In this episode, dual Climate Science & Policy and MBA in Sustainability candidate Milana Pakes interviews Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail about creating sustainable earth-block housing for the Sicangu Lakota tribe. Tamara shares her entrepreneurial journey from jewelry artist to sustainable housing advocate, discussing how she bridges traditional Lakota values with modern sustainability practices. She explains her vision for self-sufficient homesteads powered by renewable energy that enable economic independence while honoring cultural heritage. Tamara emphasizes reclaiming language, land, and food sovereignty while maintaining deep connections to the earth, noting that “giving back to the earth is also protecting the earth and keeping things in balance.”
Bard’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability cultivate leaders who break through existing systems, innovating solutions to critical social, environmental and economic challenges. 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of the first graduating class from M.S. in Environmental Policy degree at Bard CEP and the 10th graduating class from the Bard MBA in Sustainability program. The 2024 graduating MS EP, MS CSP, MEd and MBA classes brought the Bard GPS alumni community to over 500!
Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail:
Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail is the founder and owner of Lakota Women Business LLC (LWB LLC), a 100% Native American, woman-owned, HUBZone-certified, small disadvantaged business headquartered on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. With a strong commitment to economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability, Tamara leads LWB LLC in providing expert consulting, project management, and the resale of authentic Native American arts and crafts.
She is also the founder of the Lakota Women Initiative for Sustainable Building, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting renewable energy solutions and culturally aligned, sustainable construction practices for Native communities. Based on the Rosebud Reservation, the initiative empowers individuals and families through education, training, and access to clean energy infrastructure.
Tamara has demonstrated successful past performance in alternative energy development, having played a key role in two wind energy projects on the Rosebud Reservation, advancing local energy sovereignty and capacity building. Her work blends traditional values with forward-thinking approaches, ensuring that Native communities are not only part of the clean energy transition but leaders within it.
Driven by a vision of self-determination and environmental stewardship, Tamara continues to champion innovative, grassroots solutions that uplift Native communities while honoring ancestral knowledge and the land.
Milana Pakes:
Milana Pakes is a dual student in the Masters in Climate Science and Policy and MBA in Sustainability programs at Bard College, graduating in May 2025. She has a background in renewable energy and energy efficiency consulting, and is currently a graduate intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where she works on the Project Development and Finance team. She has an interest in energy justice and equity work for U.S. tribal communities and is passionate about making clean energy technologies accessible and affordable for all.
Renay Loper:
Renay is a Clinical Faculty in Organizational Leadership for the Bard MBA in Sustainability, where she focuses on justice-centered transformation in the workplace. Previously, she was the Vice President of Program Innovation at PYXERA Global where she served on the Executive Leadership Team, led five country offices, drove the development of new business and programs, co-led the organization's work on inclusive circular cities, and advised corporate clients on their social impact strategies. Renay also led the organization’s ARC (Antiracist Collective) initiatives, which included internal and external efforts toward dismantling unjust systems. To this end, Renay created Rhetoric to Action, a series of conversations to bridge sectors toward collective action around social and racial justice.
Prior to PYXERA Global, Renay led the grassroots exchange and education grant portfolio at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, and has served in a variety of leadership roles in higher education, nonprofit, and business prior to that. Renay is an avid speaker and facilitator, has authored and edited numerous publications, including a resource journal, Student Affairs Professionals Cultivating Campus Climates Inclusive of International Students (Jossey Bass). Renay serves on the board of directors of nonprofits including Community Change, Harpswell Foundation, and Girl Rising.