Matt Wagner is the outgoing Chief our current Iroquois Honor Tribe, the Sauk. His ongoing journey within the Iroquois is common to many of our members – from initial reluctance to whole-hearted participation with his tribe and his Daughter. During 2011-2012, Matt has been instrumental in helping evolve aspects of the Iroquois, and crucial to ongoing recruiting effort. His leadership of the Sauk, including the Sauk’s annual food drive at the holidays (seen above), has been sincerely appreciated.
When first asked to join Indian Princesses, I found myself thinking: “This is for people that need help getting off the couch and doing something with their kids – I already do plenty with my children.” I actually said “no” to my first invitation to join the Iroquois. Upon being invited a second time, I figured “what would it hurt to see what it is all about.” The first meeting was a little slow, since I didn’t know anybody at that time, but my daughter loved it. We decided to continue coming, and found that the activities and events were a great opportunity to meet new people, and do things that you wouldn’t usually be able to do on your own. To be a part of this group and take advantage of these opportunities has been a wonderful experience for my daughter and me.
Experiencing the campouts, and the helping of others, and the friendships, have made our entire family feel like a part of the community. Watching the girls grow and help each other out has been my biggest joy. Starting when my daughter joined and seeing the older girls help her adjust on her first campout, to now seeing her help others, has been inspiring. Watching the girl’s confidence develop as they speak in front of others, work together, and plan things out, gives you hope for their continued growth. They are learning life lessons with your guidance. It all makes for great memories and a promising future.
In Indian Princesses, there is the perfect amount of Dad-and-Daughter-Time mixed with the daughters and dads developing their own relationships with their peers. This dynamic makes for growth and fun for all, and develops new relationships that likely would not have happened without this experience. That, mixed with the minimal pressure of attendance (we all are busy), makes for an ideal situation. You don’t have to attend everything, but like anything in life, the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Annika and I are glad we made the effort and joined! — Matt Wagner