Damien Augustine

Background

About Damien Augustine

Damien Augustine, MA is Diné (Navajo) and 29 years old. Currently, he holds three jobs, one of them, being a Community Research Specialist at the University of New Mexico’s Prevention Research Center, under the “Healthy Places Healthy People” research study on the Eastern Navajo Agency that studies obesity and health, alongside building walking trials in 10 Navajo Communities. His research interest includes health and obesity, educational disparities in Indigenous communities and tribal politics. Damien is “Yucca Fruit Strung Out In Line Clan”, born for “The Mexican Clan”, his maternal grandparents are of the “Red Running Into-The Water Clan”, and paternal grandparents are of the “Sleep Rock People Clan”. Damien grew up in Counselor, New Mexico, a small community that is laced with patches of sage brushes and Indian wildflowers, on the Eastern side of the Navajo Nation Reservation. Moreover, he splits his time between Farmington and Counselor, New Mexico. Damien comes from a line of Navajo Traditional Practitioners and Navajo herbal medicines, so he is also fluent in the Diné language. His schooling includes a Liberal Arts Degree from San Juan College, a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from The University of New Mexico, and a Master of Arts Degree in English and Education from Grand Canyon University. In addition, Damien has held so many jobs from writing for newspapers to executive management, but the ones he loves the most include teaching English at San Juan College, as an Adjunct Faculty and being a elected public servant as President of Counselor Chapter House, a local government under the Navajo Nation Government. His favorite quote is “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” by Ralph Waldo Emerson