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

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. 

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

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

The influx of refugees, especially in the past decade, has resulted in many states partnering alongside the government to support them and incorporate them into our society. Thirty-two states currently administer refugee resettlement through state government offices, while five other states use a public-private partnership to administer funds. Here in South Dakota, we participate in the alternative Wilson-Fish program, which means that the federal government contracts with nonprofits to distribute money. The Department of Social Services here only handles the refugee cash medical assistance through Medicaid while Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota administers the rest.

The current refugee population breakdown in South Dakota includes individuals from Myanmar, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, and several other countries. Lutheran Social Services helps connect thousands of refugees each year to counseling, residential help, foster care, and more. The Center for New Americans aided 30,821 refugees and families in 2017 alone, while the broader services were used 61,144 times. Just under half of the refugees they care for are 18 years old or younger, and many come to Sioux Falls to be connected with missing family members. One story about a Somali man, in particular, stands out: he has resided in Sioux Falls for three years after having escaped the violence in Somalia as a teenager and then living as a refugee in Kenya for some time. His goal is to become a naturalized citizen, and the services here in Sioux Falls are helping him do just that. In order to gain his citizenship, he has to be a permanent resident for five years and have a working knowledge of English, which he is gaining through the programs at LSS. There he takes English classes and citizenship classes to learn about the history and government of the United States. Alongside him, there are currently 120 former refugees working with the LSS on the path to citizenship.

Mothers and young pregnant refugees are still a concern here in Sioux Falls. Health disparities within refugee health and care have arisen everywhere, South Dakota is no exception. Care providers are working hard with patients who have uncommon diseases and complications, even with little to no background training. The largest problem, however, arises out of a lack of cultural competency. There is no class in medical school for learning about Somali or Bhutanese culture. A program dedicated to educating health care providers on pregnancy and birthing practices more reflective of other cultures will go a long way to alleviate some of the disparities being seen across the state, and there is a strong desire to learn and care for these women we are welcoming into our towns and cities. The outlook for the future is bright, and it is up to our nurses, doctors, midwives, and community to take the extra step to open minds and arms and incorporate culture and healing into their experiences here in South Dakota.

By: Natalie LeMoss | Cornell University | SURE Intern | Hanson Lab