Biography
Diamond Johnny, also known as Eagle Woman, is a Native American scholar of Cherokee descent from the United States. A third-generation land and water protector, she is a deeply committed advocate for human rights and Indigenous Rights on both national and international levels. As a powerful public speaker, Diamond has worked closely with Amnesty International, addressing global concerns such as torture and systemic injustice, and has formally petitioned governments around the world to confront widespread human rights abuses. Her policy briefs submitted to the United States Congress have focused particularly on the mistreatment of asylum seekers at the U.S. border, with special attention to the impact on children.
Her international advocacy includes submissions to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, where she contributes on critical areas such as cultural rights, traditional knowledge, and sovereignty. These efforts represent her unwavering dedication to securing visibility, dignity, and justice for Indigenous communities in global human rights platforms.
As an Indigenous woman, Diamond believes profoundly that "water is medicine" and centers her academic research around dismantling colonial frameworks and confronting the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples. Her work highlights how the rights of Indigenous communities continue to be placed at the bottom of legal and political hierarchies, impeding true justice and reconciliation. She is especially focused on the barriers to implementing the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Her book, Confronting the Silence and Creating a Shared Memory after a Violent Past: A Case Study of Guatemala, is a cornerstone of her scholarship and activism. In it, Diamond explores how post-conflict societies grapple with memory, reconciliation, and healing. She writes:
"In the tapestry of a nation's history, reconciliation is the needle that stitches together the frayed threads of conflict, weaving a fabric of unity and resilience for a harmonious future."
In her personal life, Diamond draws strength and joy from storytelling, ceremonies, smudging, sharing circles, and drumming with her sister Lucretia, brother Dave, and nephew Shaheel. To her, family is not just the foundation of life, but the sacred thread that weaves love, identity, and strength across generations.
Her international advocacy includes submissions to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, where she contributes on critical areas such as cultural rights, traditional knowledge, and sovereignty. These efforts represent her unwavering dedication to securing visibility, dignity, and justice for Indigenous communities in global human rights platforms.
As an Indigenous woman, Diamond believes profoundly that "water is medicine" and centers her academic research around dismantling colonial frameworks and confronting the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous peoples. Her work highlights how the rights of Indigenous communities continue to be placed at the bottom of legal and political hierarchies, impeding true justice and reconciliation. She is especially focused on the barriers to implementing the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Her book, Confronting the Silence and Creating a Shared Memory after a Violent Past: A Case Study of Guatemala, is a cornerstone of her scholarship and activism. In it, Diamond explores how post-conflict societies grapple with memory, reconciliation, and healing. She writes:
"In the tapestry of a nation's history, reconciliation is the needle that stitches together the frayed threads of conflict, weaving a fabric of unity and resilience for a harmonious future."
In her personal life, Diamond draws strength and joy from storytelling, ceremonies, smudging, sharing circles, and drumming with her sister Lucretia, brother Dave, and nephew Shaheel. To her, family is not just the foundation of life, but the sacred thread that weaves love, identity, and strength across generations.
Info
- Created on
- 3/23/2022
