Jody Potts-Joseph is a traditional tattooer of Yidįįłtoo, and a dog musher. One of her children is Quannah ChasingHorse. Potts-Joseph is descended from a long line of Russian fur traders, and for four generations has successfully migrated the family business from fur trading to dog sledding after claiming Han Gwich'in tribal status.
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Career
Potts-Joseph runs Raven Clan Kennels in Eagle Village, Alaska with her husband, Jamey Joseph. "Raven Clan Kennels is where mushing dogs is a way of life." Potts-Joseph's mushing team won 2nd Place in the Yukon Quest 200 dog race and won Vets Choice Award for outstanding dog care on the trail. She used to live in Mongolia where her parents were Christian missionaries. While living there, she taught English.
Some of her notable work as a Yidįįłtoo tattooer, traditional Alaskan Native face tattoos, can be seen on her daughter, Quannah ChasingHorse. In the 21st century, indigenous girls and women have begun to reclaim these as part of an ancient ritual and assertion of identity. To many, these 10,000-year-old face tattoos are a symbol of resiliency.
Personal life
After attending college in Arizona, she returned to her indigenous homeland in 2009 as a single mother to raise her children. She taught them a subsistence lifestyle and how to hunt, fish, and dog mush. She has come under fire recently after her daughter, Quannah Chasinghorse, claimed homelessness as a living status for many years for a bigger following. They were never homeless.