OSU-COM, Cherokee Nation honored by Harvard Kennedy School

OSU-COM, Cherokee Nation honored by Harvard Kennedy School

Monday, December 8, 2025

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The historic partnership between OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Cherokee Nation to open the country's first tribally affiliated medical school received High Honors recognition from the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development.

OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, located on tribal land in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is the culmination of a shared vision between leaders at OSU-COM and the Cherokee Nation who want to meet the need for more physicians in rural and tribal communities in Oklahoma and improve the health of citizens.

"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.

OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation welcomed its inaugural class of 53 students, 20% of whom were Native American, in August 2020. And in May 2025 the school graduated it's second class of medical students, about half of which are in residency programs in rural or tribal communities.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the results of this partnership have already exceeded expectations.

"They exceeded our expectations because of the power of friendship and trust - trust between the OSU and Cherokee Nation leadership," Hoskin said. "That's the power of having a medical school in the heart of Indian Country where they're experiencing our culture, our lifeways, seeing our challenges and discovering the opportunities that we all have."

OSU-COM at the Cherokee Nation and the partnership between the university and the tribal nation was one of six finalists for Harvard's Honoring Nations Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions for tribal governance in the United States. On Nov. 20, it was named one of only three High Honors recipients.

Administered by the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, the program highlights innovative, sovereignty-driven initiatives that strengthen tribal nations, improve services and elevate best practices.

Bray said knowing that the creation of the nation's first tribally affiliated medical school was being recognized on a national stage was incredibly meaningful.

"It affirmed the bold vision behind this work and honored the years of dedication poured into improving health outcomes in tribal and rural communities," Bray said. "This award strengthens our resolve to expand opportunities for medical students, deepen community-based training, and further invest in programs that support workforce development for tribal and rural health systems."

The High Honors award is a reminder of the impact that can be achieved when people work together with a shared mission to advance health, uplift communities and honor the sovereignty of tribal nations.

"The most important thing to me as the Chief of the Cherokee Nation … is no matter where I go, I can visit with moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and little Cherokee children and I can tell them you can be a doctor. You can go to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation and serve your people. You can see it and you can be it," Hoskin said.

Bray said the recognition is also deeply personal.

"Our students, 20% of whom are enrolled tribal citizens, are already demonstrating what it looks like when Native voices and perspectives help shape the future of medicine," she said. "Our faculty and staff have built a learning environment where cultural identity, sovereignty, service, and excellence in medical training intersect every day. This recognition affirms their dedication and validates the transformative impact they witness in real time."