The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan is pleased to welcome Heather Medicine Bear, MPH as the new Program Manager for the National Native Network.

Heather is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, Akimel O’odham.  She comes to us from Hawaii Pacific University, where she serves as an adjunct professor at the College of Health and Society.  As an Indigenous Health scholar and public health advocate, she is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous populations by building on the strengths of individuals and communities. Heather is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota.

Heather’s special interests include American Indian health policy, chronic disease prevention, culturally safe research methods, urban American Indian and Alaska Native health, Indigenous data sovereignty, and tribal self-determination.

Heather enjoys spending time with her husband Sky (Sicanju, Lakota/Diné) and their three beautiful boys.  They enjoy hiking, swimming, and love attending cultural celebrations.

“It is a privilege to serve as the new program manager for the National Native Network and I look forward to future collaborations and projects with community partners,” said Heather.

To learn more about the National Native Network, visit keepitsacred.itcmi.org

Heather may be contacted at her new email address, heather.medicinebear@itcmi.org

The National Native Network is jointly funded by the Office on Smoking and Health and Division of Cancer Prevention and Control under Cooperative Agreement #NU58DP005493-01.  Through Networking2Save – CDC’s National Network Approach to Preventing and Controlling Tobacco-related Cancers in Special Populations Program – The CDC funds eight national networks to support prevention of commercial tobacco use and prevention of cancer in populations experiencing tobacco- and cancer-related health disparities.

The Network is administered by the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and is directed by a board composed of three partner tribal organizations:  California Rural Indian Health Board, Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board, and the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.