The direct descendant of two great tribal leaders, Melissa Isaac has kept that legacy in mind as she forges her own path as an educator and Native American activist. As part of our Native American Heritage Month celebration, we connected with her for a wide-ranging Q&A that reveals what motivates her, why much of her work has been around the issue of mental health, what it was like attending a presidential State of the Union address and then being attacked by right-wing media for things she had tweeted, and much more, including why the television series Reservation Dogs rings so true for her. We also focus on the upcoming presidential election and the pivotal role Native Americans could play in deciding the outcome.
Q: Do you prefer the term Native American, Indigenous Person, or something else?
A: I don’t have a simple answer to that question. It depends on the context of the situation and who I am interacting with. But in this case, with the general public as the audience, using Native American is respectful and fine by me.
Q: It has been reported that Native American voters have become increasingly recognized as a crucial voting bloc in U.S. elections, particularly in swing states like Michigan, which is home to more than 240,000 Native Americans. In fact, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who could become the first Native American woman in US history to become a governor if current Gov. Tim Walz is elected vice president, has said that Native Americans have the power to "make or break" elections. Do you agree with that?
A: I do. Historically, Native American people have been underserved and overlooked, especially when talking about voting and voting rights. In my personal experience, not a lot of politicians show up to campaign in our communities. And when they do, they read from a script that doesn’t really apply to us or our unique circumstances. So, I ask them questions about where they stand on issues like tribal sovereignty or how their policies will affect me as a tribal citizen, in the hope they will have a thoughtful answer that is contextualized for Native Americans. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.
In the past, because of our history as an oppressed people, getting Native Americans to turn out to vote has been difficult. But, more and more, our people are realizing the importance of voting and the positive impact it can have. The tide is really starting to turn. So, I think that the candidates and politicians who continue to ignore us are making a big mistake.
Q: Are there particular obstacles Native Americans in Michigan face when trying to vote?
A: There are. To point out just one: I’m very engaged with the Native American community in Michigan and have talked with people firsthand who have trouble locating and getting to polling locations because a lot of tribes are located in rural areas, where there are no nearby polling locations. So, in addition to already feeling disenfranchised from voting, there are often transportation issues that can make it difficult to vote. You have to be really determined to want to vote if you live in one of those communities. I’ve often wondered why there are not polling locations located in tribal communities, which would make voting much more accessible for Native Americans in Michigan.
Q: As a candidate for the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools Board of Education, you discovered earlier this year that you and other people living on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Indian Reservation were mistakenly being prohibited from actually voting for board members presiding over the school district their children attend, instead being told, wrongly, they had to vote in a neighboring district’s elections. Could you imagine something like that happening in a predominantly white community?
A: No. And I’m actually quite surprised when word of what happened to me in this particular instance did get out, that more people aren’t talking about it. There is a media outlet called Native News Online, which did a story on it. With a few exceptions, there wasn’t much other exposure in any other media. If this was a predominantly white community, that story would be everywhere, and people would be up in arms saying, ‘This is wrong, and shouldn’t be happening.’
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924, when we were supposedly ‘given’ the right to vote on our own ancestral lands, but until this year, when I brought attention to the problem, I and other people in my tribe didn’t ever have our full voting rights because residents on the Isabella Indian Reservation have historically been given a ballot to vote for the Shepherd Public Schools Board of Education even though we reside within the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools district.
Q: You are a longtime educator. Why did you choose that career path?
A: I have a two-part response to that question. Because I am very connected to who I am as a Native American woman, I am very aware of the long history of educators in my family. I’m the eighth-generation granddaughter of Obwandiyag, who is more widely known as Chief Pontiac. He was a person who brought people together for the love of his people and stood up to things that were a threat to the wellbeing of his family and his people.
Q: One of the things you did while director of education for your tribe was to create Project AWARE, which was designed to help students and their families deal with trauma and mental health issues. That effort caught the attention of First Lady Jill Biden, who invited you to attend the president’s State of the Union Speech in 2022. What was that experience like?
A: That was a very positive experience. It was also the first time that I had what I’d say is a surreal experience. When I stepped into that space, I knew that I was there for the young people of our tribe who, even before the pandemic, were showing us all that their mental health was not good and that they were struggling.
Q: The invitation also prompted the attention of right-wing media, which attacked you for a tweet you once sent denouncing efforts to quash the teaching of critical race theory and similar actions. What was it like being targeted for having such views?
A: My initial reaction was disappointment. I wasn’t bothered by the attacks personally. It was the fact that they were taking attention away from the kids and the awareness of their mental health and wellness needs, and the beautiful things we were making happen.
Q: Switching to a more lighthearted subject, we wanted to ask what music is currently in heavy rotation on your playlist?
A: My playlist rotation is eclectic. I listen to a lot of John Legend, Leon Bridges, Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Bob Seger, Fleetwood Mac, and Taylor Swift. To relax and recharge, I listen to Native American hand drum songs by my husband Nathan’s group, Crazy Spirit.
Q: Any movies or television series you would recommend?
A: I’m really proud of the series Reservation Dogs. New episodes are no longer being produced, but it can still be watched on Hulu. Watching it is like a breath of fresh air, because its creators, Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, are, like me, Indigenous people who grew up on a reservation. They weren’t concerned about creating something that would necessarily be accessible and relatable for everyone, which allowed it to be incredibly powerful.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say in closing?
A: All of the work I’ve been involved in over the years, from trying to impact and change public schools, advocating for youth mental health, uncovering and addressing voter disenfranchisement — I hope it can serve as an example to others. Other people can do the same thing. You don’t need some title. You just need to be caring, and to have the courage to point out when things are wrong, and take the actions needed to change them.