BOARD: Tasha Fridia

Tasha R. Fridia (Pejuta Cangleska Win – Sacred Medicine Circle Woman), is an enrolled member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and is Kiowa, Caddo, and Hunka Oglala Lakota. She is a lifelong resident of the ancestral homelands of her Kitikitish people and has a deep connection to the land that is now known as Oklahoma. Ms. Fridia holds a Juris Doctorate with a certificate in American Indian Law from Oklahoma City University School of Law, a master’s degree in Human Resources Development from Webster University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Ms. Fridia has dedicated her career to serving youth through prevention and intervention using a cultural lens. Most recently, Tasha served as the Assistant Director of the Tribal Youth Resource Center where she collaborated with tribes across Indian Country to implement Tribal Youth Programs and Juvenile Healing to Wellness Courts. Ms. Fridia continues to work and volunteer with various entities whose focus range from education equity, to youth engagement, and tribal economic development. Her intent is to further affect positive change in all. Tasha views joining Friends of the Children in the role of National Director of Tribal Programs as an opportunity to broaden her impact on both children and families so they can reach their greatest potential.

Tasha is the legacy of many generations of activists and advocates dedicated to political, policy, and systems change. She interweaves her traditional Indigenous knowledge and western education throughout her work. Tasha strives to make her ancestors proud in everything she undertakes and is guided by the Indigenous value, “Children are sacred.” Her most important job and greatest legacy are her daughters, Isabella and Kennedy. Ms. Fridia serves as a mentor to many other young people and is dedicated to the strength and wellness of the future generations. With every opportunity and position Tasha seeks to find ways to share what she has learned for the betterment of her community and the world.