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War Eagle Award Winners Promote Dignity, Freedom and Justice in Sioux City

The Sioux City Human Rights Commission honored three people for their work promoting civil and human rights with the War Eagle Human Rights Award, named after the Chief of the Yankton-Sioux Tribe in the 1800s.

“He is best remembered as a man who worked his entire life towards peace among all people.”

That’s the Executive Director of Sioux City Human Rights Commission, Karen Mackey, during a special ceremony at the Sioux City Public Library to share the accomplishments of Treyla Lee, Gary Turbes, and Trisha Etringer.

Treyla Lee’s volunteered extensively for many local organizations, including the NAACP, League of Women Voters, First Tee, Siouxland Youth for Christ, and Alpha Kappa Alpha. She works for the Dave Thomas Foundation and is pursuing a doctorate from Iowa State University.

I stand here extremely humbled because I do what I do because I can, not because I want to be recognized.

Gary Turbes spent his life advocating for people with intellectual disabilities, mental health issues, and autism. He started Mid-Step Services, Camp High Hopes, and the Pier Center for Autism. His daughter Emily Koson accepted the award for her father, who could not attend due to illness.

“So, he always says to us, our family, friends, ‘Did you make a difference today?’ Because every day, there's always something to do to make a difference, or how do you make a difference today?”

Trisha Etringer, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is the Director of Operations and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Director for the Great Plains Action Society, and serves on the Inclusive Sioux City Committee, the Native American Indian Education Parent Advisory Community for the Sioux City School District, Native American Advisory Board for the Sioux City Police Department.

“For me, it's not always about the big wins but rather the unforgettable small victories. This is a message to all youth in the city, that it is truly All power to the people. When you come together and you demand better treatment and basic human rights together, you are unstoppable.”

Three role models who exemplify the spirit of Chief War Eagle.

A news release from the Sioux City Human Rights Commission:

War Eagle Human Rights Award Honorees Announced

The Sioux City Human Rights Commission is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 War Eagle Human Rights Award. This year’s awards will go to:

Gary Turbes for his lifetime of work advocating for individuals living with intellectual disabilities, mental health, and/or autism. Gary has been a role model influencing many that work with and advocate for individuals with special needs in Sioux City. Gary started his work in this field as a volunteer Executive Director of Camp Courageous in Monticello, Iowa. After three years he moved to Sioux City in 1977 to establish Mid-Step Services. Mid-Step has grown from three staff people working out of his basement to over 400 people serving 300 individuals in four different communities.

Treyla Lee for her decades of volunteer work in our community. Treyla is very active in making our community a better place for all people and serves on several community and regional boards. She is Vice President of Omaha Graduate Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She serves on board of directors of Iowa Humanities, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Siouxland, Lilia Mae House, Siouxland Community Health Center, Telco-Triad Credit Union, and Siouxland Youth for Christ. She previously served on the boards of Siouxland League of Women Voters and Missouri River Historic Development. She is also a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador and is a member of the Sioux City Chapter of the NAACP.

Trisha Caxsep gu wiga Etringer for her work to better the Siouxland Community through cultural education, activism, community projects, and extensive volunteerism. Trisha is a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa. She is the Director of Operations and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Director for the Great Plains Action Agency. Trisha is the Native American representative on the Inclusive Sioux

City Committee and serves on the Native American Indian Education Parent Advisory Community for the Sioux City School District, Native American Advisory Board for the Sioux City Police Department, Community Action Agency, Warming Shelter, and Indigenous Voices Rising.

Trisha is involved in numerous community projects that focus on Indigenous empowerment, resilience, and decolonization, and partners with agencies to present workshops on decolonization and Historical Trauma of Native Americans. Trisha pursues truth through education, conversation, and relationship building to better the Siouxland Civil Rights climate.

In celebration of Universal Human Rights Day, the Sioux City Human Rights Commission honors local individuals and organizations for outstanding public service in promoting civil and human rights. A private, small award ceremony will be held at the Sioux City Public Museum on December 9 at 12:00 p.m. We will be live streaming the event on Facebook, tune in @HumanRightsSC. The link for the event is https://fb.me/e/2wxpT4KVh