January Austin, ND

      Dr. January Austin is an enrolled tribal member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and descendent of the Prairie Band Potawatomi.  Her drive to become a Naturopathic Doctor stemmed from seeing the need for good, long term, doctors in tribal communities and wanting to bring in traditional ways of healing into her practice of medicine.

      She believes that many of the illnesses our communities face is a result of being forced to stop eating our traditional foods as well as being banned from our traditional healing practices and traditional ways of knowing.   By bringing these back we can take back our health.

      Her focus is family medicine but she has a passion for working with children to not only impact their future health, but to guide them to resources that will help them achieve their goals in life.

     Aside from teaching health and wellness events in the Lower Elwha Klallam tribal community, she also enjoys spending time with her children doing cultural projects like beadwork and making regalia.

      Dr. January Austin received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Pre-Medicine option and Minors in Ethnic Studies and Chemistry from Oregon State University in 2009 before moving on to become a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from the accredited National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon.  Her course work consisted of clinical training in Botanical, Nutritional and Physical Medicine as well as extensive training on medical standards of practice.  She has significant involvement in resolving health and educational obstacles pertaining to underserved Native communities and their access to healthcare.