Sam Alexander: Elders v. Flat Bellies, Game On!
Samuel Alexander (Muscogee (Creek)) | Age 74 | Wagoner, OK I’ve known Sam Alexander for many years. Watched him as a member of the Muscogee (Creek) National Council, actually the Speaker of that house, and as a CPA. I have much respect for his contributions to Indian country and the local community, but I’m really […]
Robert Saunooke: A Time to Heal
Robert Saunooke (Eastern Band Cherokee) | Age 56 | Cherokee, NC It was high time we let a man tell his health story around here, so I reached out to my friend and Indian law colleague Rob Saunooke. He was recently featured here by the American Bar Association for his career accomplishments. Within the legal […]
Devon Mihesuah: For the Long Haul
Devon Mihesuah (Choctaw Nation) | Historian + Writer | Indigenous Foods Devon Mihesuah (Choctaw) is a friend and colleague since my days at the University of Kansas. She inspires me on so many levels. She’s one of the most prolific scholars and writers I have ever known. And a really great mom. Devon is also […]
Julie Reed: Fake It Until You Make It
Julie Reed (Cherokee Nation) | Age 44 | Currently: State College, PA As I said in my recent post about Melissa Lewis, I am part of a phenomenal mutual admiration society fan-girl club of Cherokee women scholars. We keep tabs on each other (and our brothers) at ThinkTsalagi. Julie Reed co-hosts ThinkTsalagi and holds down […]
Kimberly Jumper-Brown: Intervention to Inspiration
When I launched this website, I had a few rules in mind. At the top of that list was no “before and after” pictures. No magic pills. Nothing to make anyone feel insecure. No suggestion that health has a final “finish-line” where all your goals are met. No one “truth” to preach. Only information and […]
Chrissy Arch: From Hobby-less to Success
Chrissy and I work together on the founding corporate board of Kituwah LLC, the business diversification company of the Eastern Band Cherokee. That’s been a great experience because I get a chance to visit the Cherokee homelands more often and it has blessed me new friends, especially Chrissy. I love her and I’m so inspired […]
Johnnilyn Kutten: Healers as Heroes
Johnnilyn Kitten (Cherokee Nation) | Age 61 | Montgomery Village My heart and soul hurts for the profound season of grief and loss we see all around us from COVID. But even in the darkest of places, joy can be all around us. It gives me great pride (and joy) to celebrate Cherokee Nation citizen […]
Melissa Lewis: Indigenizing Health
Melissa Lewis (Cherokee Nation) | Tahlequah | Public Health Expert + Modeling Lifelong Community Learning Parents aren’t suppose to have a favorite kid, and in that spirit, I’ll walk a very thin line as I talk about my favorite Cherokee women scholars. I’ve never met a Cherokee scholar that I haven’t learned a great deal […]
Stacy Leeds: Being (un) Healthy
I’m a professor, former law dean, judge, mom. The last 25 years, I’ve been going hard and fast. Most of the time, my energy is spent on the good stuff I wouldn’t take back, but I have a tendency to revert back to a lifestyle that could kill me if I didn’t get it together. I’m still very much in the process of getting “it” together. But I’m on to something.