren, and now the youth at NAICCO.
Ty and Masami do not see themselves as elders, but if they could share any advice, it would be humbly directed towards their own Native People. Their advice is that one should learn who they really are by connecting with their own People of origin. In doing so, they should seek to understand what it means to holistically live life in balance—mind, body, and spirit. Additionally, they feel it is important to look to the natural world (Mother Nature) for some of life’s deeper meanings and understandings; e.g., life and death. In other words, Natives should embrace and act upon the opportunities given them to learn about their People’s world views, and how such profound perspectives have always taken into account the interconnectedness of all things, and how such wisdom is still very much relevant today. In doing so, the Smiths truly believe this will help Native People along their journey of life, and ultimately help them find their true purpose for being.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Our Native community here at NAICCO has told us on countless occasions that we need a space in Ohio that we can call ours… where we can gather and be ourselves; thus, to honor our past, thrive in the present, and walk proudly into the future. Needless to say, land will always be an essential piece to sustaining our legacy as Native People…
For our Native People of today, like many other races, we are unfortunately succumbing to the ways of this modern world. In short, our People, regardless of living on the reservation or in the urban setting, are losing track of the old teachings that spoke to what life is really meant to be about.
Not so long, our Native People interacted and lived in harmony with Mother Nature. This natural way of life was unique in that it helped prepare them for the next world. This changed though when our People began to step outside of the natural world. Now, today, it’s not uncommon to hear about our People rarely even going outside, or spending any real quality time in nature. Instead, people are spending more time preoccupied engaging in the numerous platforms that make up mankind’s world of today. Knowing this only heightens the same fear that our ancestors warned about ages ago… that our Native People would completely forget their ways and transition into the dominant society’s definition of what it means to live.
When reflecting on Western ideology there has always been the understanding that such thinking has been very contrary to the Native concepts of us, we, tribe, clan, family, society, etc. In honoring the ways and customs of our ancestors there needs to be a keen realization that life is not just about mankind and his perspectives and priorities, but that it’s also about being mindful to maintaining a good relationship with the natural world around us. Through our Peoples’ ceremonies, languages, spirituality, cultures and traditions, and prophecies, this connection is, and has always been, revered as sacred. The integrity of our People must once again become grounded in the virtues of honor and respect. And in order to appreciate the depth of this teaching we need to look to Mother Nature and the universal laws that exist therein… for She has not forgotten those original instructions, nor have they changed since the origin of our first ancestors.
Why say all of this? The importance of what’s been stated above lies at the very core of what Land Back NAICCO is all about. It’s not a political statement, or some trending movement, or some kind of media ploy. Rather, it is about finding a place in Ohio where our Native People can go to reidentify with the teachings of old, and genuinely learn about the importance of living in harmony with the natural world.
At first glance, yes, it’s easy to see that Land Back NAICCO is about acquiring a plot of land in Ohio, and thus using that space for NAICCO related activities, programs, events, etc. But when looking deeper, it is really about connecting our Native People to the natural world and helping them understand that our Peoples’ cultures and traditions have always been steeped and respectful to the lessons that Mother Nature has to offer. Intuitively, Native People know this, just as our ancestors did since time immemorial. To honor and respect the spirit of this wisdom, Land Back NAICCO is meant to serve as medicine for strengthening our Native People, so that they are able to successfully navigate the pathways of life while walking in two worlds simultaneously.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.naicco.com/donate
- Instagram: @naicco1975
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Image Credits
NAICCO