Some people trust their gut when making big decisions; others call it listening to their intuition. Sabrina Sykes (Haida) listens to her family, especially her ancestors. You could even say one of them influenced her decision to work at Seattle Indian Health Board. (More on that later.) Whether in her hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska or in the Seattle area, it seems home and family — in the broadest sense of these words — have always grounded her.
When Christina Diego (Nimiipuu/ Diné) selects one pair of earrings from the 90 pairs she’s collected, she’s just choosing to wear something that complements her outfit. But she is aware her choice can also be interpreted as a statement. “I think earrings are definitely a way to decolonize the workplace, and [to] decolonize spaces when you’re outside in community,” she says.
Occasionally, you might come across a supremely accomplished person who makes you feel just a tiny bit jealous – yet you can’t help but like them because they’re just too generous with their gifts. Our pharmacy director Terri Adams-Kincaid may be one of those people.
In the basement of the International District Clinic, there are probably a few pests, but they are undoubtedly outnumbered by the plastic spiders surrounding Marty Schafer’s desk. A desktop support specialist in Seattle Indian Health Board’s IT department, Marty (Cree) spends a lot of time detangling the web of devices that connect our staff and squashing the bugs they catch.
Around 8:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m., you might smell the cedar or sweetgrass or sage that Layla Yamabe (Quinault/Quileute/Squaxin) is holding before you even see her approaching.
As one of Seattle Indian Health Board’s Traditional Indian Medicine Apprentices, Layla helps complete the twice daily smudging of our entire building and those who work inside it.
When Dr. Socia Love-Thurman (Cherokee/Delaware/Yuchi) first set foot in Seattle Indian Health Board as a prospective resident, she had no idea she’d still be here eight years later, let alone as the organization’s Chief Health Officer.
