Prior Lake, MN — Antony Stately is a transformative leader dedicated to health equity in Indigenous communities. Raised by a single mother who was relocated from the White Earth Indian Reservation during the federal government's Relocation Program, Antony developed a profound understanding of the injustices working against his community. He was also exposed to leaders of the American Indian Movement, who inspired him to fight against injustice. After overcoming an alcohol addiction, he obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and built a career combining healthcare, cultural healing and spiritual care. As the executive officer of the Native American Community Clinic (NACC), he has become known for developing innovative approaches to culturally integrated care, including new models of street medicine and harm reduction for unsheltered people. He will use his Bush Fellowship to deepen his understanding of Indigenous leadership practices, build connections with Indigenous thinkers, elders and changemakers, and learn about innovative models in health and wellbeing in Native communities.
What has informed your approach to leading change in your community?
I was surrounded by inspiring leaders growing up during the south Minneapolis renaissance, attending boarding school until age 11 and witnessing the emergence of AIM and the opening of the Indian Center. Although I didn't grasp their significance then, those experiences profoundly shaped me. My journey continued through diverse communities in Los Angeles and Seattle. Failures have also taught me invaluable lessons, emphasizing the importance of relationships.
What is your favorite quote or expression?
A Cheyenne proverb that says, “A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.”
So much of my work in the community is around birth injustice and maternal childcare, and building stronger and resilient children has really been shaped by this idea. As Indigenous people, we are matriarchal and it’s colonization that has made us think as patriarchal.
I am also guided by the principle of the 7th generation. The chair I'm sitting in isn’t something I earned by myself. It’s the quintessential function of who we are, we are not the center of the world. The world is around us and we are part of it.
