Hello, fellow tribal members, my name is Patricia Ortiz Conway. My husband is Ernesto Ortiz, and we have five children Karar, Ty, Daisha, Ché & Gwen, who have each spent most of their lives at Chief Leschi.

My mom, Debi, always taught me the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from. I have ancestors from all around the Salish Seas, including Whatcom and Skagit Counties, the Minter Creek area, and from many tribal nations, including, the Sauk Suiattle, Swinomish, Tulalip, Puyallup, Nisqually, and Skokomish. I am also a decedent of the Snoqualmie, Klickitat, and Blackfeet. It is most important to me to care for my family, and the Puyallup Tribe is my family. I strive to respect, & honor our ancestors, elders, youth and warriors. My dad Chuck taught me to stand up & fight for my people!

Like many of us, my path to the red road has had curves and bends along the way. I was born in Tacoma, raised in Tulalip, but came home frequently, even as a young child. When I got in trouble as a young teen, I came home and attended Chief Leschi. When I was confused, and trying to figure out where I belonged, I came home, and when my father Chuck died, I stayed home. Our clinic, job opportunities and child care availability have provided me support to find my way to the red road.  Today, I am proud of being clean and sober for 14 years. I absolutely love living a traditional coastal way of life- staying connected and taking care of our mother earth, our water, our father sky. I enjoy maintaining my relationship to Creator, and learning from one another, and our children.

You may have met my family and I at Native American Church, ceremonies, sweat lodge, cultural & community events, or pow wows, or you may have met me when we served together on committees or entities within the tribe. I am grateful for my time on committees, which has taught me about our tribal government and has helped me build relationships with our people as we collaborate to support our community. Our family values staying actively engaged, working hard, and giving back to our community - values we share with our children. 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I also want to share a little bit about my education, background, experience, and platform.

Education 

G.E.D, Medicine Creek Tribal College.

Associates Degree, TCC.

Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree, Interdisciplinary Studies, UW 

Professional Experience:

 Housing Receptionist & Intake Specialist

Skills/Experience

Collaborated with director, managers, staff & legal team to improve our policies and procedures

Values: equal access, listening to the membership, accountability, and transparency

Chief Leschi Paraeducator, Culture, Washington State Indian Sovereignty, and Instructional Coach

Skills/Experience

Collaborating with teachers, administrators and staff to implement effective, timely, solutions around curriculum design, frameworks, and instructional practices. Building programs with staff to ensure our children have access to diverse cultural experiences.

Values: planning and advocating for our next generation, honoring our past, and putting Puyallup culture first

Community Involvement:

Commissions & Committees

Housing Board, Chief Leschi School Board, Repatriation Committee, Canoe Committee, Fish Wars Committee

Skills/Experience

Funding management, legal and human resource experience, collaborates with governmental bodies and community members, oversight and management experience, advocacy for our tribe and ancestors,

Values: collaborative leadership, honoring our ancestors, planning for our next generations, and celebrating our history

Candidate Forum Coordinator/Facilitator

Collaborated with members to create a forum for candidates to share their platforms and engage with the community since 2016.

Values: raising the voices of ALL members, empowering voters, equal access for ALL members, healthy conversations to promote positive change

Areas of Focus for Positive Change:

Click each topic to find out more

Constitutional Amendments

Housing

Youth

Leadership

Call me @ (253) 312-8914

Website http://www.honorourconnections.com/

Add me on Facebook & like my page Honor Our Connections

Email- patricia@honorourconnections.com