Janeen Comenote

Janeen Comenote is Executive Director of the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, headquartered in Seattle, Wash. Ms. Comenote, who is Hesquiaht and Kwakuitl First Nation from her mother’s side and Ogala Lakota and enrolled Quinault from her father’s side, represents the growing national coalition representing 24 urban Indian centers in 20 cities, several Native American organizations and more than a million Native Americans living away from their traditional land base.

Ms. Comenote is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, a regional leadership program, a 1999 alumni of the prestigious American’s for Indian Opportunity Ambassador program and was chosen and highlighted in “O, The Oprah Magazine” for her participation in Women Rule; 80 Women Who Could Change America.  She is a recipient of the Potlatch Fund Fran James Cultural Preservation award and the prestigious Eco Trust Indigenous Leadership award for her work with urban Indians.

Additionally, she has been a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Seattle, worked on several documentary films and written a screenplay. She worked for 16 years at the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation in child welfare, juvenile justice, poverty reduction and as a development officer.