We don’t need Daddy’s permission to start, grow, launch, and build the beautiful futures we envision.
Editor’s Note: Over the 2020 summer, one of our interns was able to sit down with Dani and get to know her. They discussed their highs and lows, inspirations, and even advice they would offer to a former self.
We are excited to feature Dani through our Spotlight Profiles.
Meet Dani Pieratos, one of the speakers from our June 2020 webinar “Food for Thought”. Dani currently serves as the Food Access Coordinator for the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency. Her connection with 100 Rural Women was sparked when Teresa Kittridge, 100 Rural Women’s founder, reached out due to Dani’s knowledge of food systems during these changing times. Dani also notes her work with Harvest Nation, “an indoor aeroponic farm concept in development that [her] family [is] developing to pilot on the Iron Range of northern MN”. Harvest Nation notes that they value “the Food Sovereignty mission to support healthy, local food systems”.
Question: Describe your connection to rural America
Answer: I grew up off and on the Lake Vermilion Reservation of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa in very rural northern Minnesota. I also went to junior high here in the towers school. For high school, I went to boarding school on the east coast. Beyond my group of friends that’s where I first noticed elitism. I really didn’t like it, we’ll say that. Hence, I took a year off back in rural America and then went to school on the west coast. I saw elitism there.
In college there were natives, more affluent natives. I was shy and rambunctious. Maybe I didn’t give them a chance, but I felt less than in my own network and I was low income. People make out of a circumstance and look back on the people who are still struggling and say, “Well I did it. Why can’t you?”. This is what makes me passionate about fighting for people left at the end of the spectrum. Overall, the systems are so hard to navigate. I am anti-elitist coming from rural America. I’m standing on the shoulders of the people that came before me to allow me to be here. In truth, I would not be here without prayer, family, and love. I’m an “Iron ranger” for life!
Question: Tells us about a moment you felt discouraged and how you overcame it.
Answer: I talk about my discouragements a lot, with friends and family and strangers. The most helpful I have found are Elders who have survived so much, especially in rural America, who share stories and give me strength to put me back on the good path.
Question: How do you lead and create change in your community and how can your community better support rural women?
Answer: I talk a lot about the problems I experience or see in the world from my first person perspective. I ask people to share their experiences to acknowledge whether or not my issue is also their issue. If we have a common issue, I may ask for their help to address it in some way or other. So, I try to bring things back to the moral, not necessarily the logic. The heart of it. I can’t seem to keep my tears to myself these days so I can’t help it.
Offering empowerment experiences, workshops, classes to explain to women that we don’t need Daddy’s permission to start, grow, launch, and build the beautiful futures we envision.
Question: If you could give one piece of advice to your former self, what would that be and why?
Answer: Don’t smoke. For the love of God please don’t smoke. People say it’s hard to quit smoking, yet no one ever explained that the reason it is so hard. It’s important to realize it’s because you can fall in love with it. Despite knowing dangers of cancer and death, you will never actually want to quit. This goes for all toxic chemicals we like to play with without realizing the truth that there are consequences. In spite of that, the worldly noise minimizes their appearance and acceptability.
Question: Who or what has been your biggest inspiration?
Answer:The sacrifice of others who have gone out in the world and done their very best, many many people who have done good for the sake of doing good in the world. Ancient faces. Modern people I will never know or meet or hear of. My heroes are the unacknowledged do-gooders that strive to help because they love humans and plants and water and still believe in the magic of this realm. There are people who prayed for you before you were even born. There are people talking action every day. They’re not taking selfies or handing money to the homeless. They’re out there doing it for the greater good. Those are my heroes.