John Funmaker - Ho’Chunk
Vice President
John Funmaker is an enrolled member of the Ho’Chunk Nation of Wisconsin in good standing and an adopted member of the Lakota Nation through Sacred Ceremony. John has been a resident of Southern California for approximately 30 years and raised his family in Los Angeles County. He serves as the Cultural/Spiritual Advisor for United American Indian Involvement, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA. where he provides Traditional Spiritual Ceremonies and counsel for Native American clients and the community as a whole. He also serves as a State employee for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Norco, CA. as the Native American Chaplain conducting Sacred Ceremonies and counsel for Native American inmates. He is the CEO of Maza Chagl’Eska Oyate (Iron Circle Nation) a Native American 501 c (4) organization with the stated purpose of teaching through Traditional healing by bringing Native language, Traditional Spiritual Ceremony, and Sacred Songs to the People. John has been a Sundancer for over 40 years and has been the Sundance Chief at Tsa-Yah-Toh Sobriety Sundance in Gallup, New Mexico for the past 12 years. He is recognized throughout the country as a Native American Spiritual Leader and Traditional Practitioner but his most important roles are husband, Father, Grandfather, and Uncle to many. He is a family man and has impacted many families in the community throughout his life.