Jacqueline Left Hand Bull facts for kids

Jacqueline Left Hand Bull was born in 1943. She is a member of the Sicangu Lakota people, part of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Her family raised her in a traditional Lakota way.

In 1981, she joined the Baháʼí Faith. Later, she became a Continental Counselor in 1988. This is a very important role in the Baháʼí community. In 2007, she was chosen to be the Chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States. This group leads the Baháʼí community in the country.

The name "Left Hand Bull" has a special family story. An older brother in her family was a skilled hunter. He was known for hunting buffalo from the left side. He provided food for many people, not just his own family. Years later, his younger brother met him again. To show great respect, the younger brother honored the elder in a ceremony. In return, the elder brother gave his name to the younger one. Jacqueline shares her short height with this younger brother who received the name "Left Hand Bull."

Growing Up and Education

Jacqueline grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. She describes her childhood with her family as "traditional." Her parents were Robert Richard Ferron and Corinne Bordeaux. She was one of their six children. Her family was also connected to Luther Standing Bear, a famous Lakota leader.

Her uncle, Adam Bordeaux, was a respected cultural teacher and spiritual leader. Jacqueline called him "a holy man with healing powers." Even though she was raised Catholic, she sometimes felt pulled between her Catholic beliefs and her Native American heritage.

She went to a Catholic high school. In 1961, she graduated from Hot Springs High School in Hot Springs, SD. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree from Evergreen State College in 1974. She studied community development. During this time, she faced a difficult challenge when her brother passed away. This made her think deeply about her spiritual beliefs.

Becoming a Baháʼí

In 1981, Jacqueline became a member of the Baháʼí Faith. She had learned about it from an Indian newspaper. She found several Baháʼí teachings very important. These included the ideas of equality between men and women and progressive revelation. Progressive revelation means that God sends new teachers throughout history.

Jacqueline strongly believes that "there will not be world peace until the equality of women and men are established." She felt that these Baháʼí principles respected her Indian heritage and her past Catholic beliefs.

At first, she had some challenges connecting with certain Baháʼís. Some felt her work for the women's movement and Indigenous rights was not helpful. But she found a deeper personal faith after meeting a kind friend. In 1983, she went on a Baháʼí pilgrimage, a special spiritual journey.

Soon after, she started working at the Baháʼí national center. She joined a committee that helped teach American Indians about the Baháʼí Faith. In 1984, she took part in the Trail of Light event. This was a journey where North American Indigenous Baháʼís traveled with Latin American Indigenous peoples.

In 1988, she was appointed a Continental Counselor. This is one of the highest individual positions in the Baháʼí Faith. She also attended the Baháʼí Indigenous Council that year. She went on another Trail of Light tour, keeping a diary of the three-week journey through Latin America.

In 1993, Jacqueline was interviewed for a documentary called The Parliament of Souls. She shared her personal belief that the White Buffalo Calf Woman had returned. She felt this spirit was present in the teachings of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith.

During the 1993 Parliament of Religions, Jacqueline and Patricia Locke represented Native people and Baháʼís. They tried to get a resolution passed called "American Indian Declaration of Vision 1993." This statement asked for recognition of Indigenous spiritual leaders and support for Indigenous languages and cultures. The resolution was initially approved by many delegates. However, it was later canceled by the Parliament's leader.

After 2001, Jacqueline was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States. She served as Vice Chair for five years. In 2007, she was elected as Chair. She was the first American Indian woman to hold this position since the Assembly started in 1925. She served as Chair until 2011. In 2012, she was elected Vice-Chair again. As a member of this national group, she also helps elect the Universal House of Justice, which is the global governing body of the Baháʼí Faith.

Professional Work

Jacqueline has also done important professional work in public health. In 2005, she worked as a project director for the Northern Plains Healthy Start Program. She helped organize training about the importance of breastfeeding in Rapid City, SD.

In 2007, she was an Administrative Officer for the "Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairmen's Health Board." Around 2010, she moved to Portland, Oregon. There, she became the Administrative Officer for the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. This board helps 43 Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest with health policies and resources.

In 2011, she helped open the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. In 2012, she joined the board of the Prevention Research Centers at the Oregon Health & Science University Center for Healthy Communities.

Special Projects and Speaking

Jacqueline has worked with Kevin Locke, a famous Lakota hoop dancer and flutist, several times. In 1998, she wrote a children's book about his work called "Lakota Hoop Dancer." This book has been used in many places:

• It is used in elementary school lessons across the country.
• It is used in colleges and other presentations about Indian culture.

She has also helped the North Dakota Arts Council create a program for teachers. This program, called the "Art Resources for Teaching Standards (ARTS) Trunk Program," includes a "Games and Storytelling Trunk" for classrooms.

As a leading Lakota Baháʼí and a member of the national assembly, Jacqueline is a popular speaker. In 2009, she was the main speaker at the Portland Mayor's Inter-faith Luncheon. She also attended a Baháʼí conference in Canada in 2010 and was interviewed for a radio show. In 2012, she was scheduled to speak at the opening of the Washington Bahaʼi History Museum.

See also

• Baháʼí Faith and Native Americans
• Native American religion