James Makokis facts for kids

James Makokis (born in 1981 or 1982) is a doctor from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. He is also a two-spirited person. In 2019, he and his husband, Anthony Johnson, won The Amazing Race Canada 7 together.

Helping People as a Doctor

Dr. Makokis runs a clinic in the Enoch Cree Nation 135. He helps people from the Kehewin and Enoch Cree Nations. He also has another clinic in Edmonton, Alberta.

Dr. Makokis is known for helping transgender people. Many patients travel from far away to see him. He combines traditional Cree healing ways with Western medical practices. This means he uses both modern medicine and ancient Indigenous knowledge to help his patients.

He wanted to be a doctor since he was four years old. A friend suggested he focus on helping transgender people. This was because not many doctors were doing this kind of work. Also, many Indigenous people and transgender people feel more comfortable with doctors from their own communities.

Dr. Makokis studied at several universities. He earned a Master's degree from the University of Toronto in 2006. He then graduated from medical school at the University of Ottawa in 2010. He also completed a special program at the University of British Columbia in 2012. This program focused on family medicine for Indigenous communities.

Besides his clinics, Dr. Makokis has also taught at colleges. He taught about Indigenous health and traditional medicine at Yellowhead Tribal College. He also taught at the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto.

Life and Making a Difference

James Makokis grew up in the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. His mother, Patricia Makokis, was once the president of Blue Quills University.

In 2017, James married Anthony Johnson. Anthony is an artist and also a two-spirit person from the Navajo (Diné) nation. They got married during the Vancouver Marathon.

In 2019, James and Anthony competed on The Amazing Race Canada 7. They won the competition! They shared their story on the show to help young people. They hoped their journey would make young people feel safe to be themselves. They also wanted to start more talks about important issues. These issues include those facing Two-Spirit people and other Indigenous Peoples.

Awards and Recognition

In 2007, James Makokis received the Indspire Award. This award celebrates and encourages great achievements. It honors people from the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.