"If you wanttoachieve success in whatever you set out to do,you haveto startas though you are hand-in-hand with all of creation."-Keetoowah CherokeeSaying 

From an early age,these words wereinstilled upon mebymy dad asenrolledmembers of theCherokee tribe-oneof over 560 federally recognized tribes-with roots from Indian country in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There are sevenCherokeeclans and I'm from the "Hair" clan. 

This sayingserved me wellas Imade my waythrough school,whileI worked incommercialfishing-runningcrab and long-line boat-and throughphilanthropic endeavors I participate in. It has even served me well as I begana career in tech start-ups,andyes, as a Customer Success Executive atCisco.  

This sayingmotivates me to try new things-tostep outside of my comfort zone, tonot be afraid of failure, and to inspire others. 

I was taught at a young age to learn and teach and mentor others-tohelp keep our culture relevant andto help progress our people. I wentto Pow Wowswith my dad, learned aboutour culture,an eventuallybegan advocating for Native rights-which briefly led me toadviseon broadband policy for Native Americans in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  

Presently, there areapproximatelyfive million Native Americans in the United States-and we don't easily represent a single demographic, voting bloc, or cohesive financial conglomerate.  

We cannot be compartmentalized into skin color becauseweare beautiful shades of brown, copper, red, tan, beige,blackand white. Wehavediverse shapes-tall, short, wide, and thin. As apeople, our issues often get overlooked or glossed overbypoliticians, corporations, and society in general. When not being represented as stereotyped caricatures by media or in movies-we have become invisible. 

Tothat end, Iremain committed to Cherokee Nation, participating in Tribal Land Connectivity  policy work,supportingour Cherokee immersion language program,working withlocalelders,supportingtribal domestic abuse programs,and mentoringSTEM students. These activities keep me grounded and connected toNative causes and the CherokeeNation-even thought I don't live in Tahlequah. 

This dedication extends to what I do at Cisco, too. 

Abouttwo years ago, a few of usat Ciscocame together to launch the Native American Network(NAN). It started asan informal network with thegoal of sharing Native experienceswith others at Cisco.With the hard work of my fellowNANpeers, wegainedEmployee Resource Organization (ERO)status this pastAugust.  

As a Native American, I am proud tobe part ofNAN's core leadership team. I am also very proud towork ata company thatacknowledges the diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and contributions of Native peopleand those in other EROs. Our EROs and our peoplehelp make up the rich and diverse tapestry thatis Cisco.  

I'd like to share another Keetoowah saying,which roughly translates:"Acomplete, comprehensive respect for life and creation has no end."  

These are powerful wordsto contemplatefrom a marginalized people. Because Cisco embraceseveryone for who they are and the talents they bring -while encouragingEROs like NAN - I'm fortunate to be able to share other life experiences and perspectives with my peers and those curious about Native American experiences. 

To me, this shows how dedicated Cisco is in empowering us all to learn and grow from each other. Weare seen ashumans, with lives outside of our "9-5" and they truly want us to achieve success in whatever we do. 

???????(respectfully), Ken Twist. 

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