Conner Byestewa Jr. Award

Brian’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding the ITCA’s environmental programs. Brian worked for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the US EPA, and ITCA. His expertise in many areas of the environment have been beneficial to Tribes and he has served as a resource connecting government leaders to Tribal staff, inviting former Directors from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, and Associate Administrators to the EPA to address Tribal Environmental Matters.
Brian’s work has had a significant impact on the communities he serves. His efforts to promote sustainable waste management practices have helped to protect the environment and improve public health. He has made contacts with private businesses and consultants who have been willing to do business with Tribes by conducting hazardous waste, completing emergency response plans, conducting table top exercises and bringing Hazardous Waste Operator and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), Incident Command Systems (ICS), and HAZMAT training. By building partnerships and securing funding, Brian has ensured that Tribal communities have the resources to address environmental challenges. In addition, Brian has served as the secretary and coordinator for the Indian Country Intelligence Network (ICIN) for the past five years.

Heidi has worked for the Pala Environmental Department (PED) for 19 years. She is the longest-serving member of PED, and her value cannot be overstated. She is responsible for the water quality program on top of being PED’s second in command, but her imprint is felt throughout the department and the Pala community. Heidi’s passion for environmental protection is limitless. She started PED’s community garden, does community outreach on drought preparedness, native plant gardening, composting, recycling, water quality, and so much more. She was a founding member of the San Luis Rey Watershed Council, where she worked tirelessly on watershed protection. Beyond Pala, Heidi is an amazing communicator at Tribal meetings, conferences, and organizations. She presents on everything from community outreach to HHW to how to run a transfer station. She is a resource to Tribes all over Region 9 and beyond and gives of her time and knowledge generously and selflessly. PED would be lost without her!

Dallas is Shoshone, a member of the Te-Moak Tribe South Fork Band. She and her beloved late husband Jim raised their family on the family ranch, that her grandparents established in 1939. Dallas is very proud of her Shoshone culture and heritage; she is a fluent Shoshone speaker, she also makes Shoshone cradle boards out of willows, which have long served symbolic and utilitarian purpose, preserving, our Shoshone culture. This is also one of the reasons why we still need to protect our plants, as people like Dallas, still today, to make our cradle boards.
Dallas started as South Fork’s Environmental Director in 2000-2007. She then had a break from that, and went to work for the ITCN, Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, as the Victims Advocate, from 2007 to 2018. During those years, we didn’t see much of Dallas, but she was still very much a protector of water and the environment. And she still was a rancher with her husband Jim at their ranch. Then in 2019 to present, she once again became the Environmental Director for South Fork Bank. She plans on retiring at the end of December, which is just in a few more months.
Ms. Smales oversees many programs in her Environmental office. Those programs are; General Assistance Program, Non Point Source 319-base, Non-Point Source Competitive, Clean Water Act 106 (CWA), Water Management-BIA, Rangeland Management -BIA, Firewood Bank, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Noxious Weed Management. With these programs, they help provide assistance and services to the community, and to ensure that the water and their environment is protected. Dallas also coordinates with outside agencies; Bureau of Land Management, United Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mining Companies, Farm Service Agency, and Tribes in Nevada.
Dallas was helped to get the old fencing replaced in many places in South Fork, this was a very large project. Another project was putting in stockwells in areas around the South Fork Reservation. And most recent, the Tribe was able to purchase new equipment for the tribe. Also, we know trash is never ending. She also provides the community a place to take their trash. She helps to keep their environment clean.
Dallas over the years is always willing to assist other neighboring tribes, when they need assistance, no questions asked, she is there to lend a hand. And you know, she will always leave you with a smile or a good laugh, for sure! Through stewardship, goals across landscapes, we have even more opportunities to work together to take care of our land. There are challenges Dallas faces every day, but those challenges are taken as opportunities and our action have different tribal communities.