Dr. Cary, Wapanohsew, Waubanascum Hawpetoss is a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Wakeny^ta (Turtle Clan), with ancestral roots in the Menominee, Forest County Potawatomi, and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Nations of Wisconsin. She is a wife to Lance and Aknulha (Mother/Aunty) to a son, Tahatunhahelahawi (he is bringing happiness), daughter, Yehkwaloloks (she is harvesting), many nephews, and Loki (our baby girl German Shepherd). Cary worked ten years as a social worker with Indigenous families and communities in Northeast Wisconsin and across Turtle Island. Dr. Waubanascum earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and her Ph.D. in social work from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Mni Sota Makoce in 2021. Dr. Waubanascum is currently an Assistant Professor, Indigenous Health at the University of North Dakota. Her research centers on uncovering and challenging ongoing colonialism in social work and child welfare and reclaiming Indigenous lifeways.
