IN SERVICE | Tracy Canard Goodluck on sovereignty, water policy and elevating Native youth leadership

Tracy Canard Goodluck, an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and of Mvskoke Creek heritage, has built her career around public service rooted in tribal sovereignty and community responsibility. In Haudenosaunee tradition, leadership carries an obligation to future generations — a principle that has shaped her work across education and federal Indian policy.

Raised in a family of federal civil servants and educators, Goodluck grew up with a strong emphasis on service and pride in her Native identity.

That foundation guided her from co-founding and serving as dean of the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque — a community-led charter school focused on preparing Native students for college — to a decade at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she worked on Indian water rights, Native language revitalization and other federal policy affecting tribal nations.

Today, Goodluck serves as executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Center for Native American Youth, as the organization approaches its 15th year supporting Native youth leadership and civic engagement.

This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

Can you tell me about your professional journey and what led you to focus on serving Tribal nations in your career?

It is weird to say where I began professionally. I think every little piece of my upbringing and the values I learned from the time I was a child really shaped my desire to be a public servant. 

My paternal grandparents were career civil servants in the federal government with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service. My aunt and uncle taught on the Hopi reservation in Arizona for four decades. So I really grew up with this desire to give back to my community and make the world a better place.

Your work spans policy, education, and leadership development — what are some of the challenges you have helped solve throughout your career?

I was a teacher for 14 years across Seattle, Arizona and New Mexico. I was approached by Kara Bobroff when I was teaching in Albuquerque to think about what we could do for Native American youth because the local school district wasn't serving their needs. So a group of parents, teachers and business owners got together and started envisioning what a positive education experience for Native children in Albuquerque could look like. We co-founded what is now Native American Community Academy (NACA).

Later on, I spent 10 years at the Department of the Interior. I served twice in the Obama administration. And during the first Trump administration, I served as the deputy director of the Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office.

There is a saying that whiskey is for drinking, but water is for fighting. It is one of our last natural resources. It's really critical, especially in the Southwest and Western states, and tribes have a huge stake in their water rights. I became deeply committed to water policy work — I loved the legal aspect of how it interplays with tribes. There are some that take 20 to 30 years to settle, so even though the effects are not immediate it is really rewarding to know I am helping future generations.

As the current executive director of the Center for Native American Youth, how does your work help Indigenous youth become leaders in their communities and beyond?

I want to be able to leave this world in a better place for the next generation stepping into leadership roles. This role is an opportunity to take my skills and passion and pour it into empowering positive youth development. It's about uplifting Native youth voices. It's about putting Native youth at the policy tables that they deserve to be at. We are working through a lens of sovereignty and self-determination. We are creating a new Future Leaders Tribal Sovereignty Institute and refining our curriculum to be more defined with greater emphasis on sovereignty and self governance. We are teaching our youth how to advocate at the federal level and within their communities — explaining what a self-governance contract is or how their individual tribe operates its own government — to empower them as leaders.

What is an event or program that you are particularly passionate about involving empowerment of Native youth?

In October we attended the annual National Congress of American Indians. It was the first time that we had supported our youth in learning how to write resolutions, policy papers and advocate by presenting to the NCAI — and their resolution got passed unanimously, which was amazing. Their resolution was about encouraging tribes and people who work in any kind of tribal capacity to include youth at the table and have their voices be heard and actioned. 

If you could leave one piece of advice for young Native leaders looking to serve their communities professionally, what would it be?

I think it’s really important to know yourself — and that’s not easy. It changes over time. As you get older, you refine who you are and what your values are, but you have to hold tight to them. The values you were raised with matter. If you lead your life through a values-based system, it will guide you in the right direction.

I’ve had times when I faltered, especially when I was younger. But when that happens, you learn the lesson and keep going. Keep your head high. I truly believe your ancestors prayed for you to be who you are today — truly, you are here because they wanted you here as you are. Remember, everything you do now will impact future generations.

Be mindful of your values. Persevere through challenges. Give yourself grace. It’s okay to change your mind. My career has evolved — from classroom teacher, to nonprofit work, to law school, to federal policy for a decade, and now back to the nonprofit world as an executive director. The thread through it all has been my passion.

So have passion. Hold on to your values. Know who you are and know your worth — your voice matters.

In Service is a new recurring series that highlights Native executives in professional services — law, banking, accounting, consulting, nonprofits and related fields — who work with tribes, tribal enterprises and Indigenous entrepreneurs. Know someone who should be featured? Contact [email protected].