Linda Aranaydo facts for kids

Dr. Linda Susan Aranaydo (Muscogee Creek, Bear Clan, born 1948) is a Native American physician, educator, and activist. She saw that many people in her community struggled to get good healthcare. Because of this, she decided to work in public health and family medicine. Dr. Aranaydo has received many awards, including the David Vanderryn Award in 1995 for her amazing community service as a family doctor.

Education and Learning

Linda Aranaydo first earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences. She studied at the University of California, Berkeley. When she was 37 years old, Linda decided to go to medical school. She earned her medical degree (M.D.) from the University of California, San Francisco in 1992.

Her Career Journey

Dr. Linda Aranaydo began her career as a preschool teacher. She taught at the Hintil Native American Children's Center in Oakland, California. She taught for 11 years before deciding to become a doctor.

After finishing medical school, she started her new path in healthcare. She worked in many different places. She was a medical doctor and also helped Native American clinics with their medical services. For five years, Dr. Aranaydo was a primary care doctor in Northern California. This means she was the main doctor for many families.

Dr. Aranaydo has also been part of important groups and boards. In 1977, she helped the Governor's Task Force on Early Childhood Education. From 1978 to 1980, she was on the California State American Indian Education Council. Today, Dr. Aranaydo helps lead medical services for the California Rural Indian Health Board.

She once explained why she chose her career:

"Since a young age I had seen the tragic effects of untreated chronic illness in family, friends and elders who were reluctant to seek or unable to obtain health care. I have lost dear family members in California and Oklahoma to the complications of diabetes. My goal was to become a primary care provider and to help provide easily accessible, culturally appropriate quality health care to American Indians and other underserved people."

This means she wanted to help her community get the healthcare they needed. She wanted it to be easy to get and respectful of their culture.

Her Activism Work

Linda Aranaydo was one of the first 14 people who tried to take over Alcatraz Island. This happened on November 9, 1969. On November 20, the group returned and started the famous Occupation of Alcatraz protest.

During the occupation, Linda taught in the school that was set up there. She also worked with Luwana Quitiquit (Pomo) to manage the kitchen. She was still a student at UC Berkeley during this time. This protest was very important. It helped change how the government treated Native American policies.

Awards and Special Honors

Dr. Aranaydo has received many awards for her studies and her work. In 1970, while at the University of California, Berkeley, she won an award for her excellent grades.

Later, at the University of California, San Francisco, she received the Robert Crede Award. This award was for her outstanding work in primary care medicine. In 1995, Dr. Aranaydo also won the David Vanderryn Award. This was for her amazing community service as a family doctor. She earned it for helping her Native American community avoid illnesses that could be prevented.

See also

In Spanish: Linda Aranaydo para niños