Shawnetta Yahtin, MSW

From my Tennis Shoes to my Moccasins: Traditional Ways of Healing.

Sunday, May 2 at 12:30 pm

Having survived intergenerational trauma, and found my culture as my healing path, I continue to grow and learn from people of all ages’ cultures and backgrounds. I am finding resiliency from sewing, to powwow dancing, this has led me step by step in my tribal way of life from my tennis shoes to my moccasins.

The powwow way of life is best described as by listening to traditional and contemporary powwow music while dancing. Although the pandemic has altered, physical participation I am still able sustain my culture through virtual participation.


About Shawnetta

My name is Shawnetta Yahtin, which means “family of warriors”. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, raised on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. My cultural heritage includes The Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla, and Aleut people. I have four beautiful children and two grandchildren. I am the first in my family to complete post-secondary education having graduated from Portland State University in 2009 with a Master’s in Social Work. Currently I am working as a medical social worker and towards taking my national exam to be a licensed clinical social worker.

My greatest joy is to bring out the strengths in each person I work with. To have relationships, through, mind, body, spirit, & emotional being is life sustaining to me.