Next Generation: Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek

A young member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Panek consults on Indigenous engagement

By Delaney McPherson
Next Generation
Dec 17, 2025

BAZILE MINOGIIZHIGAABO PANEK’S love for the environment and his vocation both connect to his heritage as a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

“Native American culture is tied to environmentalism and tied to all that we do,” says the 25-year-old resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. “It became a big part of my degree and a big part of my life.”

While majoring in Native American studies and in his first job working at an intertribal organization, Panek recognized a gap in competencies among outside groups interacting with Indigenous communities.

“I heard from so many people that they want to engage with Native American people and integrate that culture into their work, but they didn’t know how,” he says. “There’s an urge, but they want to do it respectfully.”

To address the need, in 2023 Panek formed Good Sky Guidance, a consulting firm that specializes in advising institutions on how to connect with Indigenous communities. Through Good Sky, Panek offers various services including curating museum exhibits and organizing cultural awareness trainings.

In addition to his consulting work, Panek served as a member of the National Wildlife Federation’s Education & Engagement Youth Advisory Council last summer, and he is pursuing a master’s degree in natural resources science and management, as well as a Ph.D. in American Indian and Indigenous Studies.

Says Panek, “I want to be educated to better serve clients and people who want to work with Native Americans.”