Debra is a lifelong resident of Bartholomew County, and says it's important for Native Americans to remember that they are aborigional. They were here first, before other settlers. She is critical of history courses which teach Native American culture only from the 1800s, and do not bring it full circle to the current day. Her father was taken from his home as a boy and placed in boarding schools, where he was denied his religion, language and ways of life. Native Americans have different religious views and different creation stories depending on the tribe, she said, and religious ceremonies are tied to spiritual beliefs, an strong connection with nature and the recognition that everything is connected.
Ceremonies marking a person's naming, wedding and death are individualistic depending on the tribe.
Debra says she has faced discrimination and racial slurs based on her heritage, and it is important that Native Americans organize and show solidarity. She has worked with her three children to make sure they learn about their Native American heritage.