The inaugural board met formally in 2019, but by then had already spent years discussing the unique strengths and needs of Native women, and envisioning what possibilities existed by honoring those strengths and addressing those needs. All the board members found consistent alignment around the value of healing.

Initially, that healing was centered on Native women as individuals, family members, and community leaders, but our continued reflection on the roles of Native women in our communities was a reminder of how women often are the backbone of Native economies. Having published the report “An Indigenous Approach to Community Wealth Building” in 2016, our Executive Director, Stephanie Gutierrez, received numerous inquiries from communities across the nation and globe as to how this approach could be applied to their community. At the time, she had spent years trying to figure out how to provide workshops, but couldn’t let go of the feeling that the work needed to be more comprehensive and longer-term than a one time workshop.

Stephanie realized that what these communities were really wanting was a way to heal their economic systems, and for that they would definitely need more than a workshop. It was through this realization the Indigenous Community Wealth Building Program was developed, and became a core focus within our organization in 2020. The board held its inaugural strategic planning event in fall of 2020, gained 501(c)(3) status in spring of 2021, and spent the next year working with program developers, Native women, and trusted partners to curate our pilot programs.

The development of Seven Fires has been thoughtful in its pacing and intentional in its program design, because we believe it is important for our organization to be clear in the ‘why’ of our work so that the opportunities for learning, improving, and adapting are maximized.