“I want real long term, impactful, generational change.”

According to the indigenous “seventh generation” principle, actions taken today should positively affect people generations into the future. Field coordinator Tracy Kennedy, an enrolled member of the Burns Paiute Tribe, takes that concept to heart. 

“Change takes generations,” she says. “You can’t just throw money at it. My goal is to help the tribes and the Foundation form a real partnership with real opportunity to make change.”

As field coordinator, Tracy helps create and deepen partnerships with tribes in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. She also will support community builders in Harney and surrounding counties.

Tracy was born and raised on the Burns Paiute Reservation, near Burns. The first to attend college in her family, she received an associate degree from Haskell Indian Nations University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon. After returning to the reservation with her two children, she served as the tribe’s director of community and economic development for six years before coming to the Foundation in 2023.

When Tracy graduated from school, the Ducks football team gained a whole family of fans. “Every Saturday during football season, I know someone is going to text me, no matter where they are in the country,” she says. “It’s another way we can connect.”