Carol Markstrom
Leader for "Native American Survival"
Carol Markstrom, Ph.D. is presently a member of Woodland United Methodist Church in Morgantown, West Virginia but is in the process of transitioning to First United Methodist Church of Clarksburg, WV where her husband, Rick Sale, will assume the role of senior pastor in July 2009.
Dr. Markstrom is the Bishop’s Appointee to the Northeast Jurisdictional Native American Task Force. Her work on Native Americans is published in a variety of outlets, including the WV Annual Conference Newsletter, and she is a frequent presenter and workshop leader on various topics related to Native Americans, including spirituality, rites of passage, and current issues. Dr. Markstrom has participated in the Native American Circle for inmates at a local Federal Correctional Institution and maintains interest in justice issues relative to incarcerated Native Americans. At the local church, Dr. Markstrom plays guitar in the Praise Band and is active in the Caring for God’s Creation Ministry Team.
Professionally, Dr. Markstrom is Professor in the Department of Technology, Learning, and Culture and a core member of the Native American Studies Program at West Virginia University (WVU). Her B.S. was earned in Family Relationships from the University of Minnesota, and she subsequently received an M.S. in Child Development and Family Relations from North Dakota State University during which time she also taught at the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal College in South Dakota. She completed her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Utah State University. She is interested in North American Indian cultural practices and beliefs, postcolonial impacts of historical trauma, and the well-being of Native American youth and families.
Dr. Markstrom’s experiences with Native Americans extends back to her childhood growing up in Minnesota, and was solidified through work with Ojibwa and Dakota Sioux cultures in Minnesota and South Dakota. Her recently published book, Empowerment of North American Indian Girls: Ritual Expressions at Puberty (University of Nebraska Press) is based on the results of her extensive field research among Navajos and Apaches in the Southwest and Ojibwas in Minnesota and Ontario.
Dr. Markstrom has lived on the Navajo Nation and San Carlos Apache Nation in Arizona during sabbatical leaves and continues to visit friends at these locations including the promotion of efforts to build strength in American Indian youth. Her research is published in a wide range of outlets, including professional journals and books.