Dr. Iva GreyWolf (Good Plants or Woman Strong In Spirit) is awarded a Presidential Citation for dedicating her more than 40-year career in psychology to providing healthcare, advocacy, mentoring, training, and consultation in service to other Indigenous people.
Born on the Fort Peck Indian reservation in northeastern Montana, GreyWolf descends from a Nakoda/Assiniboine mother and a Lac Courte Oreilles Anishinaabe father (Crane Clan). Her grandparents were shaped by their time in oppressive Indian industrial (boarding) schools, and her own childhood on the reservation acquainted her with the marginality, discrimination, and violence that Indigenous Americans routinely encounter. She vowed to advocate for her people and to give back to her community, earning a Master’s degree in special education in 1977. She then worked as a mental health specialist prior to completing her doctorate in professional/scientific psychology at Utah State University in 1991.
During her time in the profession, GreyWolf has crafted a distinctive expertise in adapting and translating the tools and techniques of the profession for greater relevance to the lived experiences of Indigenous clients, students, trainees, and community members. She has resided and worked on her home reservation and elsewhere in Montana, as well as in Utah, Oregon, and Alaska (where she is licensed). She has taught at Concordia College in Minnesota and at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. A recent President of the Society of Indian Psychologists, she currently chairs the Task Force Chair on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives for the Society for the Psychology of Women. During her training, she received an APA Minority Fellowship, and she has since been recognized with awards from Divisions 35 and 45 of the APA. She is a great-grandmother, avid gardener, and occasional scuba diver. She is a living testament to the power of the seven grandparent teachings of the Anishinaabe, embodying: Nibwaakaawin (wisdom), Zaagi’idiwin (love), Minaadendamowin (respect), Aakode’ewin (bravery), Gwayakwaadiziwin (honesty), Dabaadendiziwin (humility), and Debwewin (truth).