My research focus is the response to learning disabilities, specifically dyslexia, in the Native American population and the impact on Native children and adults, and on tribal sovereignty. I am also interested in how dyslexia and other learning disabilities link to a disparity in the incarceration rate of Native people. As a mother, grandmother, and citizen of Muscogee Nation, I have seen my son and granddaughter struggle with dyslexia and the impact it has had on their daily lives, confidence, and educational and career pursuits, so this is quite personal to me. 

My dissertation journey has led me down many unexpected avenues, as I am intrigued by the systemic framework that has brought such heartbreak to Native communities for centuries. The increasing internalized racism in Native communities, particularly in tribes with Freedmen members or those who do not fit neatly into one world, creates a danger for tribal sovereignty and is harmful to the tribal community as a whole. Even within minority populations, there are those who are Othered. This risk increases exponentially due to intersectionality.