Nicolle L. Arthun, MSN, CNM, FACNM is a Dine’ Nurse-Midwife from the Navajo Nation.

Nicolle L. Arthun, BSN, RN, MSN, CNM, FACNM, is a Navajo Nurse-Midwife, maternal health leader, and systems strategist committed to strengthening the conditions in which families and communities can thrive. With a foundation in clinical midwifery and years of experience advancing maternal and child health at local, Tribal, and national levels, she works at the intersection of community trust, equitable policy, and practical implementation—helping organizations translate values into strategies that hold under real-world pressure.

As the founder of Transcending Strategies LLC, Nicolle partners with mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, coalitions, and funders to build clarity, governance, and infrastructure for community-centered work. Her expertise spans maternal and child health strategy, Indigenous maternal health, program design, organizational development, communications and narrative alignment, and cross-sector collaboration. She is often brought in when work is complex—when multiple stakeholders must align, when public-facing messaging needs integrity, or when initiatives must scale without losing relationship, meaning, or accountability.

Nicolle’s approach is shaped by Indigenous worldviews that center sovereignty, reciprocity, and responsibility. She understands “community” not as a marketing word, but as a lived system of kinship, shared obligations, and collective care. This lens informs how she builds strategy: listening for what is true, naming what is needed, and designing structures that honor people’s realities—especially those most impacted by inequity. She supports leaders to move beyond performative language toward practices that are measurable, resourced, and culturally grounded.

In addition to advisory work, Nicolle serves as a public-facing thought partner and spokesperson on maternal health and systems change. She supports organizations and initiatives to refine messaging, develop clear definitions and frameworks, and align external communications with internal practices. Her approach balances compassion with rigor—offering strategic clarity, values-aligned boundaries, and solutions that can actually be executed across diverse teams and communities.

Nicolle is known for a steady presence, deep discernment, and a relational way of leading that makes space for both truth and possibility. Through Transcending Strategies LLC, she helps teams strengthen how they communicate, decide, and deliver—so community care becomes something people experience, not just something organizations say. Across all her work, she remains committed to advancing maternal health and community wellbeing through strategies rooted in respect, integrity, and self-determination.

How She Leads

Described by colleagues as a “Relational Architect of Living Systems,” Nicolle builds trust‑based networks rather than hierarchies, aligning diverse stakeholders across health, policy, and community sectors. She is quietly transformational—holding space for vision, mapping systemic patterns, and guiding teams toward regenerative solutions through deep listening and grounded clarity.

Quick Facts

• Consultant & Facilitator: Guides boards, tribal leaders, and nonprofits through strategic planning, governance, and organizational redesign.

• Global & Human‑Rights Advocate: Provides testimony to the United Nations, Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights, and state legislatures to advance reproductive sovereignty and decriminalize Indigenous midwifery.

• Clinical & Academic Leader: Co‑directs Project ECHO programs that reduce perinatal disparities and scale Indigenous health‑equity models across New  Mexico and beyond.

• Recognized Fellowships: RWJF Health Policy Fellow (2025), Gloria’s Foundation Fellow (2025), Fellow of the American College of Nurse‑Midwives (2024), Aspen‑Aetna Healthy Communities Fellow (2020), among others.

Why It Matters

Whether coaching an emerging Indigenous birth center, briefing U.S. senators, or facilitating cross‑cultural learning circles, Nicolle moves systems toward sovereignty, sustainability, and equitable maternal health. Clients turn to her for intuitive strategy, rigorous policy insight, and the ability to weave community wisdom into scalable, future‑ready solutions.