Announcing the Junie Norfleet Scholarship, established in June 2026.
OUR MISSION
Traditions Acupuncture Foundation is a 501c3 whose mission is to provide acupuncture care to the medically underserved, provide educational opportunities for students entering the acupuncture profession and support the growth of the acupuncture profession.
ABOUT US
The Traditions Acupuncture Foundation, founded in 2014, builds on a legacy of advocacy for the acupuncture profession begun by a team of powerful women in Western North Carolina, with a current mission of supporting students, providing acupuncture services to medically underserved populations, and fostering the growth and integrity of the profession.
In 1985, Mary Cissy Majebe (Cissy) opened the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbology Clinic (CAC) in Asheville, NC. This was at a time when the acupuncture profession was just beginning to establish roots in the United States. Beginning in a humble space on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, the clinic soon grew to a flourishing medical practice, moving to a beautiful Victorian in Montford where the main office remains today.
In 1990, the CAC was raided by the state of North Carolina and 1700 patient charts were seized and Cissy Majebe was investigated for practicing medicine without a license. She began a litigation against the NC Medical Board that ultimately resulted in the formation of the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board. Junie Norfleet and Rachel Novakowski and Patricia Bernarding were working with Cissy at the CAC and they stepped forward to help build the infrastructure necessary for the profession to survive and grow in North Carolina.
These pioneering women went on to found the Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts in 2003. This school is a premier school of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the United States and the world. Junie Norfleet, Cissy Majebe and Rachel Novakowski founded the Traditions Acupuncture Foundation (TAF) in 2014 and Junie Norfleet served as the first Executive Director. The Traditions Acupuncture Foundation continues their work to this day.
SUPPORTING EDUCATION
Funding Scholarships for Tomorrows Leaders
Traditions Acupuncture Foundation supports students on their path to becoming
leaders in the profession. Review our scholarship page for information on how you might help us
support future Chinese Medicine Practitioners.
SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF THE ACUPUNCTURE PROFESSION
One of our goals is to support the growth of the Chinese Medical profession. Public perception and
understanding of the field has changed dramatically over the last century. Our most recent initiative
was to support the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board.
"The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step"