Marjorie Bear Don't Walk facts for kids

Marjorie Bear Don't Walk was born in 1946. She is an important leader from the Ojibwa and Salish nations. She has worked as a health care professional and a Native American fashion designer. Marjorie is best known for helping to improve health care for Native Americans, especially those living in cities. She also created professional clothes that mixed traditional Native American designs with modern styles.

About Marjorie's Life

Her Early Years

Marjorie Rose Mitchell was born in 1946 in Aberdeen, Washington. Her parents were Jane and Jack Mitchell. She is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe. She also has Chippewa (Michif Ojibwe) family roots. Marjorie grew up in Montana with her three brothers: Gary, George, and Robert. When she was a child, her mother had tuberculosis. Because of this, Marjorie and her brothers went to an American Indian boarding school called the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius.

Her Adult Life

After finishing high school, Marjorie went to Montana State College. At that time, very few Native American students attended universities across the country. She studied home economics and nutrition. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1968. In 1966, Marjorie married Urban Bear Don't Walk. He was a member of the Crow Nation and later started the Crow Tribal Court. Marjorie and Urban had three children: Urban Jr., Scott, and Eldena. They are also members of the Crow tribe.

Marjorie's Career and Work

Helping with Health Care

Marjorie Bear Don't Walk started her career as a nutritionist. She also worked as an advisor for education programs. From the very beginning, she believed that Native Americans should get health services close to their homes. She understood that some Native people might need to leave their reservations for jobs or training. However, she felt they should still get health care and emotional support where they lived.

Marjorie was one of the leaders who pushed the Indian Health Service (IHS) to offer health care in cities. This change happened in 1976. Before this, if a tribal member lived away from their reservation for six months, they would lose their health benefits. Marjorie helped change this rule.

She also supported women's rights. She attended the 1977 National Women's Conference, which was part of the United Nations International Women's Year. She wanted the Equal Rights Amendment to pass. She also worked to help Native American women get more involved in tribal politics.

Her Fashion Designs

While working as a health consultant, Marjorie also started her own fashion company called Bear Don't Walk Originals. She designed clothes for professional women. Her designs often used high-quality fabrics and appliqué techniques. She decorated her clothes with beads, bone, fur, leather, metal, or ribbon. Her designs mixed her Native American heritage with styles that were good for a career.

She showed her clothes at conferences and found customers among her co-workers. Many of her sales were through mail-order. She even let customers provide their own fabrics for custom designs. Her clothing line included accessories, dresses, blouses, coats, and jackets. She offered different necklines, hems, and sleeve lengths. Her designs followed popular fashion trends but were special because they featured Native American themes.

Leading Health Organizations

By 1980, Marjorie Bear Don't Walk was known across the country. She was a leader in women's rights and health care. She played a key role in setting up urban health centers for the IHS. She then started working as a health administrator in Denver, Colorado, for the American Indian Health Care Association. After two years, she moved back to Montana. In 1985, she became the executive director of the Indian Health Board in Billings, Montana.

In 1992, Marjorie was invited to attend the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. After working for eleven years at the Indian Health Board in Billings, she returned to the Flathead Reservation. There, she briefly worked as the director of the Tribal Health and Human Services agency.

Marjorie later returned to her role as executive director at the Indian Health Board in Billings. She continued to fight for better health care. In 2006, she spoke out against new government rules for the IHS. These rules said that Native people had to go to clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies run by the IHS to get benefits. Marjorie believed these rules were unfair. She said they hurt Native people living in cities who might not be able to get to reservation services or pay for travel. She also pointed out that the government funded 65% of health services on reservations but only 35% for urban clinics serving Native people.

In 2012, she helped get grants through the Affordable Care Act. This allowed her to expand services for Native Americans in cities. She added programs for HIV prevention, pregnancy prevention, and education for new mothers. Marjorie continues to work at the Indian Health Board. In 2017, her granddaughter, Mitchell Rose Bear Don't Walk, was appointed to the Tribal Youth Health Advisory Board of the National Indian Health Board. This shows that Marjorie's family continues her important work in advocacy.