Edwina Fire Thunder Brown Bull is a member of the CMBM Faculty. She has collaborated extensively with CMBM on their programming in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She is certified in Mind-Body Medicine.
Edwina is the Director of Culturally-Informed Trauma-Informed Tribal Schools at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. As a ¾ Oglala Lakota Tribal member, Edwinasupports the building and strengthening of cultural traditions within the community, and aiding the community in understanding their role as Wo’ Taku Ye. (Wo’ – collective, sacred; Taku – what is valued; Ye – go into the future.) Tapping into her culture as the greatest resource for resilience building, Edwina creates culturally- and trauma-informed tribal schools by leading professional development and data-driven analyses. She has developed and established memorandums of understanding with service providers to tribal communities, telehealth services to address mental well-being, procedures for tribal school counselors and staff, and the first 24/7 on-call response team in a tribal school system. Edwina incorporates cultural kinship, ceremonies, songs, dance, storytelling, and values into her systems.
Edwina earned an MA in Clinical Mental Health and an MA in School Counseling. She is a Certified Education Specialist in South Dakota, a Master Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Trainer, Administration for Native Americans (ANA) Youth Suicide Grant Administrator, Project SERV Participant Training Program for Tribal Schools on the Pine Ridge Historical Trauma Recovery Specialist Freedom Lodge Black Hills of South Dakota, and the South Dakota State Tribal Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Advocacy Board.
