Cara Cowan Watts

Cowan Watts was raised outside of the Cherokee Nation in Seminole, Oklahoma, and spent significant time with her maternal Cherokee grandparents in and around Tiawah, Oklahoma, in the Cooscoowee District. Cara is a descendant of Scottish trader, Ludoride Grant, and Old Settler Chief, John Rogers.[1]

Cowan Watts attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.[2] She continued her education, obtaining a Master of Science degree in engineering with a focus on Telecommunications.[2] Later, she earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University, making her one of the few Native American women to hold a Ph.D. in engineering.[2]

Cowan Watts has held several leadership roles in the Cherokee Nation. She served as a Tribal Councilor for the Cherokee Nation from 2003 to 2015,[3] where she was instrumental in implementing policies and programs to benefit the tribe. During her tenure, she worked on a variety of issues, including healthcare, education, and economic development.[4]

Her time on tribal council also included appointeement to committees on the state and federal level. In 2011, She was appointed to the technical advisory group for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to assist in a review of water quality in Oklahoma's scenic rivers.[3] The Bush and Obama Administration also appoint her to committees on Native American health.[5]

In 2003, Cara Cowan won the Tribal Councilor election with 66% of the vote, making it the highest winning percentage of any Tribal Councilor.[6]

On March 19, 2013, Tribal Councilor Buel Anglen filed a friendly lawsuit in Cherokee Nation District Court against Tribal Councilor Cara Cowan Watts and the tribe's Election Commission. Anglen's petition requested judgment and relief from an "unconstitutional election law of the Cherokee Nation." Anglen opposed Legislative Act 26-12, which would change the voting districts within the Cherokee Nation boundaries from 5 to 15. The redistricting placed Cowan Watts in district 13, a district she did not live in. On January 23, 2014, Judge Bart Fite for the Cherokee Nation district court upheld the legality of the new district maps, which would create 15 districts plus two at-large districts. The ruling was appealed to the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court and on February 28, 2013, the Court announced its decision to uphold the lower court's ruling.[7][8][9]

• Oklahoma Advisory Committee for the U.S. Committee on Civil Rights, Committee member (2009-2016)
• Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Board member (2011-2012)
• National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Eastern Oklahoma, Vice President (2009-2011)
• Governors' Interstate Indian Council, Governor Brad Henry's appointee (unknown dates)
• Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) Advisory Committee on Minority Health (ACMH), Committee member (November 1, 2007 to November 1, 2011)
• Oklahoma’s Indian Health Service (IHS) area, Delegate (2006-2015)
• American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Health Research Advisory Council in the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH), Chair (2006-2015)

Cowan Watts received the Ely S. Parker Award, the highest honor from the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), for her contributions and achievements in STEM fields. In 2001, she and her brother established a scholarship fund for Native American engineering students in their parents' honor. Cowan Watts was involved with the university chapter of AISES and the Native American Student Association during her time at OSU.[2] She was instrumental in hosting the National American Indian Science and Engineering Fair (NAISEF) at OSU in 2019, which brought together 50 elementary and secondary school students from across the country.[12]

• Oklahoma Magazine 40 under 40, 2010
• Helen Cupcho Award by the Oklahoma Federation of Indian Women as the "Outstanding American Indian elected official who promotes and is committed to the advancement of American Indians across Oklahoma", 2010 [13]
• Charles Chibitty Family Community Award by the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission, 2012 [14]
• Tulsa Business Journal's 40 under 40, 2009
• NCAIED INPRO Native American 40 under 40, 2009 [15]

Cowan Watts, Cara A. Presentation: The Oklahoma Scenic River Total Phosphorus Standard: Why Should Cherokee Nation and Our Citizens Care? 2011 State of Sequoyah Conference. Tahlequah, Oklahoma. September 1, 2011

Cowan Watts, Cara A. Presentation: Tribal Interest in Water Resource and Associated Infrastructure Initiatives. 2009 Society of American Military Engineers Texoma/Missouri River Regional Conference Civil Works Track Water Resources and Associated Infrastructure ChallengesTulsa, Oklahoma. September 2, 2009

Cowan Watts, Cara A. (Moderator), Daniel E. Storm, Michael D. Smolen, Garey A. Fox, Diane Hammons, Dean Suagee and Kim Winton, Panel: The Science and Structure of Environmental Protection. . Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. June 3-4, 2009

Cowan Watts, Cara A. and Daniel E. Storm. Paper: Introduction to Numerical Nutrient Criteria Supporting Cherokee Nation’s Culturally Significant Waters. 2009 22nd Oklahoma Supreme Court (Tribal) Sovereignty Symposium Land, Wind and Water. Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. June 3-4, 2009

Cowan Watts, Cara A. and Daniel E. Storm. Tribal Nutrient Criteria: A Cherokee Nation Case Study. 2009 Oklahoma Clean Lakes and Watersheds Association Annual Symposium, Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center at Lake Lugert-Altus, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, April 1-3, 2009

Cowan Watts, Cara A. and Daniel E. Storm. Numerical Nutrient Criteria Supporting Cherokee Nation’s Culturally Significant Waters. 20th Annual OSU Research Symposium, Stillwater, Oklahoma, February 16-20, 2009 Cowan Watts, Cara A. Tribal Water Quality: A Cherokee Nation Perspective. 28th Annual Governor’s Water Conference & 5th Annual Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute Water Research Symposium. Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, October 23-25, 2007