Lankford a stalwart of tribal council

What do Tiger Woods, George W. Bush, Al Gore and Barack Obama have in common?

They have all met Carole Depoe Lankford.

The charismatic councilwoman was recently elected to her sixth term on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council, making her the longest serving woman on the council. She hopes her tenure on the council will empower all young people, not only young women, to raise up and take part in the legislative process.

She began her career as an elected official when she was 36, filling a spot she said had always been filled by men and people with more political clout than she had.  She welcomed the challenge, she said, and is proud to have stood her ground among them.

“It’s not been easy, but I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had,” Lankford said.

Her toughest times on the council have been part of her legacy as a representative.

Lankford is the council member called upon when a family is dealing with the loss of a loved one. She said the tribal community deals with the experience of loss and mourning differently than the non-tribal community.

“[We] spend time and capture what a person’s life was about,” Lankford said.

This has been one of her roles throughout her past 20 years on the council and it has been how she has gotten to know the membership. Through her appearances at wakes, in hospitals and among people going through the toughest times of their lives, she has won over their hearts as well as their votes.

As the only incumbent returning to the CSKT governing council, Lankford said she is sad to see her colleagues and their institutional knowledge leave. She said their relationship is not over and she would continue to work with them.

Lankford wants to extend every welcome to newcomers Patty Stevens, Shelly Fyant, Vernon Finley and Len Two Teeth.

“When people speak, you listen. When they speak in the voting booth, they speak the loudest,” she said. “The people felt they liked those people better.”

Her focus in her work as a tribal leader has been on people: children and family, jobs, health, social services and fire management.   

“It’s the grassroots people that I want to work for,” she said.

She is a familiar face on Capitol Hill fighting for her membership. But it’s not your typical Washington, D.C. fight, Lankford said.

“It’s about getting our point across, not making people look bad,” she said.

Meeting President Obama has been one of her life’s achievements, but she said her proudest moment is being re-elected by her constituency time and time again.

“I am just amazed to have this opportunity,” she said.

Lankford prefers to stay in the background rather than in the limelight, but it is clear to see that she shines bright all the way to the District of Columbia.