About
Our Purpose
We exist to promote healing, positive cultural identity, holistic wellness and connection among intergenerational Indigenous women and our families by sharing our collective wisdom, traditions, wellness practices and stories.
We focus on healing by reclaiming our cultural heritages through sewing, beading, sharing circles, ceremonies and working together to create culturally significant clothing for use in traditional ceremonies, pow wows and community gatherings.
We draw strength from our bonds of community, kinship and profound connection to our ancestral traditions, which provides a sense of belonging and resilience.
We gain empowerment through preserving and sharing our collective cultural knowledge, ensuring our heritage lives on for future generations.
Maintaining our tribal identities and practicing cultural traditions is therapeutic and positively impacts our wellness.
Indigenous Women Matter
Indigenous women are the guardians of heritage, champions of equality and the voices that shape our shared future. We are carriers of ancient wisdom and agents of change, contributing to the rich tapestry of humanity.
We honor resilience, promote well-being and encourage the ending of the injustice toward Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) by acknowledging our significance and supporting empowerment, thereby paving the way for a more just, inclusive and harmonious world where Indigenous Women's contributions are celebrated and our safety is ensured for generations to come.
Tami
Buffalohead McGill
Tamara ‘Tami’ Buffalohead McGill is an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma. She is an advocate for social justice, a developer of people and programs, educator and community organizer. Tami has a long history of involvement in various community organizations and initiatives that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Tami earned a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Bachelor's degree from Creighton University. After receiving her Masters degree, she began her career working with tribal members and Tribal Councils on Nebraska reservations in the area of business and economic development. After spending several years working to create revolving loan funds, nonprofit housing organizations and providing individual business development training she took the position as Chief Tribal Officer for the Omaha Tribe. Tami worked for the Omaha in Tribe until the death of her grandmother. After her grandmother passed away she resigned her position and after a six month discernment process decided she wanted to work in higher education to assist Native American, multicultural and underserved populations access and thrive in higher education. She spent twenty years designing, implementing and managing programs that created pipelines to higher education and supported undergraduate students. She also taught a Native American service learning course that integrated fall and spring break service learning trips to reservations in Nebraska, South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona.
Becci
Rising Moon Sullivan
Rebecca is a leader, scholar, educator, entrepreneur, business woman, life long learner, mother and proud member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. She has a bachelor’s degree in education and two master’s degrees in business (Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Arts in Management). Rebecca was the first elected woman to serve as Tribal Council Chair of the Ponca Tribe of NE and is the longest serving tribal Council Vice Chair (six years) and woman Tribal Council member (20 years). She serves on numerous federal, state, tribal and local Boards to represent Native and diverse populations. She also served in administrative roles as the former President/CEO of OSNI (Ponca Tribe of NE’s economic development corporation) and COO/Health Planner (public health, community health, grants and diabetes departments). Rebecca has a passion for empowering families. As an advocate for Ponca youth, Rebecca serves as the only Osni Ponka Youth Council advisor for the past seven years. She mentors youth ages 14-24 and developed a comprehensive youth program that encourages civic education, responsibility and leadership, career development and cultural engagement.
Our Founders
Healing Ribbons (HR) was founded by Tami Buffalohead McGill and Rebecca Sullivan on the belief that there is power in gathering and that our matriarchs and their families need a safe space to share, celebrate, heal and create. Using a group framework integrating multiple levels of experience, creativity and culture we honor the wisdom of our knowledge keepers, drawing upon their expertise to collaborate with each other to learn, maintain, share and celebrate the vibrant Indigenous cultures in our community, thereby promoting holistic wellbeing, healing and positive cultural identity.
HR began in April 2022 and on December 21, 2022 the organization gained federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. HR is a grassroots organization staffed by a dedicated group of Indigenous matriarchal volunteers, utilizing a traditional Native American circle leadership model.
Honoring the Matriarch by teaching and modeling her wisdom
