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| Michael Finley and Native actor Chaske Spencer — one of many notable figures Finley has met in his travels beyond his hometown of Inchelium. |
Q: What do you remember most about going to Inchelium High School?
A: playing football...I loved the sport and still do. Sports in general kept me focused.
Q: How old were you when you began aspiring to be a tribal politician?
I can’t pinpoint exactly when. My parents always talked about politics around our house while growing up, so I guess you can say they planted the seed. I seen my dad try time and time again to run for office. He never was elected, so I always thought I wanted to do that at some point, to accomplish something he couldn’t and to represent my family and people.
Q: You obtained your bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Eastern Washington University. How difficult was that to achieve?
A: I guess you can say I took the path less travelled. It took me a few years to find my direction. I attended three colleges over a four-year period before I finally earned my AA degree, but by the time I enrolled at EWU, I was focused. Seems like everything went by fairly quickly at that point. By then, I was already a father of two, so I worked full time during the entire time I was at EWU because I needed to provide for my family. There’s no way we could have made it off of financial aid alone, and getting on welfare wasn’t an option for me personally. I had to work extra hard and it was difficult. My days were long: school in the mornings, then straight to work for a 10-hour shift, then homework when I got off. There were days when I would only get two or three hours sleep, then get up and do it all over again. (My wife) Jackie was really supportive throughout the entire process. I’m thankful for that. To me, the hard work was simply something I had to do. Failure was not an option. Growing up, I knew what poverty was — we lived it, everyday. Until you’ve actually lived it, you really don’t know it. I made a promise to myself then I would provide more for my kids. There was a time in my life when my dad was injured from a bad car accident and he was unable to work for a significant period in my childhood. We didn’t have much then. Eight of us lived in an old three-bedroom trailer house. There were times my parents struggled to put the next meal on the table. They would work as they could find odd jobs, but hardly ever anything permanent until I got much older. Sometimes our electricity would get shut off and because our home was so old, it fell into disrepair so we had problems with holes in the walls and the floors which was an open door for mice and even a skunk. Our plumbing would get back up at times, too. That was poverty. Those were hard times. But my parents were good people, and they gave us a stable home through structure and love. That’s the one thing I brought to my family.
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| The Finleys: Bonnie (Ferguson), David Sr., Kara, Michael, Duke and David Jr. In front, Jesse. |
Q: How did experiencing loss at a relatively young age with your brother Duke affect your life?
A: I was devastated, to say the least. He was my hero. I idolized him. He was everything I wanted to be: smart, confident, passionate and athletic. He was a natural leader. He didn’t take crap from anyone. When he told me something, I listened. I was only 19 when he passed. It was at a critical point in my life. I was still trying to figure things out. I was barely getting by in college. Going out with my friends was my priority. He always lectured me to take college more seriously—to take life more seriously. I listened to him at the time (at least I thought I did). Looking back now, I was doing just enough to get by, but I thought that was enough. It wasn’t until after he was gone did I truly reflect on those conversations. I was at a crossroads. I could drown my sorrows and drop out of college, or I could try to live life the way he wanted. I wanted to make him proud, so I focused on the important things. It wasn’t right away, but it happened. I started taking college more seriously. I mapped out what courses I needed to finish. I considered what steps I would take, such as earning a bachelor’s degree and beyond. There were many times I considered throwing in the towel, but I would hear his voice in my head. It gave me strength when I needed it most. Not to mention I had a family of my own. I couldn’t let them down. I wanted to provide better for them. They were my other driving force. Duke was 24 when he died in 1998 doing something he loved. But we still struggle to this day to come to terms with it. How could this happen? He was a super athlete. He made All-Opponent in three sports: basketball, football and baseball. He made all state in football and baseball! This didn’t happen to people like him. I miss my brother dearly. Our family hasn’t been the same since. He was a big piece of us. The void he left is irreplaceable. Beyond our own family, our community lost an awesome person, an advocate. He volunteered, he coached, he loved his forestry work and the people he worked with. People loved my brother. We all did.
