Brooke Leslie

Rural Economic Development Catalyst

Brooke carries the name Wooshkeeká. She is Haida, Yaklaanas, double fin killer whale, a grandchild of the L’uknax.adí, and from the Scottish clan Leslie. She was raised in the territory of the Shtax’ Heen Kwaan in the community of Wrangell. She grew up practicing a subsistence way of life and is now raising her daughter with these practices, values and traditional foods. Growing up in the family business that still operates in Wrangell today, small business has been a way of life for Brooke. She attended the University of Idaho for Accounting and Musical Theatre. Her passion for her culture led her back to Wrangell to learn from her late Grandfather & ‘Lingit elder. Staying in Wrangell, she worked under a CPA before rejoining the family business as a manager and later a partner. Brooke recently transitioned out of family business and is excited to join forces with Spruce Root and the SSP as the Rural Economic Development Catalyst. She has served her Tribal and local community through sitting on committees, councils and assemblies. She looks forward to working with our regional rural and Tribal communities in the space of economic development and further exploring how we can catalyze indigenizing the way we do business in Southeast.

Favorite thing about Southeast Alaska: Summers, sunsets and harvesting. The resilience of the people, our relationship with the land and water, and the revitalization of our cultures.