Educate, Elevate, Engage, Empower: an Introduction to ICAE

Get to know the culture behind our advocacy

ICAE (Inter-Tribal Council of AT&T Employees) is a non-profit Native American organization and an employee resource group here at AT&T.

Since our creation in 1983, our existence has been to support Native American employees, tribes, and communities by advocating for equity and representation. Together with AT&T, we focus on purpose, people, and possibilities. We have awarded over $130k in scholarships to Native American students just in the last three years alone. From food drives to donating school supplies to leading digital literacy classes, we live true to our company’s values to be there and make difference.

We also focus on elevating Native American and Indigenous voices while educating and sharing Native American culture, contributions, and current issues.

Our award winning Did You Know series and our Tribal Talks series help us educate our employees and members about a wide range of topics including current events that are important to Native Americans.

Tribal Talks is a video podcast series featuring internal and external guests that is open to anyone who wants to know more about Native American topics and culture. Some of our guests have included Taboo from the Grammy Award winning Black Eyed Peas, Bird Runningwater-Executive TV Producer, and Joy Harjo – U.S. Poet Laureate.

Our Did You Know (DYK) series is designed to educate, in a short 2- 3 minutes short videos. Each segment in written, researched, edited, directed, and produced by our own ICAE members.  Some of our topics have spotlighted the contributions and accomplishments of Olympic Gold Medalist Jim Thorpe, Native American Veterans, Geronimo and the rock band Redbone.

Our goal with both of these series is to Educate about Native American heritage and culture, Elevate Native American voices, Engage our members, employees, and the community, and to Empower our audience to continue the conversation and become allies for Native Americans and Indigenous peoples.

Rachel Salinas

My name is Rachel Salinas, I am a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas and I’m also Latina. I proudly embrace both of my cultures. I currently serve as the National President for ICAE. I have been an active member since 2017, and previously served in the roles of the Texas Chapter President and National Treasurer.

I became involved with ICAE because I wanted to support and help elevate the Native American community. Community engagement and volunteering is one of my passions.  I grew up volunteering with my family.   My parents always volunteered in the community and brought me and my siblings along. We were the family that was there early to set up for an event and the last family to leave.

My father instilled in me to give back to our community.   We did not have a lot of money to contribute but we had our time to donate. He was a great leader and event organizer. I suppose in a way I’m following in his footsteps. I learned by his example, and I always feel like he is with me. Now I’m volunteering and organizing events, like our Annual ICAE Powwow and bringing my husband and children along to help.  My hope is that my kids will be influenced to carry on the traditions of our tribe and to continue serving our community for generations to come.

My ICAE National Vice President Anthony Falcon and I share a similar upbringing in South Texas, in fact we realized we have common ancestors and after connecting the dots we found out that we are 6^th cousins!

Fidel “Anthony” Falcon

Tribe. A word used often but rarely with the understanding of what it truly means. I hear it all the time, but not often in reference to Native American Tribes who once roamed freely in these lands, who now live in cities, on reservations, or in communities all over the country. Almost as if they are invisible, forgotten.

ICAE understands what the word tribe means. We are a tribe. Many of our members are from a tribe. An actual Native American tribe. This is what compelled me to join ICAE. To belong and be part of something which was missing from my own life. My Native American heritage, my Lipan Apache heritage. I was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and raised in my Mexican culture, although I am a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, the Apache way was not part of my upbringing. There was always this sense that a part of me was missing, lost, invisible. It was like walking around when your leg has fallen asleep, you know it’s there, you see it but it feels a little off. Joining ICAE helped me feel connected, pieces of the puzzle kept falling into place, and a clear picture began to form. I was seen, heard, and appreciated.

As I volunteered for many events in the Native American community, I felt more and more at home, and learned so much. The culture of ICAE, the tribal culture of taking care of each other and the people who need it, like our families, is so refreshing. Helping Native American and Indigenous communities with educational, culture, and connected availability is such a wonderful assurance that the next generations will be seen, recognized, and visible. The future generations are a precious resource to us and should be to everyone. In the years I have been a part of ICAE, I truly believe we are doing things now which will resonate in the future generations, of our family, our community, and our tribe.

We may be here for a few fleeting moments, a blink of an eye really, but to leave your mark, in selfless service, with an open heart, is a life worth living.