Karla Decker-Sorby, a Public Health Nurse and Dakota Elder, shares important lessons about living in a good way, paying respect to our Elders, and building reciprocal relations with our communities. “With menopause”, Karla explains, came “the best years of my life”; she learned to fully embrace who she is, and give her best with the gifts she was given. 

Karla Decker-Sorby is a member of the Sisseton Oyate Dakota Nation. Karla has worked in tribal health spaces since the age of 19. In 2012, Karla joined the Minnesota Department of Health to implement culturally tailored maternal and infant health home visiting via the Family Spirit program. As a Tribal Nurse Consultant, Karla ensures that Indigenous families receive culturally congruent care across the state of Minnesota. 

Resources:

Family Spirit Home Visiting Program: https://www.jhsph.edu/research/affiliated-programs/family-spirit/
Minnesota Department of Health, Family Home Visiting: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/fhv/index.html
"Fame" by Irene Cara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXVnu1iWrGE

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Delilah Robb (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians) talks about her work as a community health educator. She explains why community-driven health promotion is at the center of healing, and how traditional stories teach us to honor our bodies and sexuality.

Delilah Robb is pursuing her Masters of Public Health in the Maternal and Child Health program at the University of Minnesota. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. In addition to her studies, she works as a community health educator at the Indian Health Board (IHB) of Minneapolis. She is interested in many American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) areas of health, including: maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, social determinants of health, and cancer prevention. She is also researching Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Knowledge, Attitudes, and Cultural Beliefs of American Indian Men as part of the Tribal Researchers’ Cancer Control Fellowship Program, sponsored by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Native American Research Center for Health, and National Cancer Institute.

Resources:

Honor your Body and Culture Campaign:
“The Intersection” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGfhUmQhdyc
“Starting the Conversation” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEJaQFtkPCc
Press:
http://thecirclenews.org/health/ihb-launches-programs-on-sexual-health-and-education/
https://mndaily.com/263251/news/university-grad-student-fosters-conversation-education-about-sexual-health-in-american-indian-communities/
Webinar:
Minnesota Public Health Association: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhXd6HquwCg
Organizations:
Indian Health Board of Minneapolis: https://www.indianhealthboard.com/
Connecting to pleasure through art:
Check out Chief Ladybird (@chiefladybird) and Quill Violet Christie Peters’ work (@raunchykwe)!

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Mary Kathryn Nagle (Citizen of the Cherokee Nation) answers questions about the legal framework around the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit. She explains how a 1978 Supreme Court decision failed to protect Native people from violence perpetrated by non-Natives, and what has happened since to restore Tribes’ rights to prosecute crimes committed on tribal land. 

Mary Kathryn joined Pipestem & Nagle, P.C. in 2015 from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in New York City, where she specialized in complex commercial litigation related to structured finance, bankruptcy, and federal qui tam actions. She has drafted numerous appellate briefs in federal courts, including federal appellate courts and the United States Supreme Court.

Mary Kathryn has significant experience in briefing issues of constitutional law related to federal Indian law, as well as cases that implicate statutory rights under Indian rights laws such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (“NAGPRA”). 

Mary Kathryn studied law at Tulane Law School, where she graduated summa cum laude and was the recipient of the Judge John Minor Wisdom Award. Her law review articles have been published in five different journals, including the Tulane Law Review and Tulsa Law Review.

She is a frequent speaker at law schools and symposia on issues related to restoration of tribal sovereignty, tribal self-determination, Indian civil and constitutional rights, and safety of Native Women.  She also represents the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) in support of the NIWRC’s work to end violence against Native Women. Mary Kathryn is an accomplished playwright who has written and produced several plays relating to Indians and the law, including Waaxe’s Law, Manahatta, My Father’s Bones (with Suzan Shown Harjo), Miss Lead, Fairly Traceable, and Sliver of a Full Moon.

