For the past four years, Vice Chair Raquel Williams has helped bring together her tribal citizens for one of the community's most cherished traditions — Na'Wasu.

Na'Wasu, meaning skirts in the tribal language, is far more than fabric and thread. Each skirt carries the living traditions, stories, and culture of the people — stitched together with intention, pride, and love for the generations that came before and those yet to come.

Through this annual workshop, VC Raquel has helped create over 200 skirts for tribal citizens, ensuring that this sacred tradition continues to thrive. In her hands, culture is not something preserved behind glass — it is worn, celebrated, and passed on.

At the Elders Christmas Luncheon, Vice Chair Raquel Williams took a moment to do what she does best — speak straight from the heart.

In a room full of the community's most cherished members, Raquel shared a simple but powerful reminder: that we all need to give ourselves grace. Grace for the hard days, love for ourselves, and compassion for one another. Her words were warm, genuine, and deeply felt — just like the woman herself.

Because for Raquel, leadership has never been about titles or formalities. It is about showing up, sitting down, and reminding her people that they are seen, valued, and deeply loved.

And if you know Raquel, you already know — she probably had the whole room laughing too. Because that is the thing about her — she can move you to tears one moment and have you in stitches the next. Her joy is contagious, her love for her community is undeniable, and her ability to make everyone in the room feel at home is truly one of a kind.

Some moments in history stop you in your tracks. The first dances on the newly acquired 77 acres of Wilton Rancheria land was one of them.

For the first time in generations, the sounds of drums, singing, and ceremonial dance filled land that now belongs to the people again — sacred ground returned, reclaimed, and celebrated in the most beautiful way possible. The creation of Ku:chaksu and Lo:ye:ma:non was not just the birth of two dance traditions — it was a calling home. A reminder to Native people that no matter how far life takes you, the roots are always there, waiting.

These dances carry something that cannot be put into words — the heartbeat of a people, the prayers of ancestors, and the hope of every generation yet to come. To witness them on this land was to witness healing in motion.

Vice Chair Raquel Williams understands deeply what this moment meant. Because culture is not something you perform — it is something you live, protect, and pass on. And on those 77 acres, surrounded by her people, that truth was felt by everyone present.

The land is back. The people are home. And the dancing has begun.

When one of the world's most prestigious food gatherings came to Sacramento, the Wilton Rancheria didn't just show up — they showed up as the top sponsor of the three-day Terra Madre Americas, an international gathering expected to draw roughly 100,000 people for culinary demonstrations, panels on sustainable agriculture, and the celebration of food as a force for cultural connection.

And Vice Chair Raquel Williams was right there — alongside her mother, sister, and fellow tribal members — grinding acorn flour, cooking with fire-heated stones, and showing the world what it truly means to be the original stewards of this land and its food.

As Tribal Chairman Jesus Tarango put it — "Native people are the original slow food people." Through this moment, Raquel helped carry that truth to a global stage. Culture in motion. Pride in action.

Wileety — pronounced "Wuh-lehh-too" — is a Miwok term meaning "To Bloom, To Be Bright, To Shine." And that is exactly what happened when Sacramento State celebrated the grand opening of the Wileety Native American College — the first of its kind on a California State University campus. 

This is not just a college. It is a promise, that Native students will never again have to leave their identity at the door to pursue higher education. The inaugural cohort welcomed 34 students representing 25 tribal nations from throughout the United States. 

Raquel was proud to be part of this historic moment — a living testament to what is possible when a community refuses to let its future generations go unseen. Because when Native students bloom, the whole community shines

As a board member of FNX — First Nations Experience — Vice Chair Raquel Williams helps guide America's first 24/7 national television broadcast network dedicated to Native American and World Indigenous audiences. This is not just a board seat, it is a platform that reaches Indigenous communities across the entire country. 

And the proof is in the stories FNX tells. Simply by watching — by tuning in and supporting Indigenous storytelling — Raquel has been part of something extraordinary. Courage, a 2025 Oscar-qualified short film that follows a young Native boy who finds connection to his heritage through the sacred art of Hoop Dance, has received an Emmy Award nomination — a testament to the power of authentic Indigenous representation on screen. 

For Raquel, FNX is more than television. It is proof that Indigenous stories deserve to be seen, celebrated, and honored at the highest levels. And she is proud to help make that happen.