At Brave Heart Society we have many talented employees and relatives that become part of the Braveheart family while working with us. We want to take time to honor two of those relatives, beautiful women inside and out, Eva Weddell and Marquel Holiday.

Marquel who is an Isnati Winyan, has spent her summer doing many wonderful things for Brave Heart Society. Marquel has helped with our many language immersion programs and events over the past year. She has carried out land, water, and environmental research/application on our makoche. As of late, she was a team member for the story boards for the Meade territorial museum, helping acknowledge references to the Yankton Territory. She has worked hard at keeping our language alive and has applied that knowledge while working at Brave Heart Society. She has also been involved in the tribal government and the Pipestone treaty rights, making it a priority to reclaim our rights. Marquel has a BA in Native American studies with a minor in teaching. Marquel dreams of returning home in the future and instructing our children. Marquel has made the commitment to fulfill that dream by continuing her education and pursuing her master's degree at the University of Oregon.

Eva Weddell, has been a wealth of knowledge since joining the team, bringing a BA in Natural Science with an emphasis in Conservation Biology. This has been a great summer with Eva as she ran a chainsaw for the first time this year to help prepare the grounds for Isnati. Eva has had interest in forestry and firefighting in the future with the intent to return to her homelands to help Mother Earth. She developed a seed mix specific to Ihanktonwan territory by furthering our restoration at the developing medicine garden. Eva also did a large amount of water quality testing, focusing on Bde Ihanke (Lake Andes) and surrounding rivers. Eva has also conduction an official study on the growth and preservation of Tipsina (Traditional turnips), she will be presenting her study soon. She enjoys the outdoors and teaching others the knowledge she has gained from schooling. We are thankful for her to have been part of the team as she continues her journey. Eva will be continuing to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, to pursue her master's in biology.

Both Marquel and Eva have been relied upon by the Kunsi’s of Brave Heart to help further our vision and our goal at a grassroots level, we will greatly miss their presence. Both Winyans will always have a place in the future of Brave Heart Society. They have been powerful leaders in their field and are a hope for our generations to come. As they continue their journey, they carry the torch that continues the fight for the protection of our water, our air, our land, and our Oyate.

We believe and pray that they will continue to touch many lives around them and grow to be the beautiful women they have already proven themselves to be.