The chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe laughs when he tells the story of a sister looking at a picture when he was young and had wild, crazy hair. 

“Why didn’t you get a haircut?” she asked.

Allan recalled his answer: He couldn’t afford one. 

There was also the time his car broke down and he had to leave it on the side of the road. Again, he had no money for it to be towed and repaired. 

“We didn’t have much,” he said. 

But it was enough. 

Growing up, he learned to persevere in the hard times through lessons of his grandmother, Geraldine Michael, whom he lived with for several years. He described her as loving, but tough.

“Our family has always been strong,” he said. “Strength is what I learned from my family.” 

He learned the history of how tribal lands were opened for white homesteaders, and how elders, when they were kids, were forced to go to boarding schools. 

“Tribes have always endured a lot of hardships,” Allan said. 

It ignited a desire to push himself to do his best.

Allan went on to become the first in his family to attend college when he went to Eastern Washington University, earning a degree in political science. 

He has been chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe since 2005. He emphasizes the importance of education. He is adamant it enabled him and other tribal members to overcome poverty.

“My story has always been education. I really push education, not only for ourselves, but for everybody,” he said. 

Toward that goal, the tribe has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships for local graduating seniors. Allan is grateful the tribe has the means through its Coeur d'Alene Casino to help youth pursue their dreams.

"Gaming has been good for the tribe,” he said. “It’s pulled people out of poverty. We share in our wealth. That to me is awesome. That's better than anything."

Allan's children, Sophia, 21, and Chief, 18, took their father’s words to heart. 

Sophia will be a junior at Stanford University and Chief will be a freshman at Harvard University. Both are pursuing careers as lawyers. 

Sophia Allan said growing up, her father encouraged them to do well in school and he related well to pretty much everyone he met.

“I always saw him as a bridge way,” she said.

Chief Allan's mother, Mary Ann Zachary, fought her own struggles.

When she was 9 years old, her family’s Worley home was destroyed in a fire that claimed lives.

“It was devastating,” Zachary said.  

Then, there was no mental health support on the reservation.

“I carried that for many years,” she said.  

Chief Allan said his grandmother survived boarding school, a house fire, and the deaths of two husbands. 

“My mom had to grow up really fast," he said.

His mom made it through ninth grade before she dropped out of school to help care for the family. At age 15, she gave birth to a son, whom they named Chief. 

When he was young, jobs and housing were scare. Alcoholism and drugs were rampant on the reservation.

Chief Allan said while family and friends got caught up in alcohol and drugs that were rampant on the reservation, fear kept him on a straight line.

“I was afraid if I did it just once that would get me addicted,” he said. "I didn’t want to be swallowed up. I didn’t want to be a statistic. I didn’t want to be a sad story.” 

 A unit of friends kept him grounded.

“We always cheered for each other. If one of us would win, we would all win. If one of us would have a little bit of money, we all had a little bit of money,” he said. 

Even as a young boy, he knew the value of school.

"I knew if I got my education, that would help me in the long run," he said.

Chief Allan said that growing up on a reservation or in a small Idaho town, college can seem out of reach. 

It’s not. 

He points to his siblings, a brother and four sisters, as examples of overcoming challenges. They turned things around and earned diplomas and degrees. 

“They broke that cycle," he said.

Hard work was also part of the path to success.

“It’s instilled in us as tribal members. You come to work, you work hard," he said. "I believe our duty as tribal members is to always give 100%.” 

Hope is another word Chief Allan lives by.

"I see the good in everything," he said.

That a daughter and son are attending top universities “blows my mind,” he said. 

“It’s unreal,” Allan said. 

He notes they are just four generations removed from the hardships faced by their ancestors.

“Tribes have come far in a few generations," he said.

Sophia knew her parents and grandparents did not have the privileges she enjoyed growing up. She attended Coeur d’Alene High School and went to soccer and science camps. 

“I had every opportunity in the world to explore the things that interested and excited me,” she said.  

Knowledge of history drove Sophia to never settle for what was easy. She vowed to honor her ancestors with courage.

“What is stopping me from doing something like going to Stanford?” she told herself early on “From reaching really high?” 

Chief Allan the son carries the past with him as a reminder of what was, what is, and what could be.

“Always learning and always gaining knowledge is real important,” he said. 

 Mary Ann Zachary beams as she speaks of her family.

“I’m just so proud,” she said. “My mom would be very proud. His dad would be very proud.” 

She believes Sophia and Chief will change the landscape.

“We need lawyers. I just hope they keep on going. They’re going to be good. I can’t see the future, but it's going to be good," she said.

Chief Allan smiles as he talks about the young people on the reservation working hard with designs on college. He is confident that with drive and desire, they will make it. And, he adds, they will have the backing and blessing of The Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

“The possibilities are endless. Whatever they can dream of," he said.