SPEAKER_00: John Adair asked Annie Wanika why the Navajos seem to welcome new ideas so much more readily than other Indians.
SPEAKER_01: Well, the changes are so fast and I'm quite sure the Navajos have realized that we cannot stand still. We've got to lift this blanket and go along with other people.
SPEAKER_02: Hello. Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan and this is Womanika. This month we're covering Indigenous women from around the globe. Today we're talking about a woman who was a prominent leader in the Navajo community and a voice for Navajo people in the U.S. government. She worked to improve her people's health while respecting and preserving Navajo culture. Let's talk about Annie Dajwanika. Annie was born in 1910 on a Navajo reservation. Her father, Henry Chee Daj, was a prominent leader in their tribe. Annie grew up herding sheep on his ranch. When Annie was eight years old, an influenza epidemic swept across her community, killing thousands of Navajo people. Annie witnessed many of her peers fall sick and die. Later, Annie enrolled at the University of Arizona and graduated with a degree in public health. Then in 1951, Annie ran for a seat in the Navajo Tribal Council and won, becoming the second woman ever to be elected. Two years later, a tuberculosis epidemic struck the Navajo reservation. Annie was appointed as the chair of the Health and Welfare Committee. She began learning everything she could about tuberculosis. She would drive alone across the reservation, which stretched through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, visiting hospitals and tuberculosis patients and studying the disease and treatment options. During her research, Annie began to observe that many Navajo tuberculosis patients distrusted government-run hospitals and wouldn't complete treatments in those spaces. So Annie launched health education campaigns to specifically target Navajo populations. She created a Navajo-English dictionary of medical terms. She helped produce short films narrated in Navajo about health education. And she launched a weekly radio program. She even organized a baby contest, where physicians would screen babies' health and offer medical advice. On top of all that, Annie traveled around the reservation explaining to people how tuberculosis worked and how Western medicine, like X-ray machines, could help. While Annie was doing this work, she also observed the living conditions of many of the people she was visiting. What she witnessed led to the development of other programs on the Navajo reservation to provide adequate sanitation, vaccinations, and infant care. Annie was always conscious of Navajo culture and traditions, and her programming always considered the existing practices of the Navajo people. She focused on integrating modern medicine into existing Navajo traditions. During her time on the tribal council, she connected government physicians and volunteer doctors with traditional Navajo medicine men, so they could all work together to improve the health conditions of the Navajo people. But Annie's influence expanded beyond the reservation. During her career, she also was a member of advisory boards of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service. At a time when Congress was overwhelmingly male, Annie regularly walked the halls to confer with presidents, heads of government agencies, and U.S. representatives to be a voice for the Navajo people. Annie served seven terms on the Navajo Tribal Council from 1951 to 1979. At one point, she ran against her husband and won. In 1963, Annie was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her groundbreaking work in public health. In 1984, she was designated by the Navajo people our legendary Mother of the Navajo Nation. Annie passed away in 1997 at the age of 87. All month, we're highlighting the legacies of Indigenous women. For more information, check out our Facebook and Instagram, at Wamanaka Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow! She focused on integrating modern medicine into existing Navajo traditions. During her time on the Tribal Council, she connected government physicians and volunteer doctors with traditional Navajo medicine men, so they could all work together to improve the health conditions of the Navajo people. But Annie's influence expanded beyond the reservation. During her career, she also was a member of advisory boards of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service. At a time when Congress was overwhelmingly male, Annie regularly walked the halls to confer with presidents, heads of government agencies, and U.S. representatives to be a voice for the Navajo people. Annie served seven terms on the Navajo Tribal Council from 1951 to 1979. At one point, she ran against her husband and won. In 1963, Annie was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her groundbreaking work in public health. In 1984, she was designated by the Navajo people our legendary Mother of the Navajo Nation. Annie passed away in 1997 at the age of 87. All month, we're highlighting the legacies of Indigenous women. For more information, check out our Facebook and Instagram, at Wamanaka Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
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SPEAKER_03: Do you hear it? The clock is ticking. It's time for the new season of 60 Minutes. The CBS News Sunday Night tradition is back for its 56th season with all new big name interviews, hard-hitting investigations, and epic adventures. No place. No one. No story is off limits. And you'll always learn something new. It's time for 60 Minutes. New episode airs Sunday, September 24th on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus.
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