Wilderness Journal

Jay Pinkerton is both the past and future Tribal Chief of the Iroquois’ Comanche Tribe. Now in his eighth year with our Nation, the Iroquois have gotten significant mileage over the years out of this photo (above) of Jay and his daughter Abby, which remains an elegant expression of what Indian Princesses and the Iroquois are all about – a father and daughter, happy together. It’s that simple. In the coming year, the Iroquois are actively working to help grow the Comanche, and new recruits and interested families are invited to join Jay and his daughters in their tribe for the adventure of a lifetime. Here Jay shares some of his experiences with his daughters in the Comanche:

My youngest daughter, Abby, was asked by a friend of hers recently “What does your Dad look like?” Abby decided to bring a picture to school with her from the Daddy/Daughter dance sponsored by the Iroquois Nation of the Park Ridge Indian Princesses. I realized at that point that the Indian Princess group really does help define who you are and what type of relationship you have with your daughter.

Abby went on to talk with her friend about how fun the camp outs are – the plate hunts, games, haunted houses, sledding hills, ziplines, rock climbing walls and on and on. The girls also look forward to the other Indian Princess events throughout the year, including working on crafts together during our monthly meetings, Halloween window painting and the tree sales (actually, the hide and seek and chase around the tree lanes at the tree sale). When I think back on my time with this group, I see traditions built around friendship and activity. We have taken advantage of our December meeting over the past 4 years to go caroling around our neighborhood. It’s amazing to see how a wild and crazy group of girls can get so organized and perform so well on a moment’s notice as soon as a door is opened!

I first joined Indian Princesses with my oldest daughter, Taylor, almost 8 years ago. My wife is involved with our daughters through such things as Girl Scouts, serving as a room parent at school and being primarily responsible for taking them to and from school, sports practices and so on.

I wanted to be a significant part of their lives as well. I feel like Indian Princesses has given me an opportunity to do so. Who does Abby ask for when she gets hurt or isn’t feeling well? Her Dad. — Jay

Ed Latko should be the “poster boy” for “too busy for Indian Princesses” – between his work schedule and his five children and their schedules, “taking on one more thing” sounds like the sort of thing Ed shouldn’t have done. But each month, Ed not only finds time to share in the Iroquois’ Sauk tribe with his daughter (where he has been tribal chief and continues to be actively involved in the Nation), but also attends a whole other set of of  meetings with his sons! Why? Well, because – as he explains here in the following post– it’s more than time well spent, it’s a gift and a joy:

Attending the Park Ridge Daddy/Daughter dance with my then-preschool daughter has proved to be one the luckiest thing that has happened to us. There, we met a group of dads and daughters who were attending the dance together as an outing of their tribe from Indian Princesses. They invited us to join their tribe. Being new to Park Ridge and not knowing anything about Indian Princesses, I was hesitant.  Nonetheless, with the insistence of my wife, we joined – and are overjoyed that we did.

This organization has given my daughter and I a vehicle to spend quality time together. As a father, it has allowed me to watch my daughter interact with other girls from other schools and areas that she never would have met otherwise. It has allowed me to watch her grow and gain confidence in her public speaking abilities by reciting the Seven Aims, being in charge of a meeting, or telling the group of the good deeds she has done since our last meeting. It has allowed me to see her understand and embrace helping others through the many charitable ventures the organization and our tribe undertake.

It has also allowed me to meet and spend time with other fathers.  I’m pleased to say that these friendships made will outlast our time in Indian Princesses.

All told, the greatest gift a father can give his daughter is his time.  To put all aside and spend time together attending monthly meetings, monthly activities, and campouts has been an experience of a lifetime that my daughter and I have been blessed to share together. — Ed Latko