Q: You were the youngest Colville Business Council member ever elected chairman. Was that surreal?
A: Yes it was. I didn’t aspire to be Chairman, at least not so soon. The older councilmen encouraged me to do it. They were the ones who made me feel I was ready. Looking back on it now, I realize it was probably much for political reasons (for their support) than anything else, ha-ha!
Q: You've won numerous awards: The Dryden Award at EWU, NCAIED 40 under 40, numerous others I imagine, what did those do for you? Or what sticks out about those?
A: I was extremely grateful, but life was so fast-paced at the time. Everything was happening so quickly I didn’t really have the time to take it all in. It was almost overwhelming. As longtime (Jamestown S’Klallam) Chairman Ron Allen once told me, being on council, especially being chairman, “is much like trying to put your mouth over an open fire hydrant.” I couldn’t agree more.
Q: You ran for NCAI office in 2013. What ran through your head when you decided you wanted to serve Indian country on a higher level than chairman of the Colville Tribes?
A: I felt a need to serve in a higher capacity. I was passionate about certain issues that I felt weren’t getting enough attention. They needed to be elevated and I knew that position would provide that platform. I also had numerous tribal leaders from across the nation who encouraged me to run. I though “if not now, when?” I was told to ride your wave when it comes. Don’t hesitate. So I did just that. I ran.
Q: I recall you talking about Paschal Sherman during your NCAI inauguration speech as First Vice President. Obviously you've got a lot of history down. Were there tribal leaders from the Colville or other tribes you looked up to based on your research?
A: I’ve always admired trailblazers. People such as Pascal Sherman and Frank George were a few of those leaders. They pushed the envelope. What I appreciate most about their stories are they helped form some of the earliest tribal organizations we know today. They weren’t always in elected positions, but stayed involved and still did great things. I think that’s commendable.
Q: You wrote a book on Kamiakin. What was that experience like? And what prompted you to do it?
A: My kids are Kamiakin descendants through their mom’s side, not to mention there hadn’t been an authoritative book ever written on him, so it made sense. I had an enormous amount of primary information on him that I hadn’t seen in publication before. I found a friendship in renown author, Richard Scheuerman, and I decided to share what I found, and soon after we decided to publish it as a co-publication. At first it was supposed to be a scholarly article, but we continued to find more previously unseen sources so it wasn’t long it turned to the full length book you see today. It was an awesome project and helped me better understand the process which has enabled me to consider other publications, such as the projects I’m working on today.
Q: What do you claim as your most significant achievement?
A: Being a father to my kids. You can never leave a better legacy than the human being you mold through love and careful guidance that will ultimately become tomorrow’s leaders. Your kids are a direct reflection of who you are. They will carry on your values and principles long after you’re gone. Your kids should be everyone’s priority.
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| Finley and his wife Jackie |
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| Finley and his son Daniel |
A: Inchelium provides an opportunity, just like anywhere else. Too often people refer to Inchelium as a place that limits opportunity or likewise is somehow an impediment to realizing your potential. Regardless of where you are, any success requires hard work. Don’t allow your circumstances to dictate your future. Too many times people use their upbringing such as social or economical circumstances as an excuse to prevent them from realizing their dreams.
Q: Do you have any advice for young community members who aspire to go down a similar path as you?
Work hard! And when it gets too tough to bare, work harder. If the world knocks you down, keep getting up. If it knocks you down 100 times, get up 101. It’s not impossible, many others did it before you.
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| His children Duke, Summer, Tyee and Coleestah |
Q: What's great, in your opinion, about being from or living in Inchelium?
A: Inchelium provides a unique sense of community I haven’t seen anywhere else. I’ve heard many other communities voice admiration for what we have, especially the camaraderie and unity. When someone is in need, we help. We stand up for one another. They say it takes a community to raise a child. I couldn’t agree more. That’s Inchelium. Inchelium embodies those values. Who wouldn’t want to raise their child in that environment? True, we have an ugly side, but it’s no different than any other place. You get out of Inchelium what you’re looking for.
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