This summer has seen a return of powwows and community events to American Indian tribal communities across the country. Though the gradual return to annual powwows and other cultural and community events are now proceeding with greater precaution with the increase in COVID-19 variant cases and new recommendations from the CDC, many powwow celebrations will continue to move forward with their outdoor events. Some tribal nations and powwow committees have opted to downsize their annual contest powwows with smaller traditional powwows. This effort allows communities to minimize the amount of people traveling into their tribal communities. Flyers and promotions for powwows indicate caution and encourage behaviors such as mask wearing for those who are not vaccinated, social distancing and hand washing throughout the event. For many, a return to powwows has been a welcome sign with opportunities to reconnect with friends and family, and to once again feel and see the positive energy from dancing and singing. As powwows ramp back up, AIHREA encourages everyone to get vaccinated and to respect the protocols and guidelines in place that tribal nations and powwow committees have set for the safety of their community members.

This year's internship was the first for our team as the Institute for Indigenous Studies at Lehigh University. It has been an exciting summer with a great group of interns. Read more about some of them below!

Caitlin Haas is a rising senior at Lehigh University. She will graduate in December of 2022 with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience and a B.A. in Psychology. She is widely interested in linking the brain and the mind, memory, social psychology, and neuroendocrinology. After undergrad, Caitlin hopes to continue onto graduate school to earn her PhD in Psychology with a neuroscience concentration. From there, she sees herself working in academia, conducting her own research, and mentoring students. Outside of academia, Caitlin is largely involved with Lehigh University Choir and Dolce, Lehigh’s treble choir, of which she is currently manager. She is also passionate about reading, writing, and cooking and wishes she had more time to curl up with a nonfiction and a cup of tea.

​Hi I’m Anna Erickson! I’m from Seattle, WA and I’m attending Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. I’m a rising sophomore majoring in Population Health and minoring in Indigenous Studies. I love hiking and the outdoors but I can’t stand anything with avocados. I have really enjoyed interning with the team this summer and I look forward to my next three years at Lehigh!

Ian Scott is a student at Lehigh University, where he will be a Junior this Fall. He is majoring in Population Health and is currently interested in going to Physical Therapy School for his graduate education. Becoming a PT involves working with people of any and all different cultural backgrounds, which is a skill he hopes to improve upon this summer by working with the American Indian Community Health and Education team. Ian is also a member of the Track and Field team at Lehigh. 

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Katherine Stenersen is a rising sophomore at Lehigh University majoring in behavioral neuroscience. Since high school, Katherine has been interested in learning about health disparities. Through this internship, she hopes to learn more about the disparities in Native communities and the solutions available and being created. Additionally, she wants to further understand the process of creating and implementing a solution to these issues. Moving forward, she wants to continue to learn about the health disparities and inequity as well as the current and future solutions to those problems. 

American Indians have the highest smoking rates in the U.S. and have some of the poorest health outcomes because of it. Smokers are also at higher risk for severe illness due to a COVID-19 infection. Targeted smoking cessation strategies and interventions are needed but very few have been developed and made available to American Indians.
 
American Indian Health Research & Education Alliance (AIHREA) researchers from the College of Health and the Institute for Indigenous Studies at Lehigh University welcome American Indians 18 and over who seek to quit or have an interest in quitting smoking to join our Telephone Based All Nations Breath of Life (tANBL) program and study. As a tANBL participant, you will be randomly selected into either a current best practice or the culturally tailored ANBL program. Both interventions are 12-week programs with a follow up at 6 and 12 months and provide the latest science and strategies for quitting smoking. tANBL is free to join for eligible participants and includes individual telephone counseling, an educational curriculum, motivational/educational text messaging, and incentives!
 
To enroll or if you have questions, please contact program manager Luke Swimmer at lus320@lehigh.edu.

Luke Swimmer, MBA, MA, is from Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, NC. He grew up in the Ravens Rock community and now calls the Snowbird community home with his wife and three kids. Luke graduated with a Masters of Arts in Indigenous studies from The University of Kansas.  His thesis focused on using artificial intelligence to help revitalize Indigenous Languages.  He is currently a Research Scientist for Lehigh's College of Health at the Institute for Indigenous Studies where he is the project manager for the Telephone All Nations Breath of Life study (tANBL).

​Nikayla (Nikki) Begaye, M. Ed, grew up on the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona. Begaye graduated from Lehigh University with a master’s degree in elementary education. She also received her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in Chinese as a member of the Class of 2020. She was excited to have her mother, uncles and young brother come to campus to help her celebrate, making it her family’s first time at Lehigh. Lehigh’s in-person commencement ceremonies was May 21-24 for the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020.

