Business Details
30 Years
experience
Empowering Community Health Through Cultural Wellness
The Powderhorn Phillips Cultural is a community-driven organization dedicated to leveraging cultural knowledge to address health and community development challenges. Founded in 1996 as the legacy of Healthy Powderhorn, we specialize in creating models that combat issues stemming from individualism, cultural disconnection, and community fragmentation. Our approach centers on cultural wellness as a resource for personal and communal healing, offering workshops, seminars, and mentorship programs that empower individuals to take responsibility for their health. With a focus on local, national, and international impact, we collaborate with academic institutions, healthcare providers, and community partners to develop sustainable solutions.Our team includes certified educators, cultural elders, and health professionals who guide participants through personalized wellness journeys. We emphasize intercultural communication, community engagement, and culturally rooted practices to foster resilience and self-sufficiency. Our work has demonstrated replicable success in improving health outcomes and strengthening community bonds through culturally informed strategies.
Services
Cultural Wellness Workshops
Community Health Action Teams
Elder Mentorship Programs
Personalized Wellness Coaching
Intercultural Communication Training
Community Partnership Development
Health Education Seminars
Cultural Reconnection Initiatives
Details
- Year established: 1996
Highlights and features
- We develop culturally rooted solutions for community health challenges
- Our models address systemic issues like cultural disconnection and individualism
- Certified educators and cultural elders guide personalized wellness journeys
- Proven track record of replicable, sustainable community health improvements
- Collaborate with academic institutions and healthcare providers nationwide
Services
Cultural Wellness Workshops
Our workshops explore cultural approaches to health and healing through dialogue with elders, kinship networks, and conflict resolution practices. Participants learn self-care techniques, nutrition practices, and wellness mapping to reconnect with cultural traditions. These sessions empower individuals to integrate cultural wisdom into personal and community health strategies.
Community Health Action Teams
CHATs (Community Health Action Teams) bring together residents to research and address local health issues. These groups focus on topics like diabetes management, environmental health, and youth development while fostering intercultural understanding. Teams collaborate with healthcare providers to create sustainable community-driven solutions.
Elder Mentorship Programs
Our elder mentorship connects participants with cultural consultants who share traditional healing practices and life wisdom. This program strengthens intergenerational bonds while preserving cultural knowledge. Mentees receive personalized guidance for navigating modern health challenges through ancestral practices.
Intercultural Communication Training
We provide training to healthcare providers and organizations on culturally responsive care delivery. This includes understanding diverse health beliefs, improving patient-provider communication, and creating inclusive healthcare environments that respect cultural traditions.
Community Partnership Development
Our partnership programs connect local organizations, academic institutions, and healthcare systems to advance cultural wellness initiatives. These collaborations focus on resource sharing, joint programming, and creating integrated support networks for community health improvement.
People
Atum Azzahir
Executive Director
As founder and director, Atum leads cultural wellness initiatives grounded in African traditions. With decades of experience in community health organizing, she develops programs that reconnect individuals with cultural healing practices while shaping national health policy discussions.
Semerit Strachan
Director of Medicine
A developmental pediatrician with 30+ years' experience, Dr. Strachan integrates conventional medicine with cultural healing practices. She teaches global empowerment programs and directs medical initiatives at the Center while serving as faculty at the National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute.
Minkara Tezet
Community Fellow
As Griot of Psychology, Minkara focuses on intra-cultural understanding and spiritual development. His fellowship explores cultural calling and develops strategies for healing African communities through self-study and cultural knowledge preservation.
Akhmiri Sekhr-Ra
Administrative Director
A certified perinatal educator, Akhmiri oversees administrative operations and community health programs. With expertise in asset development, she coordinates initiatives that connect cultural knowledge to practical health solutions for families and professionals.
Nevin Taylor
Director of Asset Development
Nevin leads economic development initiatives that transform cultural knowledge into community assets. His work focuses on creating sustainable models that bridge traditional practices with modern economic opportunities while maintaining cultural integrity.
Questions
What is your core mission?
We empower communities to use cultural knowledge for health improvement and economic development through education, mentorship, and collaborative programs.
What services do you offer?
We provide cultural wellness workshops, community health teams, elder mentorship, intercultural training, and partnership development programs.
How can I participate?
Join our workshops, volunteer with health action teams, or connect with cultural mentors through our Minneapolis center or online resources.
Do you work with healthcare providers?
Yes, we collaborate with hospitals, clinics, and academic institutions to improve cultural competency in healthcare delivery.
Are programs available outside Minnesota?
Our models operate locally, nationally, and internationally through partnerships and replicable program frameworks.
