Summer Wesley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Summer Wesley
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| Born | April 19, 1981 Antlers, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Other names | Chahta Summer |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma School of Law |
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| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 5 |
Summer Wesley (born in 1981) is a lawyer, writer, and activist from Oklahoma. She is also known as Chahta Summer. Summer Wesley is a member of the Choctaw Nation, an important Native American tribe. She works to help and support Native American communities.
Early Life and School
Summer Wesley grew up in a small town in southeastern Oklahoma. She is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. She finished high school a year early in 1998.
Summer went to the University of Oklahoma. She earned four different degrees there. She studied many subjects, including leadership and Native American Studies. She also got a special certificate in American Indian Law. This helped her learn about laws that affect Native American tribes.
Writing and Books
Summer Wesley started writing when she was young. She even had some of her poems published when she was a teenager.
Later, when she was studying law, she wrote for a law journal. She also wrote her master's thesis, which is a long research paper. Her thesis was about how Native American tribes protect their traditions and ideas. It is kept in the University of Oklahoma's main library.
Her Work as a Lawyer
In 2012, Summer Wesley worked at a place that helps Native Americans with legal issues. There, she learned a lot about Federal Indian Law. This is a special area of law that deals with the rights of Native American tribes. She also learned about the Indian Child Welfare Act, which protects Native American children.
Since finishing law school, Summer Wesley has worked as a lawyer for Indian Country. This term refers to Native American lands and communities. She helps people in tribal courts, which are the legal systems of Native American tribes.
Standing Up for Others
Before becoming a lawyer, Summer Wesley volunteered a lot. She often talked to groups about how Native Americans are shown in movies and books. She wanted to help people understand and stop unfair ideas about Native Americans.
Summer Wesley is also an activist. This means she works to bring about change and help people. She has supported campaigns to stop sports teams from using mascots that are disrespectful to Native Americans. She also works to make sure Indigenous peoples are shown in a positive way.
People often know her by her social media name, "Chahta Summer." She was part of a project called #ProudToBe, which celebrated Native American identity.
In 2014, Summer Wesley spoke out when the Choctaw Nation invited a state governor to their festival. She felt the governor had not been helpful to Native tribes. Summer believed that honoring the governor sent the wrong message. Because of her and others' comments online, the tribe changed its plans for the governor's visit.
Summer Wesley also spoke out against a disrespectful banner made by some college students. The banner made fun of the Trail of Tears, a sad event in Native American history.
She also raised concerns when a state governor seemed to ignore the family of a young Cheyenne Arapaho man who had died. Summer Wesley and other activists felt that the governor was not taking the issue seriously enough.
In November 2014, Summer Wesley used social media to share updates about a court case involving a former leader of the Choctaw Nation. She felt that the news was not covering the trial enough. She used the hashtag #ChoctawCorruptionTrial to keep tribal citizens informed.
Summer Wesley also supported three young people from Norman, Oklahoma, who were bullied after reporting attacks. She spoke out to help them.
She was very supportive when the Oklahoma City Public Schools decided to stop reenacting "land runs." These reenactments were seen as disrespectful to Native Americans. She also supported the decision to remove a "redskins" mascot from a high school. Summer Wesley shared updates about these meetings online.
In 2020, Summer Wesley ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She ran as a Democrat but did not win the election.
