Catawba Nation's first female leader says she is using her power to help 'the underdogs'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- No one expected Patricia Leach to lead the Catawba Nation one day.

She grew up with a dirt floor on the old side of the reservation, which she said housed “the poorest of the poor.” Everybody over there was in the same situation, she said, “just trying to make it.”

Another obstacle stood in her way that nobody else overcame on their path to leadership: Leach was a woman.

She nevertheless shattered a glass ceiling in August 2023 when she was sworn in as Catawba’s second in command, becoming the highest ranking woman in the nation’s modern history.

The nation is led by a five-member executive committee, including the chief and assistant chief, elected by tribe members. The Catawba Nation is based on a reservation near Rock Hill and has around 3,300 members.

“I had so many people like, ‘You have a story to tell. How did you get here? I’m just shocked that you made it here. This wasn’t supposed to happen,’” Leach recalled. “And I didn’t even plan for it, that’s the crazy thing.”

Catawba Nation assistant chief

Tribe members started encouraging Leach to run for elected office three years ago, but she wasn’t sure it was for her.

The soft-spoken mother of four loves helping others. She has solid education credentials, too, from the GED she obtained at 16 years old to her masters degree in business administration and human resource management.

But Leach hated the spotlight. She preferred connections that come from quieter change-making roles in the tribe, of which she’s had many.

She has been an administrative assistant for economic development, director of the senior center, family advocate for 40 kids and their families in the Head Start program, manager for tribe workforce development, human resources director and career counselor for youth.

“Working for the tribe and growing up on the old reservation, you see things that need to change,” Leach said. “It’s not about wants. We want a lot. It’s about what is really needed and what’s going to help our people as a whole.”

Her jobs taught her the ins and outs of government while cultivating a friendly presence throughout the community.

When her constituents came knocking to nominate her, she consented, but she didn’t promote herself for any particular position. She asked people nominate her for whatever they thought might be best.

“It’s like destiny led me,” Leach said.

A year and a half into her four-year term as assistant chief, Leach is learning to be comfortable in the occasional spotlight. She’s involved in most everything that goes on in the tribe and serves as Chief Brian Harris’ backup. Sometimes that leads to impromptu speeches and travels.

“She’s right there in the thick of it. That’s how she kind of knows what the citizens want, what they need,” said Catawba Nation spokesperson Tylee Anderson.

Rooting for the underdog

Catawba culture surrounded Leach at a young age thanks to her mother, Cheryl Harris Sanders.

A local celebrity of sorts, Sanders is an esteemed master potter who uses traditional methods to craft pottery with local clay. Even today, Leach said people are more giddy about meeting her mother than the assistant chief.

Master potters are well-respected in the nation because there are so few, Anderson said. It’s an unfortunate truth that the role doesn’t generate consistent income.

Leach said her family stretched money from big sales to make it last when she was a kid.

Her mom’s house has since fallen into disrepair. By the time Leach took office, she said structural damage left a gaping hole where animals entered Sanders’ home.

Officials approached Leach about helping, but she said she didn’t feel right using her newfound power to benefit her family alone.

“I love my mom, and I want her to have help, but I know that there’s other people in that same situation,” Leach said. “ I can’t just help my mom without helping other people.”

So she helped others, too.

Leach launched a program to update or rebuild housing for people living on the reservation whose homes are dilapidated or in serious disrepair. The program improved six houses so far for seniors and those in high need, including Sanders. Leach expects to update at least four more homes by the end of the year.

“I’m always rooting for the underdogs. I want to see change in the people that need it the most,” she said.

Building Catawba Nation for generations to come

She’s also built up a charity foundation that existed only in writing under former N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s office and helped turn it into a full-fledged organization with two employees. The Catawba Indian Nation Foundation gave out more than $800,000 to programs and other charitable organizations last summer and has more left to give, Leach said.

And last month, the nation held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new bridge connecting Rivercrest Road to Sturgis Road, opening more than 300 acres of land for more economic development. The Catawba Nation will soon start construction on two dozen homes to help alleviate the backlog of families waiting to move onto the reservation. The tribe hasn’t added new houses in more than two decades.

Another priority before leaving office is to finalize plans for a school. An advisory committee is discussing what that might look like, but she’s pushing for a full K-12 school with strong STEM curriculum, hands-on workforce development and a football field.

“When we’re growing these programs, it’s all about the future. It’s all about our kids and them having a better future than what we had growing up,” Leach said.

Leach doesn’t know what her career holds after her term ends or whether she’ll run for chief in the future. She and Harris complement each other well in their respective roles, she said.

But blazing a trail for future women to follow has been a point of pride in her work so far.

“It’s opening doors for people, and it hopefully encourages our younger women to get involved and be interested in politics,” Leach said.