Pearl Nez

Professional Autobiography
My name is Pearl Nez I am Jemez Coyote Pass Clan from the Navajo Tribe of Pinon
Arizona. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Indigenous Studies and minoring in
Indigenous Health at Northern Arizona University. As a student, my desire of higher education
has grown. The influences of my instructors have helped inspire me to be more disciplined while
working towards my Bachelor of Science Degree. In practicing resilience, I have many
experiences that have shaped me into the strong woman that I am today. Overcoming many
challenges and barriers in my life, I have developed a strong value in pursuing higher education.
In 1973 the relocation of my family from their traditional homelands through the Joint
Use Administration (JUA) the Federal Government affected my life by taking my childhood
away having to constantly be moving. Growing up, I do not remember attending one school
consistently for a whole year. I have never stayed in one school long enough to succeed
academically. I was transferred to and from different boarding schools and in the process of these
transitions I struggled with learning, being bullied, and being isolated by placement in a special
education program. However, through it all I overcame these experiences and built my selfconfidence to know that I can achieve great things.
I never expected to be studying at Northern Arizona University. Many things have
happened in my life and despite these unfortunate circumstances I managed to move on. I am a
second-generation survivor of the historical trauma due to colonization. Notwithstanding the
fragments of education in my past, I am making progress towards finding a balance between
living in a western civilizations, while still embracing and practicing traditional teachings. I
never spoke up for myself because I had low self-esteem I did not want anyone to know that I
was burdened with a background involving alcoholism, violence, and poverty and that I did not

have land or a home like most children. Through the education I receive from the Applied
Indigenous Studies program I learn to shield myself with education while hanging on to my
culture, language and religion.
I am a first generation college student who took the initiative to return to higher
education and begin a legacy of higher education in my family. My grandfather volunteered to
join the army in World War II and never returned to school. My mother she attended a Boarding
School, at Intermountain Indian Boarding School in Brigham City, Utah, she had to drop out of
school due to becoming a young mother.
I am striving to be a positive role model for my children, my future grandchildren and my
community. As a scholar I have a responsibility to bring something good back into my life while
learning about my history and culture. This has provided healing and a sense of freedom because
I now have a better understanding of who I am. I have worked for the Tuba City Health Care
Corporation for ten years and DaVita Dialysis Center for four years. I have seen the economic
deprivation, environmental inequity and unavoidable causes of disease that are plaguing our
Navajo reservation. We have forgotten that our Navajo philosophy measures wealth through the
strength our families and a well-balanced alignment with nature to stay healthy. Our Navajo
Nation has an epidemic of Diabetes Mellitus Type II, End Stage Renal Disease and Obesity.
My experiences have encouraged me to be resilient and have inspired my accomplishments.
Attending a University is a true testament that I have the energy and the initiative to work hard
for my education.
I am seeking for a lifetime professional career as when I graduate with my Bachelor of
Science degree, I have found it to be a challenging and rewarding path of learning in Applied
Indigenous Studies department, with my minor in Public Health. I have always received

excellent grades and punctual to all my classes. I have treated my education as such as having a
job.
Through this experience I have gained the knowledge and learned the importance of
reciprocity building trust and giving back to the community by addressing their priorities and
needs. I am looking forward to both the professional and personal growth that will come from
being an active role model to the public.