Cherokee Nation Partnership Earns High Honors From Harvard Kennedy School

Cherokee Staff | Cherokee 411

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — A landmark partnership between the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Cherokee Nation has been awarded High Honors by the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, recognizing its role in reshaping medical education in Indian Country.

Picture https://news.okstate.edu/

The OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation , the first tribally affiliated medical school in the United States , opened in 2020 on Cherokee Nation land in Tahlequah. The school was established to address severe physician shortages in rural and tribal communities across Oklahoma and to expand access to culturally informed medical training.

“This collaboration rooted in trust, shared purpose and a commitment to addressing longstanding health challenges in our Oklahoma communities has always been about service and sovereignty,” said Dr. Natasha Bray, dean of OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation.

The program welcomed 53 students in its inaugural class, 20% of whom were Native American. By May 2025, the medical school had graduated its second class, and approximately half of those graduates are now serving in residency programs in rural or tribal areas.

The OSU–Cherokee Nation partnership was selected as one of six finalists for Harvard’s Honoring Nations Awards, one of the most prominent national recognitions for excellence in tribal governance. On Nov. 20, it was named one of only three High Honors recipients.

The Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development evaluates initiatives that strengthen tribal nations, improve community services, and model effective, sovereignty-driven programs. The OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation was recognized for its innovative approach to expanding the health workforce while embedding future physicians in the cultural and community context of Indian Country.