Indigenous cultures have survived for thousands of years through storytelling traditions, passing on our knowledge from person to person and community to community. IIA recognizes that, given our geographic distances, Native peoples face the challenge of preserving the accuracy of our stories through our own storytelling, rather than relying on narratives from outside our culture. IIA has tried to welcome the use of technology for documenting and sharing books, magazines, videos, social media, and, of course, the Internet. Our story may be boring for some, but one day, it will be part of the history of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.
The Indigenous Institute of the Americas was founded in the early 1980s. We are very fortunate that our original co-founders contribute to the daily knowledge, vision, and activities of IIAmericas. Retired President Gregory Gomez, IIA Spiritual Advisor Eddie Sandoval, and advisory council member Dr. Cathy Gutierrez-Gomez assist us in developing a rich understanding of diversity across our cultures. They are role models for us, showing the importance of educating ourselves about the traditional worldviews of the many nations of this hemisphere. We strive to respect, preserve, and share cultural knowledge and traditions as appropriate before colonial borders. We try very hard to mirror the teachings of these three elders by conducting our business both within and outside the organization, reflecting the values for our children, elders, veterans, community, reciprocity, humbleness, integrity, collaboration, and cultural etiquette.
In 2007, IIA held its first powwow in Dallas, Texas, called the “Celebration of Life” powwow. We began the official process of nonprofit registration in New Mexico, where our President and his wife, Dr. Cathy Gutierrez-Gomez, had moved in the 1990s. It was a comical time as we were all computer illiterate. Navigating federal guidelines and online systems was difficult, and we relied on many allies to help us achieve our nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status. In 2014, we moved the nonprofit status back to Texas. We thank two very important people for helping in that process. Mrs. Peggy Larney, Founder of the American Indian Heritage Day in Texas organization, and Constance Hargis, CPA, our current IIA Treasurer.
One reason for moving our nonprofit to Texas was an event called Santa Fe Days on the Square in Carrollton, TX. Many recognize our organization through that fantastic event. American Indian artists from the Santo Domingo Pueblo and later other Nations from across the US attended the event, celebrating Native culture in the heart of the Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas area.
It all started in 2008, when Tosawi Pena and Annette Anderson heard about the Santa Fe Days event and reached out to the organizers. We only asked if we could sell funnel cakes to raise money for Tosawi’s daughter’s ROTC group. Ms. Pena asked if they required CDIB’s or Tribal enrollment. The organizers didn’t know what that meant, so they gladly invited us to their meetings to “educate” them about Native culture. They truly welcomed us to help them make their event more authentic for the public. Around 2009, IIA began offering cultural consultation to the Downtown Merchants Association in Carrollton, TX, for this event. The ODCA and our IIA representatives worked together to offer cultural competency in their programming. In 2014, the Downtown Carrollton area was disrupted by significant highway construction and renovations, so the event was awarded to IIA with the blessing of the ODCA, especially the event’s founder, Mr. David Oldfield.
IIA continued the event in 2014, with the help of the amazing Frank Rush family. They owned the former Sandy Lake Amusement Park and opened their land for our event until 2019, when they retired and sold the amusement park.
We moved our event to the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum in Cleburne, Texas, just as the COVID-19 epidemic hit Texas in 2020. We used this time to rethink the name of our event and decided to change it to Indigenous Institute of the Americas Celebration or IIAC (pronounced eye-äk). The IIAC event at this venue has been amazing and successful. Ten beautiful acres of land for everyone to relax, play, and enjoy nature. Moving so far away from our organization’s location (Plano, TX) and the Founding City for this event (Carrollton, TX) was a very large leap of faith. That leap only happened because of two people. Carrie and David Murdoch. From the first time we met them, we felt an immediate friendship that is hard to find. David took Annette all around Cleburne to show her the sights while Carrie took a serious look at the Museum and the property to determine how to help us grow the event in the beauty of the Texas Cross Timbers. Our time at Chisholm Trail has been very rewarding. We always feel at home when we step on the land.
We comprise a Council of American Indians, with many carriers and advisors from Circles of Knowledge. We are a volunteer-only organization, and all donations and fundraising efforts are dedicated to our programs and to the expenses of our annual event.
IIA has a Council of four voting members. Current President Itsa-Lichii Gomez, Vice-President Tanya Bond, Treasurer Constance Hargis, and Secretary Annette Anderson. We vote using Traditional consensus-building and Matriarchal leadership patterns.
We rely heavily on the collaboration and advisement of our Youth, Elders, and other knowledge-keepers.
Itsa Lichii Gomez, Apache-Huastic
Dahazhi Gomez, Apache-Huastic
Alicia Robinson, Chickasaw-Cherokee
Peggy Larney, Choctaw – Deceased
Sammy Tonekei White, Kiowa – Deceased
Dr. Mario Garza, Coahuiltecan
Rose Wood, Athabascan
Dr. Patrisia Gonzales, Kickapoo, Comanche,
Evelio Flores, Red Serpant Flores, Coahuilteco, Nahuatl
Dr. Cathy Gutierrez-Gomez, Huastec
Dr. Yolanda Maigua Teran, Kichwa
Karla Button, Seneca
Lelia Boughenou
Tennessee- Emilia Gaston, Ph.D.
Nevada – Anthony Dominguez
California – Alicia Robinson
Honored Veterans
Daniel Alvarez – USMC Veteran
Carl Kurtz – USMC Veteran
Eli Browning – Texas Army National Guard
Ulrica Abrahamsson, Sweden
Jacqueline Beer Heyerdahl, International
Axelle Comte Sponville, France
Theodosia Papazikou, Greece
Margaret Donnelly, JD Venezuela
Donna Huaman, Inca
Sunflower – MegAnn S.
Bean – Kailey O Osage
Corn- Alex O. Osage
Squash –
Strawberry – Rhiannon S.
Acorn – Elli T.
Mesquite Bean – Ayla S.
OUR PURPOSE – To promote and share the similarities and differences comprising the traditional cultures of indigenous people in the Americas before and since 1492.
MISSION – To cultivate awareness of the Indigenous people of the Americas.
VISION – A world that understands, values, respects, and celebrates Indigenous culture and perspective of the Americas