Annie Dodge Wauneka

[bridget orman]

Annie Dodge Wauneka
In 1963, Annie Dodge Wauneka became the first Native American to win the Freedom Medal. She advocated for improvement in the education and health sector. She’s well known in the Navajo community, but I think that more people should be aware of her and her achievements.

Image of Annie Dodge Wauneka. One of the most famous Native American Woman in history.When she was just 8 years old in 1918, she witnessed an influenza outbreak. Annie, not the one to stand still in helplessness, assisted the staff in her boarding school with caring for the sick. Later in life, she was a member of the Navajo Tribal Council for 8 years, the second woman ever to be elected.

While she was on the council, she kept fighting against tuberculosis and even wrote a dictionary that translated the English words for modern medical practices into Navajo. Another area of healthcare Annie worked for was to care for pregnant women, infants, alcoholism, and regular eye and ear examinations.