The Siku Arashi Foundation

Welcome to the beginning of the Siku Arashi Foundation’s journey!

My name is Misty Klann, an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation, and owner of Bluecorn Consulting. Today, my long-held aspiration officially gets rolling.

I have named this organization, the Siku Arashi Foundation, after my beloved Siberian Husky, Siku Arashi. Her energy was as boundless as the love she gave, and her essence of joy, empathy, forgiveness, and zeal for life is the perfect inspiration for the Foundation’s purpose.

The Problem We Must Address
My community, and I’m sure many other Native communities, face urgent challenges in animal care. Across the Navajo Nation, there is a critical shortage of veterinarians, with many of the professionals currently serving our people nearing retirement and no one to continue their vital profession. Our cultures are intrinsically tied to our four-legged friends - they are often central figures in our origin stories and integral to our daily lives. Yet, the systemic barriers to specialized care, and the human resources to provide it, are immense.

This challenge is personal.

Years ago, I started my own path toward becoming a veterinarian. However, I was eventually halted by the overwhelming financial and systemic hurdles. For me, these hurdles were compounded by significant personal challenges, including the loss of loved ones (human and fur), deep spiritual fatigue, and an unanticipated lack of environmental connectedness that made navigating a sterile academic environment impossible.

The academic environment often operates with a "grind and burn" mentality and a rigid structure that I believe fails to support diverse learning styles and backgrounds. The reality is that Native students carry the weight of their community needs, cultural responsibilities, and personal grief, and there is no room for these realities within the existing system.

Foundation Purpose: Loving Animals, Building Capacity, Realizing Dreams
I am building the Siku Arashi Foundation because of my love for animals and to lessen the impact of those very barriers I faced for upcoming Native professionals. Veterinary medicine is a demanding and noble profession that requires immense personal rigor and triumph, yet its vital role in society and its practitioners' value are often under-recognized.

I want to support the creation of the next generation of Native American veterinary doctors, starting with the Navajo Nation, to ensure they don't just survive in school, but truly thrive. My mission is twofold:

• Veterinary Medicine: Provide scholarships to Native American students pursuing professional veterinary medicine degrees, empowering them to return home and address the dire need for animal services.
• Transportation: Support students in transportation fields. Building and maintaining infrastructure is essential for our students to return and serve remote communities, and it is the very expertise I hold as a professional.

​By focusing on these two critical areas, we are building capacity for our communities, allowing our future leaders to focus on their education without the crippling financial worry I once faced.

As wild and crazy as it may be, my dream is to one day provide FULL tuition coverage for Native American veterinary students admitted to one of the few accredited veterinary programs.

Looking Ahead: Grounding and Healing
My vision does not stop with scholarships. Just as Siku Arashi was a source of unconditional love, the Foundation is designed to grow into a holistic support system. In the future, I intend to expand the Foundation’s services to include mental health resources tied to cultural grounding, recognizing that capacity building must include healing from the complex generational traumas our people face.

This journey is just beginning. I am still committed to doing my part for the animals, advocate for empowering ourselves, honor our traditions, and strengthen my Nation, one community at a time.
Will you join my journey and follow my progress?