Wellness Series: Jillene Joseph

Jillene Joseph (Aaniiih) raised four children and a nephew for many years as a single mother and now is in a beautiful and healthy relationship.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in community health education and is currently the Executive Director for the Native Wellness Institute, a national non-profit organization that she and a handful of others founded in 2000.  For the past 35 years she has traveled throughout North America providing wellness and healing training and technical assistance to tribes, First Nations and aboriginal people and organizations in a variety of areas such as youth leadership development, healthy relationships, wellness in the workplace and more. She has visited hundreds of Native and Indigenous communities through North America, the island of Guam, Australia and New Zealand, providing information as well as furthering her own knowledge and understanding of our People and our traditional ways. She prides herself in choosing to be drug and alcohol free and by living a life that she knows is making her ancestors smile. Jillene is one of the 8 members of the International Indigenous Council of the Healing Our Spirits Worldwide movement- a worldwide effort to heal the lasting impacts of colonization around the world. Jillene has worked for her own tribe, for tribal health board’s and has always lived by her personal mantra of “Living by the Warrior’s Spirit:  being positive, productive and proactive.” Her passion and life’s work are dedicated to bringing wellness and healing to individuals, families, places of work and communities throughout Native North America and beyond! Jillene enjoys beading, reading and attending tribal celebrations!