
Healing, Sovereignty & Community Leadership | Chris Tall Bear, Southern Cheyenne
From Work Is Third by Dawn Hunter
February 16, 2026 · 59 min · Season 1 · Episode 60
About this episode
Dawn Hunter interviews Chris Tall Bear about healing, sovereignty, and community leadership in the context of historical trauma and modern life.
What does real healing look like after historical trauma, and how do we carry sovereignty, ceremony, and leadership into modern life? In this episode of Work Is Third , Dawn sits down with Southern Cheyenne Chris Tall Bear for a deeply grounded conversation about healing, history, and the responsibility of leadership. Chris Tall Bear is a Southern Cheyenne Chief, Tribal public health advisor, and community leader. In this conversation, he shares his experience as a descendant of survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre and his role in memorialization efforts. Together, they explore: The connection between community, history, and resilience What tribal sovereignty really means in practice The role of ceremony and traditional healing in public health Leadership as service Balancing modern life, technology, and cultural tradition The importance of women in Indigenous communities Why self-care is essential for leaders and healers Chris also reflects on his personal journey, his family legacy, and his emerging consulting work focused on cultural engagement and traditional healing. This episode is about sovereignty, ceremony, and the kind of leadership that sustains communities across…
People in this episode
Host: Dawn
Guest: Chris Tall Bear
Topics covered
- healing
- sovereignty
- community leadership
- historical trauma
- ceremony
- public health
- cultural tradition
- women in Indigenous communities
- self-care
Keywords
- Southern Cheyenne
- Sand Creek Massacre
- resilience
- leadership as service
- cultural engagement
- traditional healing
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Work Is Third
Places: Southern Cheyenne, Colorado, Sand Creek
More episodes of Work Is Third
- You’re Not Who They Told You to Be | How to Rewrite Your Story With James Lumumba · April 13, 2026 · 47 min
- Feeling Busy but Still Unsatisfied? Start Here | Rethink What Matters With Natolie Warren · March 30, 2026 · 48 min
- What Happens When Women Share Their Stories | Learning Across Generations with the Raised by Her Podcast · March 16, 2026 · 56 min
- Look Through the Turn | Small Wins, Big Healing & the Power of Celebration With Paula Thomas · March 2, 2026 · 1h 0m
- What Your Body Has Been Trying to Tell You | Breath, Movement & Recovery with Dr. Aissa McGuirl · February 9, 2026 · 52 min
- You Can’t Give Your Best If You’re Not at Your Best | Chronic Illness & Care Work With Adrienne Tucker · February 2, 2026 · 60 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Work Is Third podcast page.