Las Vegas NowNew Native American Program at UNLV to Help Communities

New Native American Program at UNLV to Help Communities

American Indians comprise less than one percent of college graduates each year. And an even smaller number enter health care professions. Now, a new local program is helping American Indian students from other states make the most impact with their knowledge.

In the first program of its kind -- Native Americans from several states have come to UNLV in hopes of learning valuable tips for improving public health in their communities.

Among them is Sarah Teeple, from the Bay Mills Indian Reservation in Chippewa County, Michigan. As she works toward a degree in psychology, Sarah's biggest concern is substance abuse among the young people on her reservation.

"From like 15 to 19, a lot of prescription abuse, alcohol abuse, tobacco -- pretty much anything they can get their hands on," she said.

Sarah is one of 10 students selected for the American-Indian Summer Health Institute. The pilot program at UNLV focuses on the skills needed to research public health-related issues.

James Seymour is from a reservation in Montana, with a population of about 5,000 Chippewa and Cree. He's working toward a degree in water quality. Safe and accessible water is a pressing concern for his and other reservations across the country.

"There's only one other person on the reservation with water quality qualifications. And we need more people to be qualified and with health as well. I'm kind of intertwining them both to take back with me," he said.

Dr. Carolee Dodge-Francis is the program's director. "They will take away not only knowledge -- but they will take away the vision of possibilities," she said. "They really came here to learn about the fundamentals of public health, how that relates to their tribal communities taking those skills back to utilize within their tribal community. Because they'll go back and do a small mini-research project."

Other possible research projects the students will discuss deal with other pressing issues for Native Americans, including suicide prevention and diabetes.  

The new two-week program was developed by UNLV's American Indian Research and Education Center.