Take 3: Building a Framework to Acknowledge Indigenous Ways

From the September 22, 2023 issue of the Transformational Times

The Great Lakes Native American Research Center for Health

Take 3 with Brian Jackson, Matt Dellinger and Amy Poupart: Building a Framework to Acknowledge Indigenous Ways

Brian Jackson, Matt Dellinger and Amy Poupart

Leaders who have helped build the alliance between Medical College of Wisconsin and the federally funded Great Lakes Native American Research Center for Health (GLNARCH) share the organization’s funding, goals and future. GLNARCH has established collaborative research, built capacity and promoted science important to the Tribes and Urban Indian organizations within the three-state Indian Health Service (IHS) Bemidji Area ...

Transformational Times (TT): What are the goals of the Great Lakes Native American Research Center for Health?

GLNARCH team: The Center is a collaboration between Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (the prime awardee) and the Medical College of Wisconsin (the primary academic partner). The GLNARCH team has also succeeded in securing supplemental financial support from partners such as Forest County Potawatomi Tribe and other Tribal sponsors the Wisconsin Partnership Program, University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Nursing, the UW Native American Health Research Program and Concordia University, as well as Medical College of Wisconsin/Advancing Healthier Wisconsin endowment to support American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. Therefore, GLNARCH is a valuable resource for Bemidji region AI/AN communities and the only capacity funding resource for Bemidji Tribal Colleges and Universities.

The GLNARCH program has typically consisted of research/pilot projects, a four-phased student development program, and an administrative component. More recently, the Capacity Component was added as a merger with a previously separate Native American Research Center for Health, the Native Environmental Health Research (Douglas K. Stevens, PhD, Research PI). This merger led to a dedicated Tribal College engagement program that is a major focus of the current center priorities.

The overall aims of the Center are as follows:

• The Student Enhancement Component: Continue the highly successful student enhancement activities and update to modern educational opportunities.
  
• The Capacity Building Component: Build research capacity among Tribal College/Universities (TCUs) and AI/AN serving institution and establish an indigenized research and training agenda.
  
• The Administrative Core: Support all pilot/seed research projects. Ensure Tribes remain central to NARCH. Manage data collection mechanisms for evaluations and quality improvement.

TT: What is an example of how the partnership with MCW’s Epidemiology & Social Sciences Division enhances the work of GLNARCH?

GLNARCH Team: The most recent example of the partnership’s work was the visit by MCW faculty and staff to Lac du Flambeau (See the Executive Summary of the trip). The opportunity was co-funded with a match from MCW acquired by Laura Cassidy, PhD, professor and Director of Epidemiology. That professional development event took place in July of 2023 and included cultural immersion events at the weekly Lac du Flambeau Powwow and historical site visits.

Under the leadership of MCW Department of Epidemiology & Social Sciences faculty members Laura Cassidy and Matthew Dellinger, PhD, the GLNARCH Program has expanded its funding and number of supporting NIH awards. The center is now funded by two concurrent NIH S06 grants with four-year project periods. Under this funding, the team has hosted numerous professional development and community engagement events on the Lac du Flambeau reservation at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC).

More events will be planned in partnership with Bemidji area tribal colleges to provide professional development and enrichment for those students and faculty. 

Learn more about the GLNARCH Team here.

TT: What future opportunities do you see? 

GLNARCH Team: The partnership will:

• Build a framework for MCW to acknowledge Indigenous ways of being and serve as a general briefing guide to enhance cultural pedagogy.
• Provide specific orientation and training—including opportunities to share awareness for Indigenous values—that will adapt intervention initiatives and systems to fit cultural contexts within tribal communities.

Brian Jackson, MS EdD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Social Sciences at MCW. He serves on the Great Lakes Native American Research Center for Health (GLNARCH) Community Scientific Advisory Committee. He is a Family Circles AODA Prevention Program facilitator, providing instruction in language, traditional cultural practices, history, and culture of Native people will be preserved, thereby restoring pride in the identity of Anishnabe.

Matthew Dellinger, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Social Sciences at MCW. He is a co-investigator at the Great Lakes Native American Research Center for Health (GLNARCH).

Amy Poupart is the Program Director for the Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH) at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council and serves on the board of the Northern Highlands AHEC. NARCH is a federally funded program supporting health research, research career enhancement, and research infrastructure enhancement activities.