Aanii Boozhoo, Dbik Anakwad Kwe ndizhinikaaz, Binesi ndoodem, Nindebekatum ndonjibaa, Anishinaabe kwe ndow. I am a mother, scholar, activist, healer, and proud Anishinaabe kwe. Kaela Harris, also known as Kaela Wabanimkee-Harris is an Anishinaabe woman from Northern Michigan. Kaela graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI where she obtained a master’s degree in social Work. She was in
the Innovation in the Community, Policy, and Leadership (ICPL) program. Her areas of focus were community development/organizing, leadership, and policy. Kaela is a trainer, facilitator, and speaker addressing various health and social advocacy issues in Indian Country on a micro, mezzo, and macro level. She is a strong advocate for Native wellness initiatives in tribal communities. Kaela plans to engage in the community by creating empowerment programs for Native American and other minority women as well as youth. She also plans to practice policy advocacy on a local and national level. She has a passion for educating and empowering people and is grateful to be able to assist and support Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Kaela enjoys drumming and singing in her language, Anishinaabemowin (ojibwe). She enjoys experiencing traditional ceremonies, attending Pow Wows, beading, sewing, and spending time with her family and friends. Her lifelong goal is to teach her daughters the beauty of connecting the present world with the past, and to live a well-rounded healthy life with the knowledge of our ancestral ways. Kaela began her healing journey many years ago. She has been practicing and honoring Anishinaabe ways of being by learning her language, attending ceremonies, learning about and using traditional herbal medicines, and many other things. She is a birthworker/doula who supports birthing people in all phases whether it be loss, pregnancy release or bringing baby earth side. She began to study the practice of Reiki on her healing journey. She was guided, taught and attuned by Adela “Noble Snow” Nieves-Martinez. Kaela was certified as a Reiki I practitioner on June 7th, 2019. She is also a partner at Healing by Choice!. Her full-time job consists of supporting Tribal Communities all across the country as a Task Lead and TTA Coordinator at the SAMHSA Tribal TTA Center. Healing is lifelong journey, I invite you on this journey with me so that we can heal each other and others together.
