Introducing Yolanda Latham: Running for Hoopa Valley Council

Yolanda Latham

Terms like “since the beginning of time” and “vision for the future” weave like bright threads through the pitch Yolanda Latham makes as she speaks about why she is running for a place on Hoopa Valley Council from the Campbell Field District. She says she is balancing being “rooted in her tradition” and having a progressive view of how to economically help her community.

She told us that she wants to reach out to and speak for “the quiet warriors” the people who are the “fiercely protecting our culture, food, sustainability, sovereignty, [and] “teaching our language.”

Latham says these people are the ones doing the work of the community and “protecting us.” And, she says, “Those are the ones I hope to reach and protect. I hope they can see that I can be a good candidate for them.”

“The Hoopa Valley Tribe is located in this area since the beginning of time,” she says. And she is proud of her family that has gathered acorns on land they have claimed in the area since at least the 1700’s.

She grew up in Hoopa and says she loves and values the community. “I know the culture and people,” she explained. She worries that the community she cares about doesn’t get recognized for its good qualities. “People gathering, smoking fish, bringing kindling to that relative, laughing…never get that kind of press that crime does.” She hopes to change that. She says the Hoopa community needs “someone like me who is articulate, progressive, and very rooted in tradition.”

One of the first steps she made is to reach outside of the Hoopa Valley to make her case that she is the forward thinking candidate able to work with the world outside her community to strengthen it.

But, Latham who has a Masters in Business Administration according to her LinkedIn account says, she also has a vision for the future and the experience to bring it about. “I want to take our tribe into an improved era of prosperity,” she explained. “We have a few enterprises and investments but it is not nearly enough to fund robust infrastructure [and] our growing population.”

She pointed out that though the Hoopa Tribe receives money to build housing, there is never enough to meet everyone’s needs.

In addition, she worries, “Our water system, our road, our electrical system needs updating…To do that, we have to look at alternative income.”

Calling herself “progressive and forward thinking,” she explained that she would like the Tribe to “become more financially response…We need a robust planning department.” She proposed, “We need to focus on Indian Gaming. Our casino is quite small.”

Also, she said, “I would like to focus on making better deals in things beyond Hoopa Valley–start investing in commercial properties and businesses that are not just in Hoopa.” She explained, “The more variety you have…you can take a hit and move onto the next business. Right now we don’t have variety.”

In addition, Latham, who says she worked for a short time for Papa and Barkley, a cannabis company in Eureka, said she wants to investigate “how best to regulate and tax cannabis.”

She told us, “If and when it does come, we need to regulate it, tax it, and give us our fair share and use that to protect us from harm. That is so we don’t get millionaire growers coming into the Hoopa land and growing on the backs of the people.”

She explained, “I’m very progressive. What I want the people who read this to understand is that it is time for us to prosper…If we don’t have money, we can’t protect our land, our culture, or our families. So we have to look for revenue to make sure we are participating in the local economy.”

One of the things Latham said she would do is strengthen partnerships with County, State and Federal governments. “We should partner with the County the State and create a functional economy,” she explained. “I feel like this person could speak on our behalf eloquently and make connections with the state, the county that we have to connect with…As frustrated as we may get we have to do things diplomatically.”

Latham told us she “loves Humboldt County” and believes she would be a good communicator. “I’m super friendly and approachable,” she said. She adds that there are a lot of reasons for Humboldt and Hoopa to be partners. “We all want a prosperous economy. We are all in this together.”

She pointed out that the Hoopa Tribe injects money into the County of Humboldt. “The majority of people got to McKinleyville, Arcata, and Eureka to spend their dollars. They buy new tires, school clothes, [etc.] We are not a massive powerhouse, but we do inject a million here, a million there.”

Personally, Latham says, her election would be historic. “I would be the first openly lesbian tribal council,” she said. “I’ve been out for years. I think that would be great social change for our community.”

She believes that her background gives her an extra edge. “Not just being Native but being a lesbian on top of that…I’m very pro equality and understanding your rights.”

She said that her family background has added to her understanding. “I come from one of the old families in Hoopa,” she explained. “I also descended from Charlie Moon [one of the early Chinese settlers in the area.]  I’m Redwood Creek Indian, Hoopa, Latina, and a tiny bit of Chinese. I’m related to a lot of people in Humboldt County.”

Latham has a meet and greet at Saturday, February 8 from 6-9 p.m. at the Tsewenaldin Inn for those who would like a chance to meet her in person.

“I’m a longshot,” she says. But she says she’s the right choice for the job. “Right now for the Hoopa Valley Tribe, they need someone who is educated, capable, and aggressive. I would represent them well…I think we need to start flourishing and I know we can.”

Introduction from Yolanda Latham.