Recovery Through the Unknown: Understanding Concussions:

Jubilee Fowler - Navajo Nation

About Me

Fig 1 Fowler, Jubilee. “canyon”, 2026.

Fig 2 “Yá’át’ééh.” Navajo Nation, NNDIT, www.navajo-nsn.gov/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.

Fig 3 Fowler, Jubilee. “prom”, 2025.

Fowler, Jubilee SHP Video.mp4

Identity

Fig 4 Fowler, Jubilee. “Tuba City”, 2025.

How place names impact the way we see landscape

B. Toastie

This article was all about names. It discusses how, when you visit a place, you have personal memories connected to it, and how certain stories are embedded in the land. This can give you a sense of belonging. However, many landmarks and significant places today retain colonial names. These places are named after males in the military or those who held power in the government. There is no deep connection. For example, Lupton, AZ was named after a man in the military who had a store in the area. The people in the surrounding area refer to "Lupton" as Tse Si'ani, which means sitting rock, a distinct feature in the land.

Toastie, B. "How place names impact the way we see landscape." High Country News, 1 May, 2022

Fig 5 Fowler, Jubilee. “family”, 2014.

Sharing One Skin

Jennette Armstrong

In the article, the author made it clear that the article was all about identity. She explains how all native people are tied to the land in some way. At first, she introduces herself, and then she explains her family history. She introduced her mother and father, describing their origins and cultural background. Armstrong then talks about the connection to our community and the land. She describes how we come from the land and are made up of the same elements. She explores the difference between mainstream knowledge and traditional knowledge.

Armstrong, Jeanette. 1996 "Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community." Pp. 460-470 in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds.), The Case Against the Global Economy, San Fransico, CA: Sierra Club Books.

Fig 6 Fowler, Jubilee. “sheep”, 2023.

And then I went to school

Joe Suina

This story is about the boarding school days from the point of view of a young Cochiti boy, during the 1950s. In the beginning, it goes into depth explaining the boy's life at home and describing how he grew up. He explains what was happening throughout the pueblo. He describes his house, his grandma, and what he felt. He loved homelife. Everything changed for him when he went to the boarding school at 6 years old. He was in strange surroundings, with people who didn't look like what he was used to, and a foreign language. "Leave your Indian at home!" was a statement well known throughout the school. He was very confused about receiving two very different messages. He learned one thing at home, but then got reprimanded for it the very next day at school. He was ashamed to be who he was, whereas before he felt good about himself and connected to his community/ culture. When he went home for Thanksgiving break, he realized he had taken on the white man's way. He realized his life would never be the same again.

Suina, Joe. (1985). And then I went to school: Memories of a Pueblo Childhood. New Mexico Journal of Reading, 5(2).

History

Fig 7 Fowler, Jubilee. “horses”, 2025.

History of biological, mechanistic, and clinical understanding of concussion

Ryan G. Eaton and Russel R. Lonser

The first recorded concussion was in the 4th Century BCE. Hippocrates linked head injuries to problems with speech, hearing, and vision. By the medieval era (10th-14th centuries CE), A perzian physician, Rhazes, described a temporary state after head trauma. Later, terms like "contusio cerebri" and "commotion" were used to describe brain injuries, leading to the modern word "concussion". In the 18th and 19th centuries, John Hunter suggested concussions were not harmless, and James Crighton-Browne proposed a link between repeated head injuries and lasting mental disorientation.

In the early 20th century, Fredrick Walker Mott studied soldiers with repeated concussions and found permanent, small-scale changes in brain tissue, not just visible external damage. Similarly, in 1924, Wilfred Trotter argued that a concussion was a functional disruption, not a structural one, as he found no evidence of structural injury. Towards the mid-late 20th century, Harrison Martland came up with the term "punch drunk" for symptoms like slowed movement, speech issues, and tremors. He observed boxers with repeated head injuries. Abram Bowman and Karl Blau introduced the term "chronic traumatic encephalopathy" (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. MacDonald Critchley found "punch-drunkenness" to be more common in professional boxers, noting its progressive nature with slowed speech and thought, tremors, and violent behavior without restraint.

Responding to a Sports- Related Concussion

CDC HEADS UP

Fig 8 Fowler, Jubilee. “basketball”, 2022.

Returning to School After a Concussion

CDC HEADS UP

Fig 9 Fowler, Jubilee. “running”, 2023.

