Just Horsing Around

August 08, 2018

Hau Mitakuyepi. Conrad emaciyapi. Hello my name is Conrad. I am an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. I send good thoughts and feelings with these words. What a wonderful summer this has been. Due to the rains everything is so green here yet, which is surprising for it being so late in the year. For many here on the Rosebud Reservation, it is a time for ceremony and gathering of medicines and foods with prayer and purpose for the winter months and accepted as gifts from our Creator.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to have now been a Sanford SURE intern for the second year. In my first summer as a SURE intern, my research project was for the The Sicangu Lakota Birth Parent Repatriation Project. This project looked at the historical aspects of what happened to systematically attack our family social structures and how the trauma is still being felt and passed on today. This project had very personal feelings for me as I am an adoptee, taken away from my family, community, tribe, and culture. For myself and others, it is a long difficult journey home filled with many emotions.

My project this year was to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of the horse camps on the youth here on the reservation. It seemed as if this project was intended for me; I know that there is healing that can come for our youth, communities, and tribe. These horse camps are offered during the summer months at the Sinte Gleska University (SGU), Tiwahe Glu Kini Pi (Bringing the Family Back to Life) Horse Ranch. My mentor, Marlies White Hat, who is also the director of TGKP, offers these culturally based camps to the area youth with teachings in spirituality, culture, language, and the Sunkawakan (horse). I developed surveys appropriate for the camp graduates as well as the caregivers of those youth to determine the effectiveness of these camps. The Sunkawakan is helping to facilitate the healing and cultural connectivity for our youth. Just as the youth expressed that they hated to see the camps end, I feel the same with my experience at SURE. It has been a truly wonderful learning experience. Thanks to all that helped make it happen.

By: Conrad Eagle Feather | Sinte Gleska University | SURE Intern

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Tribal IRBs and Research Oversight

August 03, 2018

taylor and siblings

Let’s flash back 17 years ago, I was four years old and already attending Tribal Institutional Review Board (IRB) meetings along with my three siblings (it’s almost as if it was fate for me to be learning the importance of IRBs during my time at Sanford Research). My mom, Keely, was a part of the committee who started the IRB in Winnebago, NE, which was the first tribal IRB in the Great Plains area.

m and m presenting Before beginning my Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) internship, I knew IRBs were a thing but I didn’t understand why they were so important. Since beginning my time at Sanford 10 weeks ago (wow the summer flew by in the blink of an eye), I have learned the importance of an IRB. I was also able to attend a Lunch & Learn in Rosebud, SD; at 1:33pm, Simone, Michaela, and Melissa presented to the Rosebud Health Board about research oversight and why establishing an IRB is important. While there is a research review process in place, the tribe has no definite say when it comes to research being conducted in the community. Some community members expressed that it’s an open door for outsiders to come in and do research. Ideally, the IRB would have a person from various fields, including medical, legal, education, and tribal culture - to name a few.

It was a good conversation regarding the research code, tribal sovereignty, and being a federally registered review board. There may be some harm with research, but by having an IRB, tribes can work to protect their community from these harms. IRBs can also allow tribes to manage the data that is collected for research because any data or information collected would belong to the tribes and needs permission to be shared. Rosebud was the last tribal partner to be a part of the Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health (CRCAIH), and those in attendance at the meeting saw the benefits of this because the other tribes already did the trial and error that comes with starting an IRB, so RST isn’t starting from scratch. After I graduate, I am planning on attending law school, so it was nice to see I could still be a part of research even if it involves being on the IRB representing as the legal team. I like the idea of that because I like to know what’s going on in the community.

rst health board

By: Taylor Payer | South Dakota State University | SURE Intern | Kenyon Lab

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The Other Kelly

July 19, 2018

kelly on a cliff

Hi my name is Kelly, reporting to you live from this computer with the word “INTERN” pasted in the corner, which constantly reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to spend my summer in this beautiful cubicle labyrinth. This summer, I am in Arielle Deutsch’s lab, and my project is focused on alcohol exposed pregnancy intervention. What I’m looking at right now is the different motivations and barriers Native American women have in regards to substance use and contraception. The project has been interesting but, sadly, summer is quickly coming to an end. As things wrap up, I’m starting to get a bit sentimental, which sucks because I hate experiencing emotions. Anyway, let’s push away the fears that I may never see these friends I have made after August 10^th and instead talk about how great this internship is!

To be completely honest, I was terrified to start this internship. My fears were rooted in my anxieties surrounding the unknown. I had no idea what I would exactly be doing, if I would make friends, or what South Dakota would be like. The first week was rough, as I was just getting adjusted. I was constantly getting turned around in the building, doing a bunch of trainings, and trying to get my bearings on things. My birthday was also that week, and I was terrified I was going to have to spend it alone. And guess what! I DID spend it alone! But then the next day I made some friends and we went to dinner to celebrate.

Once I got past the initial week, things really picked up. I finally understood what I was doing and really got to work on it. Along with time spent in the office, my summer has also been filled with conferences, trips, and trainings! A few weeks into the internship, I got to attend the South Dakota Public Health Conference here in Sioux Falls. Since this summer is my first experience in the public health field, it was really cool to learn about all the different areas public health has its hands in. I also got to take a trip to Crazy Horse with four other interns and our program coordinator, which was a bonding experience for us all. Before this program, I had only driven through South Dakota once, and it was during the height of my teenage angst when my parents forced me to move across the country. So during this trip I was able to see the beauty in the state, since I was in a much better mood. And at the end of this month I will be going on another trip to Rapid City to meet the people my mentor works with!

