Tenacious, dedicated, determined — those characteristics begin to describe Dr. George Blue Spruce. He is the first Native American dentist, an AISES elder, and for eight decades a relentless advocate for dental education and services for and by Indigenous people. Now 92, Dr. Blue Spruce has no intention of retiring. He currently serves as the assistant dean for American Indian Affairs for A.T. Still University–Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.
Dr. Blue Spruce, Laguna and Ohkay-Owingeh Pueblos, chose a career in dentistry after a frightening and painful first dental experience and a contrasting later experience with a kind and patient dentist. On his path he encountered cultural barriers from an early age and worked persistently to counter racist attitudes. After graduating from high school as valedictorian, he earned his degree in dental surgery from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., and an MPH at the University of California Berkeley, and logged extensive hands-on training under some of the profession’s leading instructors.
Credentials in hand, he set out to provide skilled dental care, generate awareness of the importance of dental services among Indigenous communities, and underscore the need for Natives in dental careers. To achieve those goals, Dr. Blue Spruce helped establish and advance professional organizations aimed at supporting Native dentists and encouraging students to pursue careers in dentistry and other health-related fields. He is a founder and president emeritus of the Society of American Indian Dentists, a national organization that has addressed the unique needs of Indigenous dentists since 1990.
He has also taken leading roles with public entities where he could promote quality care for Indigenous communities. After serving two years in the Navy providing care aboard the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, he forged a 28-year career with the Public Health Service, spending 21 of those years with the Indian Health Service. Dr. Blue Spruce went on to become assistant surgeon general and director of the IHS Phoenix Area Office, serving 42 tribes throughout Utah, Nevada, and Arizona.
When he started with the IHS, there were few dental clinics, mostly in out-of-the-way corners of medical facilities where dentists typically served several reservations, often with large populations. “Dental care was not an integral part of the Indian Health Service before it became part of the Public Health Service,” he says. “Most American Indians never had an opportunity to receive any dental care at all.”
The oldest of three children, Dr. Blue Spruce was raised at the Santa Fe Indian School in New Mexico, where his parents were on the faculty. His parents emphasized education, and the children paid attention — his brother became the first Pueblo physician and his sister, the first Pueblo ballerina. Dr. Blue Spruce recalls that all three children developed close ties with their extended families, where they absorbed rich cultural traditions.
Beyond dentistry and advocacy, Dr. Blue Spruce excelled in the world of tennis. He was assistant coach for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy tennis team and captain of teams at both Creighton University and the Mare Island Submarine Base. He won the singles title at the American Indian Tennis Championships in 1977 and gold medals in the Phoenix Senior Olympics in 1983 and 1984. In 1996, he became the first male tennis player inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1990, Dr. Blue Spruce received the highest AISES honor, the Ely S. Parker Award. He has also earned numerous distinctions from tribal leaders and many professional and civic organizations. In 1984, he received Creighton University’s highest alumni award, the Alumni Achievement Citation. Dr. Blue Spruce was especially honored when “Dr. George Blue Spruce Day” was declared by the governor of New Mexico on April 14, 1974, and by the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 22, 2017.
