Mary Wachacha, Lead Consultant for the Indian Health Service (IHS)

Cherokee, North Carolina is the location of the Qualla Boundary (Cherokee Indian Reservation) and home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  Mary Wachacha is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band and has served in various capacities during her 40 year career with the Cherokees and other Native Americans.  Mary will discuss the unique modern history of the Cherokee Indians, their lifestyles, their culture, their Casino, and their health care and the relationship between western medical ethics and Native American/Cherokee ethics. 

Mary is a former Peace Corps volunteer and spent 3 years in Tunisia, Northern Africa; a Teacher for the Bureau of Indian Affairs for 15 years; and the Lead Consultant for the Indian Health Service at IHS Headquarters  for 24 years. She has worked extensively with Indian Tribes who use IHS services—traveling to Indian hospitals and clinics to provide onsite in-service training on various health topics.