If an athlete gets a sports-related concussion, how should they respond? The main thing is to remove the player from sports right away and to stay out until they see a doctor. If the athlete returns to play too soon, there is a great chance of another concussion and long-term effects. The article then explains the different types of tests available. For example, there might be learning or memory skill tests, concentration tests, problem-solving tests, and likely a scan of the brain (CT scan or MRI). This is to help determine if there is bleeding in the brain. The athlete should have complete rest for 2-3 days after, and another 2-3 weeks or gradual return to play. Only with the doctor's approval should the athlete return to play.

"Responding to a Sports-related Concussion." HEAywDS UP, 15 Sept. 2025, www.cdc.gov/heads-up/response/index.html.

To return to school after a concussion can be hard. It is important to remember that with concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), everybody is different and each injury is unique to the student. This means accommodations will be tailored to that student's circumstances. For this to happen, the student needs to see their healthcare provider who has experience with concussions. This provider will assess the student and make a decision based on the severity of the symptoms. The doctor can provide the school with the information needed. The student should never return to sports or any physical contact activity without a doctor's approval. The student should rest for 2-3 days after. Offer encouragement and talk with the student about their feelings. Trying to "tough it out" will not help and could make things worse.

Unknown. “Returning to School After a Concussion: A Fact Sheet for School Professionals.” Unknown, www.cdc.gov/headsup/pdfs/schools/tbi_returning_to_school-a.pdf.

Current Events

N.F.L.'s Concussion Protocol Under Scrutiny After Tagovailoa Is Hit Hard Again

The New York Times

Fig 10 Fowler, Jubilee. “runningl”, 2023.

Do Guardian Caps Actually Work? The Safety Debate on the Gridiron

Amit Momaya, M.D.

Fig 11 Fowler, Jubilee. “shoes”, 2023.

On September 25, 2022, in a game against the Buffalo Bills, Tua Tagovailoa hit his head hard for the "first time". However, 30 minutes later, he returned to play, and later research shows it was labeled as a back injury. On September 29, four days later, Tua was playing against the Cincinnati Bengals and hit his head once again. He was in a contorted state and was carried off the field on a stretcher. This caused an uproar of backlash against the NFL’s concussion protocol. “Truth be told, Tua should probably never have been playing. He displayed neurological trauma last week, we disregarded it, labeled it a ‘back injury’ & let him back in the game. Now, the whole world watch as he lay on the field helpless. When will we put player safety FIRST!” says Emmanuel Acho, former linebacker and now Fox Sports analyst. The NFL has tried to address the significance of head injuries, with better helmets and de-emphasising head hits.

Belson, Ken. “N.F.L.’s Concussion Protocol Under Scrutiny After Tagovailoa Is Hit Hard Again.” The New York Times, 30 Sept. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/09/30/sports/tua-tagavailoa-nfl-concussion-protocol.html. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

The NFL is mandating high-contact positions (such as linebackers) to wear guardian caps during practices. These caps are a soft, padded shell that goes over your helmet as a secondary protective measure. They are supposed to absorb and then dissipate the energy from thousands of sub-concussive hits. The soft shell compresses on impact, allowing for a longer collision time and less force on the player. Then, the slightly loose and slick material shifts, allowing the energy to be redirected away from the head. Depending on different cap models, the quality of the helmets, and the player's size/speed, results may vary. There is no silver bullet for eliminating concussions; however, there are protective measures we can take.

“Do Guardian Caps Actually Work? The Safety Debate on the Gridiron.” Amit Momaya, MD, 13 Oct. 2025, www.momayamd.com/blog/do-guardian-caps-actually-work-the-safety-debate-on-the-gridiron/?bp=48813.

Global Connections

Australia

Fig 12 Fowler, Jubilee. “garage”, 2026.

Canada

Fig 13 Fowler, Jubilee. “kitchen”, 2026.

New Zealand

Fig 14 Fowler, Jubilee. “house”, 2026.

A study in Perth, Western Australia explored concussion awareness and knowledge in Aboriginal Western Australians with a high health literacy rate. The study had 25 participants, with 20 females, 4, males, and 1 other gender. The participants ranged from ages 18-65 years old and had to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The results found most had a good understanding of how a concussions can occur. Most knowledge came from either sports, the media, or personal experience. Concussion diagnosis is complex, and it can be difficult differentiating from other injuries or problems. Symptom minimization was very common and so was the barriers seeking healthcare. Further research is required to further identify areas of improvement.

Hill-Wall, Trish, et al. “Awareness and Understanding of Concussion Among Aboriginal Australians With High Health Literacy.” Concussion, vol. 9, no. 1, Apr. 2024, p. CNC113. https://doi.org/10.2217/cnc-2023-0012.