COVID-19 vaccinations among many American Indian tribal nations have been fast and efficient. An analysis by NPR shows that some tribes are vaccinating at a much faster rate than U.S. averages. Over 1.6 million doses of vaccine have been distributed to tribal nations across 11 Indian Health Service (IHS) areas. As of April 19, 1,164,179 total doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered to American Indians.

Vaccinations could not come fast enough to tribal nations who have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Tribal communities have seen hospitalization rates 3.5 times those of Whites and death rates nearly 2.5 times rates in White communities. Tribes and urban Indian organizations had the option to receive vaccines from either their respective states or from IHS. Tribal communities opting to go with IHS, were generally pleased with this choice. For example, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribe were initially only given 200 vaccines a week through the state disbursement, while the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, who opted to go with IHS, has been holding daily clinics that can provide 180 vaccinations a day. Some communities have even outpaced state vaccine distribution. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, for example, have vaccinated tribal members at double the rate of South Dakota’s general population.  

​Tribes around the country have stepped up to not only secure and provide vaccines to their tribal members, but have also been able to provide vaccines to the non-Native communities surrounding them. The Confederate Tribes of Grand Ronde in Siletz in Oregon, through their tribal clinic, vaccinated the entire Portland Trailblazers basketball team. The hesitancy to trust and get the vaccine in tribal communities is expected. However, tribal leaders have stepped up to lead and demonstrate to their communities that they are willing to be vaccinated. The Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas became the first individual in this community to receive the vaccine.

More information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here.

For information on getting vaccinated in your area, check in with local your local IHS service area office, or your tribal health clinic. 
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Believe it or not, unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death among American Indian men. These can include car crashes, poisonings, falls, or work-related injuries. Some very simple ways you can prevent these types of health hazards include wearing your seatbelt, making sure that medications and other materials are clearly labelled, removing trip hazards, using ladders properly, and following all safety protocols when at work.

Safe or safer sex not only protects you, but also protects your partner. Practicing safe sex can reduce the chance of getting or sharing a sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like HIV, among others. STIs are typically passed through bodily fluids through oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, genital skin-to-skin contact, or saliva. Safe sex is important for American Indian men because HIV rates tend to be greater among Native men at 16.2% compared to rates among white men (9.6%), according to the CDC in 2018. The rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis C also tend to be higher among American Indian men.

2020 was certainly a stressful year. Stress is known to lead to poor health outcomes, including heart disease, diabetes, suicide, high blood pressure, and obesity. These health outcomes are concerning because heart disease, diabetes, and suicide are some of the leading causes of death among Native men. One way you can reduce your stress is by simply getting enough rest. The recommended amount of of sleep for adults is 7 to 9 hours per day. Another way to reduce your stress is by spending time doing things you love, including scheduling time for your hobbies and to hang out with your friends and family. If you ever feel overwhelmed, you should contact your doctor or traditional healer. If you feel suicidal, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

There are many more things men can do to improve or maintain their health. Some of these include quitting smoking, eating healthy, staying active, and limiting alcohol consumption. Most importantly, though, men can avoid having increasingly worse health outcomes by simply going to the doctor instead of putting it off or avoiding regular checkups.  Regular visits to your doctor can help catch any number of health issues before they become major problems.

Researchers at the Lehigh University College of Health and Institute for Indigenous Studies want to know about how the American Indian community has experienced the COVID-19 global pandemic. Currently, they are conducting two research studies with American Indians over the age of 18.

Do you have strong views about the pandemic that you'd like to share? Did you have unique experiences as a result of COVID-19 prevention measures? The first study may be for you. It aims to understand your knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Did you collect traditional foods or learn a new traditional skill during lockdown? Did you rely on stories and oral traditions to understand or cope with the COVID-19 pandemic? The Institute would like to hear from you! Their second research study seeks to understand how you may have used traditional knowledge or activities to help you with the pandemic. 

For participation in either of the studies, participants will receive a $30 gift card for their participation via email.

If you are interested in participating, email the Institute at lehighiis@gmail.com.

We are proud to announce that Jordyn Gunville, a Doctoral Student at the University of Kansas Medical Center has been selected to participate in one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s leadership programs. These programs connect changemakers across the country—from every profession and field—to learn from and work with one another in creating more just and thriving communities.

Specifically, Jordyn was selected for Health Policy Research Scholars. Designed for doctoral students from historically marginalized backgrounds and populations underrepresented in specific disciplines, Health Policy Research Scholars helps researchers from all fields apply their work to policies that advance equity and health while building a diverse field of leaders who reflect our changing national demographics.

