Barbara Tucker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a lifelong resident of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, located in what is currently known as northeastern Oklahoma. She retired as an educator after serving for 36 years as a caring teacher, counselor, principal to students and schools throughout the Cherokee Nation. She is just as dedicated to learning as leading and has achieved two masters to degrees during her career. She has been married to her husband David for 46 years and has three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Barbra’s mother, Annie O’Field, was sent to boarding school as a young girl along with Barbara’s Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam.
Nichol LeBeau is part of the Oceti Sakowin from the MniCoujou band. Her grandparents, Gilbert and Marcella (Ryan) LeBeau, and an auntie, Donna LeBeau, all attended boarding schools. She listened to her grandmother share her experiences at boarding schools and the impacts of boarding schools her grandmother was seeing on her own family. This led Nichol to seek a master’s degree in counseling to help heal her community and other Indigenous communities. Nichol currently works at the University of Arizona in the Native American Student Affairs (NASA) center as the site-based counselor for Indigenous students and other students from other cultural centers. Nichol moved to Tucson about seven years ago from South Dakota and does not miss the snow. Nichol credits her spirituality with grounding her when times get tough and helping her find a balance in life. She is a Sun Dancer, which is a four-day ceremony to facilitate healing with prayer and intention.
No pre-registration is required to participate. Just click "join the class" to attend.
September 18, 2023
Presentation: A Conversation With Descendants of Indian Boarding School Survivors
7 - 8 p.m. Central time
Watch Now
