The Road Not Taken: Discovering a World I Never Knew

Authors

  • James Gerald McCullagh University of Northern Iowa Department of Social Work Bartlett 1109 Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0407

Keywords:

American Indian, Cherokee Nation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Chief Walkingstick

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is two-fold.  The first discusses the life of an extraordinary social worker, Howard Chandler Walkingstick, who was a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.  He worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in primarily nine Western states serving numerous tribes for 30 years before retiring and receiving the Distinguished Service Award from the Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, after which he worked for the State of Oklahoma for another ten years before retiring.  He was a recipient of many awards, all in recognition of his many accomplishments on behalf of his work with Indians and non-Indians.  The second purpose of this paper is a reflection on how my relationship with Howard for three years until his death impacted me personally and the direction of my professional career.  Howard became a dear friend akin to a wise uncle as he educated me about his life and family and his work, which, in turn, led the author to complete extensive research and publishing on various aspects of the Cherokee.

Downloads

Published

2015-11-16

How to Cite

McCullagh, J. G. (2015). The Road Not Taken: Discovering a World I Never Knew. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 20(1), 80–98. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/235