Charles Justin (“Youngbird”) Noble
October 10, 2017

Dr. Charles Justin Noble was a member of the Cherokee Nation and a devout Orthodox Christian. Born in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, in 1927, he was given the Cherokee name “Youngbird” (ᏥᏍᏆᏂᏓ) by his grandmother. He served in the U.S. Army, and upon his discharge in 1947 worked for the U.S. State Department. After living for a while in Tanzania, he earned his PhD in Anthropology from the Catholic University of America. Noble taught anthropology, specializing in Indian Studies, at Northeastern State University from 1971-1992. He was a faithful member of St. Anthony Orthodox Christian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is buried there in Rose Hill Memorial Park.