Sherrill Elizabeth Tekatsitsiakawa “Katsi” Cook is a Mohawk midwife, environmental advocate, and women’s health leader whose work has powerfully connected reproductive justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and environmental stewardship. A member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, Cook has spent decades advancing community-centered healthcare rooted in cultural knowledge, traditional birth practices, and the protection of land, water, and future generations. As a midwife, she has worked to restore and strengthen Indigenous birthing traditions while expanding access to safe, culturally grounded maternal care for Native women and families.
Cook is widely known for her leadership in linking environmental contamination to women’s health and the well-being of Indigenous communities. Through the Mother’s Milk Project and related research initiatives, she helped document how industrial pollution in the Great Lakes region disproportionately affected Mohawk women and children. Her advocacy drew international attention to environmental injustice and reinforced the principle that protecting reproductive health also means protecting the ecosystems that sustain life.
Beyond health care and environmental science, Cook has been a strong voice for Indigenous rights, self-determination, and community resilience. She has collaborated with tribal leaders, public health institutions, and grassroots organizers to promote policies that respect tribal sovereignty while enhancing health outcomes for Native peoples. As a mentor and teacher, she has inspired new generations of Indigenous healers, birth workers, and activists committed to holistic, culturally grounded care. Her life and work remind us that health, culture, and the environment are deeply interconnected.
