Women Of The West: Part 5, Annie Dodge Wauneka

By Mark Brodie, Kaely Monahan
Published: Friday, March 29, 2019 - 12:22pm
Updated: Friday, March 29, 2019 - 2:45pm

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Annie Dodge Wauneka
National Women’s Hall of Fame
Annie Dodge Wauneka.

March is Women’s History Month, and Arizona boasts of many women who’ve made history both here and on the national stage. It’s easy to name the Sandra Day O'Connors and Rose Moffords — but what about those who are lesser known?

In the series Women of the West, The Show explores stories of Arizona women who helped shape their communities and our state’s history.

That exploration takes us to the Navajo Nation and Annie Dodge Wauneka.

She was elected to the Navajo Nation Council in 1951, becoming just the second woman to serve in that body. But her main achievements came in the areas of science and medicine — including serving as head of the Tribal Council’s Health and Welfare Committee.

To find out more about Wauneka, The Show spoke with Navajo Nation Poet Laureate Laura Tohe, whose grandmother knew Wauneka for much of her life.

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