Where five percent or 1.8 million people are First Nation, Inuit, and Mẻtis, there is also research on concussions. The author explores the connection between Traumatic Brain Injuries and Indigenous people in Canada. There are a lot of factors. Canada has had a history of colonization, forced assimilation, and systematic discrimination against indigenous peoples. This has caused lasting effects on their health and well-being. To this day, there are remote communities that can cause delayed or limited access to medical care due to long distances. In addition, drug and alcohol use and abuse can lead to an increased risk of head injuries. However, some strategies are being implemented to minimize head injuries, such as the integration of traditional healing methods with the guidance of elders, collaboration with local leaders to increase education, and the use of telemedicine.

Huaman, Elizabeth Sumida, et al editors.“Indigenous Innovations in Higher Education: Local Knowledge and Critical Research.” ADVANCES IN INNOVATION EDUCATION, by Sense Publishers et al., vol. 4, Sense Publishers, 2017, www.sensepublishers.com.

The Aukland University of Technology (AUT) released a study in September of 2024 on the massive impact of concussions on NZ incomes and employment. Each year, around 35,000 New Zealanders of all ages obtain a mild TBI. The chronic pain and symptoms can cause a long-term loss of income because it makes it hard to perform at pre-injury levels. The decline over time is also having an effect on income. The study found that approximately $3,000 is lost in the first year after the injury, but up to $9,000 by the fourth year. Meaning by the fourth year, people are earning 1/3 less than before their injury. For all 25,000 New Zealander adults, this means a $600 million loss each year. “You can’t see a brain injury like you can see a broken leg”, Dr. Lisa Meehan, Deputy Director of AUT’s NZ Policy Research Institute and co-author of the study.

Media release from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). “New Study Reveals ‘Massive’ Impact of Concussions on NZ Incomes and Employment.” New Zealand Doctor, 26 Sept. 2024, www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/new-study-reveals-massive-impact-concussions-nz-incomes-and-employment.

Personal Connections

A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury that is caused when there has been a hit to the head or body, which causes the brain to collide rapidly back and forth inside the skull. After this happens, the brain can experience a chemical imbalance, which affects how it communicates and functions. A concussion can also happen from whiplash, a bump, or a sudden jolt to the head or upper body, even if there isn’t a direct impact.

Two years ago, in February 2024, my life changed drastically. I was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after getting three consecutive hits to the head in less than two weeks. I had so many different symptoms that I could barely function. I lay in bed nearly 24/7, I couldn't do anything, and had debilitating migraines every day for hours on end. From the end of February to the present, I have seen significant improvement. It goes in waves, but I am constantly fighting the unseen disability. Understanding concussions is personal to me because it changed the way I see injuries that you can’t see. Before, I used to think a hit to the head was something you could just “walk off,” but learning about concussions showed me how wrong that idea can be. What makes it even more serious is how confusing recovery can feel—one day you might feel okay, then the next day, simple things like focusing, remembering, or even just being in a loud room can feel overwhelming. That uncertainty is what makes concussions feel like recovering through the unknown.

Action Plans

1

Fig 15 Fowler, Jubilee. “audiance”, 2026.

2

Fig 16 Fowler, Jubilee. “presenting”, 2026.

3

Fig 17 Fowler, Jubilee. “hanging posters”, 2026.

My first action plan, I did a quick, ten-minute presentation on December 5, 2025, for the Special Education Parent Night at the Santa Fe Indian School. I introduced myself and described my story to approximately 50 parents and students. I explained my personal experiences and what I went through, the symptoms, and effects multiple concussions can have physically, mentally, and emotionally. Afterwards, I received a lot of encouragement and feedback that helped guide my research.

For my second action plan, I did a thirty-minute presentation at the Look Across the Mountain Conference at Isleta Resort and Casino on February 25, 2026. I presented slides and described in detail my Senior Honors Project. With a lot of young people in attendance, I played several videos and found that they generated a lot of attention and gasps from the audience. I was pleased because I was able to demonstrate how serious a concussion can be and educate young people about how easy it can be to get hurt, but it can be easy to recover and play sports again as long as there is rest.

Finally, for my third action plan, I did an educational poster on “how to spot a concussion”. This was a quick guide to understand brain injuries. I provide four main points: an overview of what a concussion is, a list of the most common symptoms, an explanation of the effects that may impact everyday life, noting that effects can last as long as two years, and a recovery section on what to do. At the bottom of the poster, I added a QR Code of a six-minute TED Talk, “What happens when you have a concussion” by Clifford Robbins. I hung these posters all across my school’s campus, including the stairwells, the cafeteria, and the gymnasium.

Citations