Leona Stanger works as the Spokane Tribe Preservation Program’s Administrative Assistant. She was hired as an Archaeological Technician in 1995 and has held the positions of Crew Supervisor, Ethnographic Assistant, Collections Technician, and GIS support over her 20 year tenure. Leona believes the Preservation Program is a major resource for young and old alike. In her words, “What we gather now, such as artifacts, oral histories, and pictures are only pieces of what was left for us to hold onto. That history is what teaches and reminds us who we are and where we come from.” She urges community members to use the Preservation Program and its archives to learn about their land, language, family and tribal histories. In her spare time, Leona likes to bead, sew, travel to powwows, and play stick game.