Resources:Organizations:
Pipestem & Nagle, P.C.: http://www.pipestemlaw.com/attorney/mary-kathryn-nagle/
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: MMIW Toolkit for Families and Communities
Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/
Urban Indian Health Institute: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Report, 2018

Donate

Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/donate
National Indigenous Women’s Resources Center: https://www.niwrc.org/donate
Urban Indian Health Institute:https://www.uihi.org/
Native American LifeLines: https://nativeamericanlifelines.org/
New York Indian Council: https://www.newyorkindiancouncil.org/
National Council of Urban Indian Health: https://www.ncuih.org/index 

Social Media: @mknagle

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah 

Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Tara Maudrie ​(MSPH​), a Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe PhD student at the Johns Hopkins ​​​​​​​Bloomberg School of Public Health, discusses food sovereignty in an Urban Native context. She points out that our relationship with food consists of more than the things we eat and encompasses our relationships to land, water, air, and all living beings. Tara reminds us that “traditional foods will always find you,” and that no matter where we are we can connect with our place-based eating values.

Tara Maudrie is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and has been an urban Native her whole life. Prior to coming to the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, Tara worked as a program assistant at Detroit American Indian Health and Family Services and completed her Bachelor's of Science degree in Pre-Physical Therapy and Exercise Science at Oakland University. 

Tara completed her MSPH in the Human Nutrition Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Spring 2021. While completing her MSPH degree she worked with the CAIH as a practicum student with Dr. Victoria O'Keefe and Dr. Melissa Walls. During her MSPH she led a mixed-methods study of food insecurity in partnership with the Baltimore Native Community. Tara Maudrie is currently pursuing her PhD in the Social Behavioral Interventions Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH). 

Tara is passionate about urban Native health and food security and hopes to continue to explore these issues and advocate for policy change throughout her PhD. She is advised by Dr. Victoria O'Keefe. You can keep up with her work through PubMed and ResearchGate.

Resources:

Publications: PubMed, ResearchGate
Organizations:
Sacred Roots: https://www.aihfs.org/sacredroots.html
Native American Lifelines: https://nativeamericanlifelines.org/
Well For Culture: https://www.wellforculture.com/
Tara’s morning affirmation: “I am on Indigenous land”

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Traditional healing methods and teachings are at the center of Indigenous wellbeing. They can support Indigenous people diagnosed with cancer. Linda shares her story of being both a traditional practitioner and overcoming a cancer diagnosis. She knows the manner in which difficult news such as a cancer diagnosis is delivered matters, and reminds us to use approaches congruent with Indigenous lifeways.

 Linda Ross (Diné) is a traditional healer living in Window Rock, AZ. Linda is a survivor of breast cancer and has been practicing traditional, holistic methods of healing for over 50 years.

Resources:

American Indian Cancer Foundation: https://americanindiancancer.org

Cancer Epidemiology in Native Communities: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/research/articles/cancer-AIAN-US.htm

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Ashley Phelps-Garcia teaches us about the importance and joy of living in ceremony and community. During the boarding school era, many of our relatives were made to feel ashamed of who they were as Native people. Indigenous practices and ways of knowing were banned. Today, we are proud to be Indigenous. Our ceremonies allow us to heal and grow individually and collectively, for the seven generations ahead. Ashley reminds us of the importance of learning from our Elders, and of holding good thoughts for things to fall into place.

Ashley Phelps-Garcia is an enrolled Member of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Residing in the Badlands of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota along with her husband Bino Garcia and their 5 beautiful children; Nevaeh, Maymangwa, Joaquin, Miksuya and Wasose. Ashley’s Lakota name is “Wíyukčaŋ Ománi Wiŋ”. A name that belonged to Chief Red Cloud’s Wife, passed down six generations. Ashley is currently the Director of Communications and Program Manager for a 501c3 nonprofit organization called First Families Now. Working alongside her family, FFN is committed to providing high-quality culturally and community-focused services towards the vital needs of children and families of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Some of the services provided include but are not limited to donation drives, cultural integration, community service projects, healthy food access, and life skills. Ashley is known in the community for her dedication to the preservation and revitalization of traditional Lakota women roles, responsibilities, and ceremonies. Ashley’s father Ted Phelps is the lead singer of the Eagle Mountain Drum group. Her mother Alice is a long time women’s jingle dress dancer so it is only right that Ashley has grown a love and passion for the powwow arena. She has been dancing the jingle dress style since she could walk. Her gift of dance has taken her across the U.S. and Canada competing against some of the best. 

First Families Now: https://www.1stfamiliesnow.org/
Follow Ashley and First Families Now on Instagram:
 @phelps_15 , @1stfamiliesnow
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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Dr. Jules Koostachin reminds us that stories about our bodies are alive and carry agency, especially during times of change. These transitions are individual experiences, and call us to be present in our bodies. Jules allows us to dig deeper into the question, “When signs of menopause begin, how do we find support from our communities?”

Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin is Cree and a band member of Attawapiskat First Nation. She was raised by her Cree grandparents in Moosonee, as well as her mother, a residential school warrior.  Jules completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia, and she is a graduate of Concordia University’s Theatre program and Ryerson University’s Documentary Master’s program. Jules was awarded an Award of Distinction and an Academic Gold Medal for her thesis documentary.  She is the mother of four incredible sons, a published writer, performance artist, an academic, and an award-winning filmmaker.  Jules is represented by the Characters Talent and Lucas Talent.

Resources:

Website: www.juleskoostachin.com
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user124586
Select short documentaries

• ​​Menopause: a sisterhood of Indigenous women gather to rant, laugh and share stories | KaYaMenTa
• PLACEnta

Explore more of Dr. Koostachin’s films: https://vtape.org/artist?ai=1184
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4059984/
Dr. Koostachin’s book: Unearthing Secrets, Gathering Truths

Social Media:

@juleskoostachin - Instagram
@jakoostachin - Twitter

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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah 

Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

• https://theminoritysexreport.com/

• Afrosexology https://www.afrosexology.com/
• O. School https://www.o.school

• https://www.bedsider.org/
• Own Every Piece - Houston specific reproductive health campaign http://owneverypiece.com

• Consent is like a cup of tea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQbei5JGiT8

• Jimanika Eborn: https://traumaqueen.love/
• Listen to the trauma queen podcast: https://traumaqueen.love/podcast

Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. 

Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit have faced unfathomable violence since the arrival of settler colonialism. Dr. Blythe George, a Member of the Yurok Tribe, is here to unpack the ongoing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and talk about its causes while centering survivorship, resilience, and healing. 

Professor Blythe K. George is from McKinleyville, CA, and is a member of the Yurok Tribe. She previously served as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in Sociology at UC Berkeley after completing her Ph.D. in Sociology & Social Policy from Harvard University. Her research focuses on processes of adversity and resilience in tribal communities, with an emphasis on qualitative methodologies and database creation and management. Prof. George also serves as the research partner for the To'Kee Skuy'Soo Ney-Wo-Chek'—I Will See You Again in a Good Way project, in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe and the Sovereign Bodies Institute. This project, which was funded by the US Department of Justice’s Coordinated Tribal Assisted Solicitation (CTAS Grant) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Justice Support, generates an understanding of the scope and severity of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples in Northern California, with an emphasis on intervening in these cycles of violence by designing and implementing “best practices and protocols” for tribes in addressing MMIWG2.

Resources:

• Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/
• NamUs Database: https://www.namus.gov/
• National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: MMIW Toolkit for Families and Communities

Reads:

• Yurok Tribe, Sovereign Bodies Institute: To’ kee skuy’ soo ney-wo-chek’ - I Will See You Again In a Good Way Year 1 and Year 2 Progress Reports, Yurok Tribe Press Release      
• Urban Indian Health Institute: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Report, 2018

Support the fight to bring back our stolen Sisters by donating to:

• Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/donate
• National Indigenous Women’s Resources Center: https://www.niwrc.org/donate

Dr. Nicole Redvers creates a bridge between Indigenous and Western ways of thinking about health. Dr. Redvers reminds us that land-based practices are essential to our health wherever we are living: “By going on our healing journey, we’re automatically in healing with the land itself because we are in and of itself land.”

Dr. Nicole Redvers, ND, MPH, (she/hers) is an enrolled member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation from sub-Arctic Canada. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine and the Indians into Medicine program at the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She is co-founder and chair of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation based in the Canadian North which was awarded the $1 million-dollar 2017 Arctic Inspiration Prize for their work with the homeless and those most vulnerable. Dr. Redvers has been actively involved at the national and international level promoting the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in planetary health while engaging in a breadth of scholarly projects attempting to bridge gaps between Indigenous and Western ways of knowing as it pertains to Indigenous health. She is the author of the trade paperback book titled, ‘The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles’. 

Resources:

Reads:

• Redvers, The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles, North Atlantic Books, 2019
• Tyson Yunkaporta, Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, HarperOne, 2020

Support the Yellowknife healing camp and similar initiatives here:

• https://arcticindigenouswellness.org/ 

Support the Mni Wichoni Clinic and Farm here:

• https://mniwichonihealthcircle.org/