Greetings to all!  I'm Doreen Nanibaa McPaul and I was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona.  My mom is Navajo and my dad is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland -- I'm very proud of my dual heritage.  I'm also honored to continue to serve as a Trustee for the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation (ICLF) Board.  

If you're not aware, the Irish Cultural Center in Arizona is a special place where Irish culture and values are shared and celebrated.  It is a wonderful space where people can connect to all things Ireland. This includes many programs and activities – everything from art, music, dance, literature, movies, books, history, food, tea, sports, kids’ programs, and more.  The Irish Cultural Center helps to builds community by serving as a place where people can meet and network in Arizona and beyond.  If you have not been to the Irish Cultural Center --  seriously, a castle in downtown Pheonix -- you definitely must check it out! 

Many of you know that I served as the Navajo Nation Attorney General from January 2019 to January 2023.  This was during the COVID-19 pandemic which severely impacted the Navajo Nation.  You may not know that the Navajo Nation has a land base that is comparable in size to Ireland.  In any event, I was tasked to oversee donations coming to the Navajo Nation government for for COVID-19 response and recovery.  One of the highlights of those donation efforts included a hugely successful collaboration with the Irish Cultural Center that generated much needed supplies to assist the Navajo Nation at the peak of the pandemic.  At that time, there was also global coverage of Irish efforts to ‘pay forward’ a famine donation made by the Choctaw Nation.  This coincided with a flood of Irish donations for relief efforts and an increased awareness of the shared history between Ireland and tribal Nations.  The Irish response to the Navajo Nation during COVID was personally meaningful to me due to my own heritage, and doubly so due to my official role with the Navajo Nation government at the time.  As if that were not rewarding enough, in 2021 I was nominated and selected for a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in the category of charitable works.  I traveled to Dublin to receive the award from President Michael D. Higgins in December 2021.  It was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever. Coming full circle and starting a new chapter, I am delighted to serve on the ICLF Board of Trustees.  

I cannot express in words enough positive reviews about the Irish Cultural Center to do it justice.  The folks I have been fortunate to connect to and the programs I have been able to attend have all been nothing short of amazing.  I look forward to working alongside some truly good humans and to advance a worthy mission that is also personally meaningful.   I hope you will consider contributing to my fundraising page to support the Irish Cultural Center. 

Ahehee'!