Jodi Archambault

Jodi Archambault, Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota, is an acclaimed advocate and originative solutionist who applies a transformative lens —whether in policy, art, or activism— to drive the visibility of, expand understanding about and maximize impact and opportunity for Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous rights. Jodi’s life and mission are grounded in the harmony of relationships and Indigenous ways of life, which is why she founded ANPO, an organization that focuses on the deep interconnectedness of Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures.

Jodi’s heartworks—be they advocacy campaign strategies aimed at advancing Indigenous rights, films, or arts and design from beaded abstracts to digital billboards—are manifestations of her love of Lakota and Dakota ways and her profound respect for other Native Peoples’ cultures and the global human experience. As Founding President and CEO of ANPO, Jodi chose the Lakota Language word anpo for because it signifies the morning dawn and the awakening of a new day with boundless possibility. In her policy and rights advocacy work, she served as the Special Assistant for Native American Affairs under President Barack Obama, influencing key legislative changes, including amendments to the Violence Against Women Act and the Stafford Act, and protections for Native Nations’ ancestral and religious freedoms. Jodi also served as Senior Policy Advisor with Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry, LLP, providing critical support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline. This led her to lead the Indigenous Peoples Initiatives at Wend Collective, where she used her platform to advocate for and be guided by the collective wisdom and values of the Oceti Sakowin and many other Native Peoples.

Jodi obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Native American Studies at Dartmouth College University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, where she graduated with a Master of Public Administration degree, and fortified her belief that the enduring wisdom of Indigenous Peoples is integral to our shared and collective future. A former Bush Leadership Fellow, she now is on the Board of Directors for the Bush Foundation.