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Narrative Summary: Women in Tribal Council Leadership Roles (2005–2025)
Over the past two decades, women's participation as both officers and members has fluctuated but demonstrates overall resilience and recent progress toward gender balance in council representation.
Trends in Women Officers
The number of women officers has remained relatively stable across the 20-year period, ranging from 15 to 17 out of the total 38 officer positions. After holding steady at 16 in both 2005 and 2010, representation reached a high of 17 in 2015 before declining slightly to 15 in both 2021 and 2025.
The Chair and Vice Chair positions remain areas of underrepresentation, suggesting an ongoing leadership gap in top executive roles.
Trends in Women Council Members
Representation among women members has shown greater variation. In 2005, there were 22 women members, comprising a strong base of participation. However, that number dropped sharply to 16 in 2010.
After recovering to 21 in 2015, membership again dipped to 17 in 2021 before reaching its highest point of 25 in 2025. This most recent increase is particularly noteworthy—it marks the highest number of women members in the 20-year span, and signals renewed momentum toward gender equity.