Nicolle L. Arthun is a Dine’ Nurse-Midwife from the Navajo Nation.

She has over 13 years of Nurse-Midwifery experience practicing in rural hospitals and community birth settings in New Mexico. She founded the Changing Woman Initiative in 2015 with the mission to empower our diverse indigenous communities to protect cultural birth resiliency and the fundamental human right to reproductive health, dignity, and justice. Many know Nicolle through her leadership and innovative work with the Changing Woman Initiative.

Nicolle completed her Bachelor in Nursing and Master of Nursing from the University of New Mexico, she is internationally known as the leading Native American Maternal Health expert who uses her knowledge, skills, and wisdom as a nurse-midwife and healer to inform innovative changes to maternal health, policy, and community wellness.

She presently serves as the Board Treasurer for the Groundswell Foundation and has over 10 years of experience serving on birth center boards as President and Vice President. Through years of experience in organizational development, fundraising, and leadership development, Nicolle became the CEO of Transcending Strategies LLC, which works towards systems change in maternal and reproductive health, personal leadership development, and Native American health policy reform.

Nicolle’s thought leadership and innovative work in Native American Maternal health is foundational in the movement of reclaiming traditional birth practices, advocating for the rights of Indigenous midwifery, and improving global indigenous maternal health. Her writing is featured in the online magazine Indigenous Goddess Gang, American Indian Health and Nursing, and Varney’s Midwifery 6th Edition on Indigenous Midwifery.

Through the years she has been invited to provide cultural education and training on Native American Maternal Health, innovation, leadership, Native American traditional medicine, policy reform, and organizational design. She also uses her knowledge and advocacy to speak to philanthropists on the value of impact investing to support Native American/Indigenous Maternal Health Initiatives throughout the world.