Written by: Abbie Baggerly

Dr. Carol Locust discussed Native American Culture and Wellness on Tuesday in the Bailey Science Center.

“I was told I was to go toward the sunset because that was my destiny,” Locust said.

Locust travels all over the U.S. and speaks to audiences about balance in their lives.  She said when you feel like you’re out of harmony and balance, you need to meditate and get the answers you need.

“Say good things about people and remember that we are here to teach and learn,” Locust said.

Locust is an Eastern Cherokee elder who is now a health consultant at the University of Arizona. She also works at the Native American Cardiology Unit and has published works concerning Native American education and wellness.

Along with speaking seven languages, she has helped obtain grants and translate for people who cannot communicate correctly. 

Locust began her presentation by telling her audience that a smile helps her patients by changing their energies. According to Locust, smiling will help reduce stress and that can lead to a better immune system.

Locust intrigued the audience by reminding them that we are all connected and that we need to act that way. She also advised attendees to treat each other with respect and kindness.

She encouraged her audience to take what they have learned and to share it with others, reminding them that they need to listen to what is being spoken to them.

“It introduces new ways of looking at the world and how we interact with different people,” Dan Nicks, freshman philosophy major, said. “I love how they value the earth and how they don’t just mistreat things as many others do.”