Heather Medicine Bear M.P.H.

Skeg-Tash (Good Day), everyone! Heather Medicine Bear is the program manager for the National Native Network and the Our Breath is Sacred Initiative with the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan. She is a member of the Gila River Indian Community (Akimel O’otham) and a Ph.D. candidate studying Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota. She is committed to improving the health and well-being of our Native people through innovative policy, system and environmental approaches. Heather’s main interests lie in health policy, chronic disease prevention, culturally safe research methods, data sovereignty, capacity building and self-determination. She believes that by building on the strengths of individuals and communities, we can create lasting change and improve the lives of those most in need.