Don Ragona
Donald M. Ragona is the Director of Development and House Counsel for the Native American Rights Fund, NARF the oldest and largest Native nonprofit legal organization that holds governments accountable by fighting for Native American rights, resources, and lifeways through litigation, legal advocacy, and legal expertise. Don is a Matinecock Tribal Nation of New York member and Lakota. Don began his legal career on Wall Street as a tax investment attorney and later worked as an insurance defense litigator.
After moving to Colorado in 1990 to be closer to his extended family in South Dakota, Don joined the Native American Rights Fund. After 16 years, Don went into private practice advising tribes and tribal businesses in South Dakota and New York, as well as private clients in Colorado on a variety of matters. After several years in private practice, Don returned to NARF as their Director of Development and House Counsel.
Don currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) and on the advisory board of the Native Ways Federation in Minneapolis.
In addition to his roles at NARF, Don has drafted state and federal legislation advocating for Native prisoners to practice their traditional spirituality while incarcerated. Don is a frequent presenter on federal Indian law and Indian issues at academic institutions as well as national and regional Native conferences.
Presentations from Facing Race 2024
From Hope to Action: Building Multiracial Solidarity
Join us for From Hope to Action: Building Multiracial Solidarity, this closing plenary will address the critical role of solidarity in today’s world, shaped by both global and local conflicts and rapid demographic changes. As forces of inequality leverage these tensions to stall progress on racial justice, true multiracial solidarity requires more than affirming each community’s priorities—it demands active collaborative leadership to address and bridge tensions before they become tools of division.
This session will explore the practical strategies for resilience, unity, and engagement across differences that are essential for strengthening bonds within and between communities and their leadership. Through impactful stories, real-world examples, and tools from leaders experienced in conflict resolution, attendees will gain actionable insights to help leaders, organizations, and institutions of governance to thrive together through the most challenging of times.
More than just a discussion, this plenary is an invitation to imagine and build a future where solidarity itself becomes our most powerful shared purpose against forces undermining the advancement of racial justice in the United States.
Moderator(s): Eric Ward Speakers: Murad Awawdeh, Deepa Iyer, Erin Heaney, Don Ragona, Yavilah McCoy