In recognition of Native American Heritage Month in November, MassLive asked readers to identify people who are leaders from the Indigenous community throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts.
MassLive will publish profiles of these leaders through November. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.
Karen Craddock, of Sharon.Karen Craddock
Karen Craddock
Age: 58
Community: Sharon
Her story: Karen Craddock, a trained applied psychologist from Sharon, is an enrolled citizen of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), a federally recognized tribe based on Martha’s Vineyard. She is also of West African descent and has ancestral lineage in the Catawba and Lumbee Native American nations.
As a member of Indigenous and Black communities, Craddock said an understanding of “home” is central to her work as a wellness practitioner, scholar, advocate and writer. She said she is inspired by seeing her family and community “uphold the importance and power of people and place in all that we do.”
“At the heart of pursuing work in the arena of wellness, especially with and among our Indigenous communities, is the power of relationship,” Craddock said.
Craddock has brought her perspective to a variety of organizations and colleges, including the Black-Indigenous Futures Convening at Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst Native Advisory Council. She was a visiting scholar at both Wellesley College and Brown University’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative, as well as Brown’s first tribal community member in residence.
She has also led a task force for the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe on domestic violence prevention and was chairwoman of Safe Harbor for People of the First Light, which offers support services for women in the tribe.
Craddock said she is now working on a creative memoir based on the histories of the Northeast Woodland Nations, incorporating family and tribal narratives, artifacts and healing practices.
In her words: “Take the time to foster your purpose and personal mission for doing the work and let it be a guide amidst the many ups, downs and turns along the way.”
We’re always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.