One of the reasons I wanted to take this internship was because I thought it would help me figure out which career path I want to take. Do I want to go to med school? Grad school? Pursue comedy screenwriting? And here is my answer: I am STILL not sure. I really like research and being able to see the ways every single lab here helps so many people has been incredibly eye opening. But I also still want to go to medical school… and write… so… you know those medieval torture devices that kill by pulling each limb in a different direction? I feel like that’s me but it’s my passions that are pulling me in every direction (sorry that’s dramatic).

Thanks for tuning in!

By: Kelly Walls | University of Arkansas | SURE Intern | Deutsch Lab

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Engaged in the Community

July 10, 2018

Road Sign

With the summer halfway over--the end of my undergrad internship is quickly approaching. Unlike most of the other SURE interns, I have been working off site in Pine Ridge, SD. Working off site has made my internship a different experience and I have been embracing it. I am a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) and grew up in a town 45 miles from Pine Ridge. I have always been familiar with the town and the oyate (people); however, by working in town and attending community events, I have been learning so much.

Just to start with some information: according to Red Cloud Indian School, the Pine Ridge Reservation is home to around 16,000 residents and more than 2.8 million acres. This makes the reservation the second largest in the US. With such a large geographic area, there are often more people than resources. Furthermore, around 80% of the residents are unemployed and almost half live below the poverty line. Besides economic issues, there are health disparities. The infant death rate in OST is nearly five times the US average. Life expectancy is also the lowest in the US (similar rates with India, Sudan, and Iraq). Many diseases also impact the reservation at epidemic rates such as diabetes and heart disease, along with obesity. When looking at youth, in particular, 88% have used alcohol, 31% have “seriously considered” suicide, 15% attempted suicide in the last year, while nearly 90% have tried cigarettes or marijuana.

Circle CHAT Logo Color

Before working in Pine Ridge, I knew the statistics but have gained a better understanding of the reality of these numbers. After attending multiple local health fairs, I gained knowledge about SO many resources available to the public that are aimed to lower these disparities (along with gaining a new water bottle, umbrella, chapstick, and t-shirt). The program I am working with this summer, CHAT, is directed toward teen girls to help prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies by educating them about alcohol and contraceptive use. Another neat program is the Telehealth program. Telehealth has different sites set up across the reservation with webcams available for youth to utilize in order to receive different health services. One more program I became familiar with was the Methamphetamine & Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI). MSPI’s goal is to prevent meth use and suicide. They hold different early intervention activities for youth to reduce substance use and suicidal behavior. Besides these programs, there are others aimed towards diabetes, childcare, and so on.

If you didn’t catch who the programs are aimed at, they all focus on the youth of the community. The youth are the future and it is important to keep them healthy and to have resources available for them. It is extremely empowering knowing that programs like these exist on the reservation. They have such potential to change the future of the community and the lives involved. I am excited for future years to see how these programs impact the health disparities that exist on the reservation. Besides working on my research skills, attending video conferences, and everything else the SURE internship has to offer, I am able to learn and share these different resources available to help people on the Pine Ridge Reservation--which is making my intern experience so much more rewarding. So get out, attend community events, and learn!!

By: Josie Drobny | Black Hills State University | SURE Intern | Hanson Lab

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Three Opportunities

July 02, 2018

CRISPR

At the beginning of June, I was more than excited to welcome warmer temperatures and three back-to-back opportunities to share my insights on the work I do around community engagement with tribal communities to various audiences. As a native woman, a native mom, sister, and community member, you can't help but include, if not, emphasize your own experiences to help the audience better understand working with tribal communities. These experiences are personal and what I used to think were private and not to be shared but, instead, swept under the rug for hiding and safe keeping. However, sharing our experiences may help us better understand and heal from historical trauma.

My first opportunity was participating in a panel discussion with wonderful people from diverse perspectives speaking to the scientific community around the promise and perils of gene editing at CRISPRcon in Boston. We concluded the morning panel emphasizing the need for everyday conversations on CRISPR to occur more often and with those outside the scientific community. Let's just say there, is plenty of room for me to learn about gene editing and deepen my current knowledge around it, as well as the pros and cons for my relatives and future generations. I left Boston on a 5 AM flight (which is technically 4 AM Sioux Falls time and the coffee shop was not open; I repeat NOT open) headed to Kansas City to present to Tribal Leaders on the importance of community engagement around building research infrastructure. I will admit my introduction was a little rocky and I thought, “Get it together Melissa, you know the need for this work in our tribal communities!” Afterwards, a few business cards were exchanged to share ideas and set up a few calls to talk about the work happening in Indian country. I am excited for new opportunities and the possibilities to expand the work of CRCAIH!

I ended the week co-presenting with Serene Thin Elk to counselors from the state of SD on historical trauma and healing. I am not sure what happened but the frog in my throat was real - I cried. I lifted the rug because I am beginning to find comfort in front of strangers and share some personal experiences about growing up with various forms of trauma in my home and how healing is constant. Three opportunities to share my thoughts, my trauma, and the knowledge I have gained in my current role. I think I was laughing and crying when I said, “I must be comfortable in a room full of strangers, to cry, hoping one of you will hug me if I need it.” Healing is tears. Healing is laughing. Healing is being a part of your community. Wopila.

By: Melissa Buffalo, MS | Meskwaki/Lower Brule/Crow Creek | CRCAIH CEID

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