Board of Directors
Dr. Ruby Gibson,
Executive Director of Freedom Lodge
Kara Big Crow,
Director of Freedom Lodge
Jeff Iron Cloud,
Cultural Consultant
Joe Iteska,
Health Administration
Celeste Gibson,
Gibson CPA & Law
Julie McColl,
Non-Profit Consultant
Laura Fragua-Cota,
Art Therapist
Candace Pourier,
Psychotherapist
Mr. Iron Cloud is the Cultural Consultant for Freedom Lodge, and has been with the organization for 8 years. He is the creator of FireStarters, and delivers wood to Pine Ridge Reservation for Elder and disadvantaged tribal members. Jeff has worked in Human Services, counseling men with drug and alcohol addictions, and has provided talking circles at Rapid City Juvenile County Detention for incarnated youth. Jeff is the father of one daughter and one son, he has 2 grandsons, 2 granddaughters, 2 great-granddaughters and 1 great-grandson. Jeff also has 3 Hunka sons and 2 Hunka daughters. The name Iron Cloud comes from the Knife Chief Tiospaye and Locke Tiospaye (Crow). Jeff has 2 brothers and 5 sisters.
An independent Certified Public Accountant, Celeste Gibson has provided tax and accounting services to individuals, farms, and small businesses in southwestern Wisconsin since 1994. Celeste holds degrees as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration. She passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant in 1984, earning an Elijah Watts Sells Award for grades among the top 1% in the nation.
Celeste owns and operates Gibson CPA & Law LLC, a full-service professional firm in Viroqua, Wisconsin. In addition to tax and accounting services, the firm provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, probate, business law, divorce mediations, and nonprofit law.
Julie McColl’s main focus for the past twenty five years has been raising her five children. She's worked in the foster care system for Families First. One of her passions has always has been helping others. She also loves using her energy and creativity to help organizations reach their goals. Julie has been working with Freedom Lodge for the past four years and is very proud what they’ve been able to accomplish together.
McColl helped start a non-profit that utilizes multiple therapy modalities to work with severely traumatized youth. Some of their clients helped clients with trafficked youth, physical abuse victims and displaced families. They also raised funds and created partnerships with other organizations that could benefit from the services they offered.
She went to school and became a Bowen therapist but has maintained a very limited practice for the past 10 years. Her client list currently includes a US Open Judo champion and an Olympic athlete. However, most of her practice is made up of health care professionals. Currently Julie is completing her helicopter pilots license. She plans to be fully licensed by the end of the summer in 2023.
Laura Fragua-Cota is from the village of Walatowa, Jemez Pueblo, NM. She is involved with her tribal community through her family, her work as an artist and as an Art Therapist. She works at a public school near her village and is currently adjunct faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts, IAIA in Santa Fe, NM. Laura is also a graduate of the 2018 Historical Trauma Master Class offered here at Freedom Lodge.
Ms. Candace Pourier is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from the Pine Ridge Reservation. She works for OST Native Healing Program as a Substance Abuse Counselor and has been actively in recovery for 43 years. Ms. Pourier is licensed in the State of South Dakota and has an AA degree in Lakota Studies. Candace has completed four years of the Historical Trauma Master class with Freedom Lodge in Rapid City, S.D. She joined the Freedom Lodge Board of Directors in 2022. Having worked with Native Americans through the years, she helps those with Substance Abuse using the techniques that Freedom Lodge teaches through Somatic Archaeology© to help clients do somatic therapy, breath work, and therapeutic essential oils. Candace works with Co-Dependency Treatment, Support Groups and Consultation. She enjoys working with people to help them from sickness to recovery. Candace lives according to her Higher Power and believes without the Great Spirit and Ancestors there is no healing.