Robert Martens is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He resides in the Big Y community and is from the Deer Clan. He works in the Analanisgi Inpatient Unit at the Cherokee Indian Hospital. He spent much of his life in and out of correctional facilities until becoming sober four years ago. As a person in long-term recovery, he is an advocate for the unhoused and people suffering from addiction. Robert is a certified peer support specialist, recovery coach, and is currently fulfilling his clinical supervision training to be a substance abuse counselor. He is a current participant in the Duyugodv’i Right Path Adult Leadership Program and is active in stomp dances, Cherokee language learning, and stickball. Robert thinks that participating in Cherokee traditional and cultural practices is vital to helping people get and maintain their sobriety.

Robin Callahan, MHS, RD,LDN is honored to serve as the Program Director for the Nurse Family Partnership Program and Cherokee Choices, a Chronic Disease Prevention Program for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She is a Registered Dietitian with a Master of Health Sciences from Western Carolina University, with over 20 years of experience in chronic disease prevention. Certifications include ACE personal training, the ADA certificates in adult and pediatric weight management, Mindful Eating Certification, Resources for Resilience Apprenticeship program, and a 300 hour advanced yoga certification from Asheville Yoga Center.

Professional presentations include the AADE National Conference (2019), WIC National Conference (2019), WCU Rooted in the Mountains (2018, 2019, 2021), MAHEC Conference (2019), USET Best Practices Conference (2020, 2021). Honors include the Nurse Family Partnership Tenacious Care Giver Award (2021).

Robin believes in the power of prevention and has seen the positive impact it can make on the community. Integrating evidence based practices with the Cherokee culture is at the core of programming. She lives the beautiful Smoky mountains in Franklin, NC with her husband and 2 children. She loves to travel, listen to live music, snuggle her babies & escape to their 1800’s log cabin to read, do yoga, and play games.

We Are Resilient: Three Cherokee women bringing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women awareness with a true crime podcast. This is an effort to shine light on and be a voice for #MMIW.

Ahli-sha “Osh” Stephens is a mother, wife, sister, daughter, EBCI enrolled member and friend working to revitalize the Cherokee language, Lady Braves and Braves coach, runner, community advocate for cultural and leadership advances.

Sheyahshe Littledave is someone’s someone. A person. A mother, sister, daughter, and enrolled member of the EBCI. She is a domestic violence survivor and advocate, author, and writer. Her passion is empowering indigenous voices.

Maggie Jackson is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), mother. Daughter, sister, and friend. She is a healthcare advocate, outdoor enthusiast, avid hiker, and wanna-be baker.

Nola is a first-generation finger-weaver and has been weaving for two years. She grew up in the Big Cove community on the Qualla Boundary. Nola has been with the Museum of the Cherokee since 2019. Nola’s passion for cultural preservation is what drives her to continue to take in as much knowledge that she can every day. She is a Lead Cultural specialist focusing on the traditional art of finger-weaving. At the Museum, Nola enjoys demonstrating and teaching finger weaving, as well as storytelling and giving guided tours through the museum exhibit. Recently, Nola has found a connection with learning more about Historical Trauma, and Intergenerational Trauma and how that has affected Indigenous communities, focusing primarily on the role that Residential schools played in our communities. Nola is also very passionate about bringing awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People movement to all who want to learn more about it.

Casey Cooper is the Chief Executive Officer of Cherokee Indian Hospital (CIH) in Cherokee, NC.  The CIH serves approximately 14,000 members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). 

As an enrolled member of the EBCI, Casey has been involved in American Indian health care for 25 years. He has served the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and its community since 1993 as a Primary Care Nurse, Community Health Nurse, Nurse Educator, and Nursing Manager.  As the Health Director of the EBCI from 1999 to 2004, he helped shape public health policy with a focus on chronic disease prevention and led a community wide initiative to assume the management responsibilities of the CIH from the Indian Health Services through an Indian Self-Determination Agreement.

Casey is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University, holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

He is a current member of the WNC Health Network, the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Health Committee, CMS Tribal Technical Advisory Group, NC Medical Care Advisory Committee, IHS Facilities Appropriation Advisory Board, Mountain Area Health Education Center Board of Directors, Western Carolina University Board of Trustees, Dogwood Health Trust Board of Trustees, AHA Rural Task Force and the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board.

Casey and his wife Jill have one son, Jack and two daughters, Kate and Mary.