Valahlena Steeprock is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. She was recently appointed by the office of the Governor and Lt. Governor to sit on the Young Women Initiative Cabinet. YWIC is composed of young women and youth leaders from eight communities across Minnesota and ensures that the work of Young Women Initiative stays grounded in the lived experiences of the young women and youth from each community and the community-specific challenges and solutions they identified in the blueprint for action.
The cabinet has engaged in leadership development, being trained as policy advocates, and has directed more than $3 million in grants to nonprofits and individuals to advance equity. The YWCA of St Paul works with the Young Women’s Cabinet to provide leadership development.
Valahlena is currently a paraprofessional at a Middle School. She is an Indigenous Model and has hit the runaway for famous Indigenous designers and has been in numerous photos for the famous Nedahness Photography that does activist photos for MMIW and for Water is Life, that have gone viral a few times in media…