WASHINGTON, D.C. — Serving in her role as a public affairs specialist, Teton works with the Office of Communication in the Washington office, where she is a bridge to the Office of Tribal Relations and regions as a new tribal communications resource.

“As a new employee with the Forest Service I bring a deep sense of cultural knowledge and tribal government experience. My history lesson started with learning how my paternal grandparents attended and graduated from boarding school. I learned the importance of resilience and of knowing how important it was to know my 'newe,' which means 'the people' in the Shoshone language." Teton said.

“My first job was at my tribal museum and I learned there was a long history of ‘broken promises,’ when our treaties were signed, and there was a huge communication issue between the tribes and federal officials. The tribes did not have a full understanding of the English language, and the tribal interpreters often did not have a full understanding of the technical jargon that the federal government would use either.”

Recognizing the need for both accurate communications and an improved environment that is conducive to the growth of trust, Teton applied, when the agency posted a vacancy announcement for a Tribal Relations Specialist on USAJobs.  

“I felt like it was time for a career shift,” she said. “I wanted to challenge myself, but then at the same time I wanted to be in a position to further assist my community, in understanding the federal government just a bit more. This vacancy announcement, and the job, was super unique. It really piqued my interest as far as how the Forest Service was seeking tribal professionals with a unique cultural perspective.”

Seeking to strengthen our Nation-to-Nation relationships, the Forest Service has been actively taking steps to build a foundation of trust between Indigenous people. And from the new Tribal Action Plan to our enhanced Tribal Relations App, Randy’L Teton has been involved.

“I enjoy being part of the discussions to find solutions, where I get to apply my experience of working for the largest tribal government in Idaho,” she said. “It’s an honor to work on behalf of the Forest Service, and to be a voice for tribal communities.”  

“Tribal people are storytellers.  We’ve been doing this since time immemorial,” she explained, as her eyes started to twinkle and smile grew across her face. “It’s how we pass along information about our history, families, and where we’ve come from and where we’ve been.”

“Often we would turn those stories into songs, and I find all of that to be incredibly enriching because in my current role I feel like I am doing a service to my ancestors, where I get to hold on to our values and help share impactful tribal stories throughout our regions.”

“Being able to share, it’s invaluable to me. I love being able to educate,” she said. “As Native Americans, people should know that we are still thriving. We are still retaining our traditions, our languages and ceremonies to the present day.”

“We are still here today,” she said. “And personally, working for this agency I plan to work with my team to build a shared foundation of trust for the long run.”  

For more information about Randy’L Teton: Member Spotlight