Shelly M. Corbin (Takóni Kókipešni) is Mnicoujou/Itapizco Lakota and Kinichii’nii Diné (Navajo), born and raised on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in North Central South Dakota. She is a veteran with over 15 years of military service and continues to serve in the Ohio Air National Guard. A graduate of Kent State University in Public Health Education and Promotion, Shelly has dedicated her career to community health, environmental protection, and Indigenous sovereignty.
As Mapping Specialist for the Ohio Native Land Initiative, she leads statewide GIS mapping of traditional food sources, medicinal plants, and sacred sites. Her expertise in GIS, Native ecology, and Indigenous ethnobotany is guided by Indigenous Knowledge and a passion for land care. Shelly’s work strengthens connections between people, the land, and future generations.