This blog is co-hosted by Stacy Leeds and Julie Reed with an open-call for contributions by Cherokee scholars and educators. All hosts and contributors are citizens of the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, or the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.
Co-Hosts
Stacy Leeds. Stacy is Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University and Dean Emeritus, University of Arkansas School of Law. She is a former Vice Chancellor (Arkansas) and a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice. She lives near the Illinois River north of Tahlequah and is a Cherokee Nation citizen from the Leeds, Yates, Smith, Bean, Timberlake family of Ft. Gibson/Muskogee/Tahlequah. She also hosts the IndigenousWell blog. She has law degrees from the University of Wisconsin (LL.M.) and the University of Tulsa (J.D.), and business degree from the University of Tennessee (M.B.A.) and an undergraduate degree in history (B.A.) from Washington University in St. Louis.
Julie L. Reed. Julie is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma and a member of the Smith and Quinton families of Vian. Julie was born at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida. During her childhood she lived in Washington, Germany, and Florida, spent summers in Oklahoma and braved winters in up-state New York. Julie earned her BA from the University of South Florida, a M.T.S. from SMU Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, and her MA and PhD in American History from the University of North Carolina. She is currently an Associate Professor of History at Penn State.
Contributors
Jeff Corntassel. Jeff is Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor in the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria (BC, Canada). He lives in Wsanec Nation territory with his family.
Candessa Tehee ᎢᏯ ᏗᎯ. Candessa, is a full blood Cherokee Nation citizen from Sequoyah County. She descends from the Locust, Tehee, Pumpkin, and McLemore families and makes her home in Tahlequah with her family. She is a Cherokee National Treasure recognized for her skill and artistry in oblique and warpface fingerweaving. She earned her Ph.D. in linguistic anthropology from the University of Oklahoma. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Cherokee Language Education and Cherokee Cultural Studies programs in the Department of Cherokee and Indigenous Studies at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Photo at top of page is by the artist: detail of a maroon and black double lightning belt, completed 2019, and held by a private collector.
Tom Holm. Tom is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a Creek descendant. He is from Chelsea, Oklahoma but has lived in Tucson, Arizona for over thirty years. Tom is a former Marine who served in Vietnam 1967-68. He is a Professor Emeritus of American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona and has published five books and numerous articles. Tom also served on the Great State of Sequoyah Commission from 2004 to 2010. He and his wife, Ina, live close to their sons, daughters in law and grandchildren.
Roy Boney, Jr. ᎧᏂᎦ ᎪᎳᎭ. Roy is a full blood Cherokee from Locust Grove, Cherokee Nation. He is an award winning artist, filmmaker, writer and language technologist. He has exhibited across the United States as well as internationally. He holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Oklahoma State University and Master of Art in Studio Art from the University of Arkansas – Little Rock. He currently works as a Cherokee Language Technology Specialist for Cherokee Nation Education Services Group in Tahlequah, where he collaborates with companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft to ensure their products support the Cherokee language.
Patti Jo King ᏇᏗ. Patti Jo is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a member of the Springston and Ross families of Locust Grove and Spavinaw. Born in Los Angeles, she has lived, worked, and taught all over Indian Country, including Auburn, CA; Pine Ridge, SD, Oneida, WI, Parker, AZ, Grand Forks, ND; and Tahlequah, OK. Prior to receiving a Ph.D. in American Indian History from University of Oklahoma, she worked as a journalist, editor, and publisher for over 40 years. She recently retired from Bacone College in Muskogee, OK, where she served as Interim Chair of American Indian Studies and the Director of the Center for American Indians.
Melissa E. Lewis. Melissa is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a professor at University of Missouri. Her relatives are from Chewey, Gore, and Muskogee. Melissa was an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth where she engages in research regarding Indigenous health and well being. She earned her MS from Arizona State University and her PhD from East Carolina University in Medical Family Therapy.