Dr. Esther Tailfeathers appointed assistant dean, Indigenous Health

The Cumming School of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, MD, as the new assistant dean, Indigenous Health within the Indigenous, Local and Global Health Office (ILGHO). The appointment is effective July 1, 2025. 

As we welcome Dr. Tailfeathers, we would also like to extend our appreciation to Dr. Lindsay Crowshoe, MD, for his dedicated support through the ILGHO as assistant dean (Indigenous)—a role he held from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025. 

Dr. Tailfeathers is a family physician and an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the CSM.  

A proud member of the Kainai First Nation, Dr. Tailfeathers is a leader and transformative voice for Indigenous health in Alberta. 

Her work has been instrumental in advancing culturally safe care and improved access to health services for Indigenous peoples, while also advancing mental health and addiction recovery.

Dr. Tailfeathers has more than three decades of experience serving communities across Alberta, Montana and beyond, having worked in rural settings including the Blood Reserve, Fort Chipewyan, Paul First Nation and the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. 

She was key in developing the Indigenous Health Commitments: Roadmap to Wellness strategy for the province—a milestone in reconciliation and map for systemic change in health-care delivery to Indigenous communities in Alberta. She also led the Blood Tribe’s response to the opioid crisis efforts that inspired the award-winning documentary Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy.

Bringing both clinical expertise and deep-rooted community connection, Dr. Tailfeathers’ leadership will be vital in reducing barriers for Indigenous learners at the CSM, while advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for Indigenous communities. Her appointment reinforces the CSM’s ongoing commitment to meaningful action through the Indigenous, Local and Global Health Office.

Born and raised on the Blood Reserve (Kainai First Nation) in Southern Alberta, Dr. Tailfeathers earned her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Alberta.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Tailfeathers on her new leadership role within the CSM.

Sincerely,

Todd Anderson, MD
Dean, Cumming School of Medicine
University of Calgary