As a member of the program’s newest cohort, Jordyn will focus on reducing infant mortality among American Indian infants through research examining prenatal and postnatal care interventions. As a part of this work, she also seeks to end the bifurcation presented regarding maternal and infant health, recognizing that these reinforce each other. One of the issues with examining health care among American Indians is the complicated nature of the institutional arrangements that differ by location and have shifted over time. On some reservations, the Indian Health Service and tribal clinics can provide care for pregnant women and their infants. However, in other areas, the facilities are not equipped for childbirths, and women are generally referred out of the Indian Health Service system. This can be a stressful situation as women and their families may not be familiar with them and the facilities may not accommodate the families’ desires regarding pregnancy and birth. Working across sectors to form a culture of health that can truly support native families before, during, and after birth is the focus of Jordyn’s work.

Jordyn is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Born and raised on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, she has gained first-hand experience of understanding health disparities and health barriers American Indians face. She has dedicated her life goals to serving her community and other American Indian communities to improve the overall health of community members and gap health disparities by addressing the social determinants of health. She is passionate about incorporating effective health policy that encompasses cultural beliefs and practices, as well as health equity.

Much of this year has certainly been shaped by the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, we were forced to cancel, for the first time since its inception, the AIHREA Our Nations' Energies Health and Wellness Powwow. However, its cancellation offered us an opportunity to look back on the many successful powwows we've hosted and anticipate when we can host amazing, in-person events with all of you again.

​With a significant portion of our time freed up from powwow planning, we directed our efforts toward providing information about the pandemic. From providing a reading list featuring Native authors to keep you occupied during quarantine and providing self-care tips to help manage your mental health during these trying times, to designing COVID-19 educational materials for distribution in Native communities, we kept ourselves quite busy as we transitioned to fully working from home. All of these resources continue to be available here on our website and if you would like your community to receive copies of our educational brochures and/or posters, contact Jason Hale for more information. 

​As it became increasingly clear that the pandemic was hitting Native communities especially hard, we also turned our attention to understanding these impacts. Currently, we are working on multiple projects exploring how Native peoples have reacted to the pandemic, including how traditional practices have been used to cope with the challenges posed by COVID-19, including social distancing and increased food insecurity among others. We are also documenting the various policies put in place by Native communities around the country to combat the spread of the virus. Stay tuned in 2021 for more information about all of these projects!
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As if the global pandemic didn't keep us busy enough, we also made a cross-country move this summer to the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania to establish the Institute for Indigenous Studies (IIS) in the newly formed College of Health at Lehigh University. In addition to establishing potential partnerships within the College and across the greater University, we also were involved in a number of virtual events this fall including a virtual trivia night, two film screenings, of Keepers of the Game and Wind River, and two panel discussions, discussing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the impacts of pipeline infrastructure on Native communities. We were so happy to be welcomed to Lehigh with open arms and look forward to many successful partnerships in the future. In case you missed it, catch our MMIWG panel below! 

In addition to hosting these events, IIS members also provided feedback on the creation of a land acknowledgement statement through the Lehigh University Office of Multicultural Affairs. You can red the whole statement in our November newsletter.

The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted our research projects that were in-development or already underway. 

Despite some delays, participants in our Native Research Ambassadors Program that was launched last year, are currently finishing up their final projects. They've learned about the many different steps in the grant writing process from the foundations of finding an appropriate grant mechanism to implementation and sustainability of a program. Although we weren't able to hold an in-person graduation and bring them out to Pennsylvania to celebrate, we are incredibly proud of the work they have accomplished and are happy to be sending out their certificates of completion soon.

Also, a special shout out to NRAP participant Rene Begay who was recently featured in a New York Times Magazine article discussing NIH's All of Us DNA collection program. Keep up the great work Rene and all of our participants!

We are also continuing to work on our two smoking cessation projects based on our successful culturally-tailored program, All Nations Breath of Life. Both our implementation and telephone-based trials are set to begin recruitment in the new year. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in either of these programs, contact Joe Pacheco or Luke Swimmer for more information.

Because of our recent move to the Lehigh Valley, we would also like to take this month to recognize all of the incredible Indigenous folks with whom we work, have shared meals, and became lifelong friends.

Since moving to Pennsylvania, we have been reflecting on the communities who traditionally inhabited the lands of the Lehigh Valley including the Lenni Lenape who traditionally called the Delaware River watershed “home.” This month, IIS members offered their feedback on the newly developed land acknowledgement from the Office of Multicultural Affairs. It is listed below, in full. 

​"We humbly make a land acknowledgment. I would like to recognize and acknowledge the Indigenous people of this land: the Lenni Lenape, known today as Delaware, who are in Oklahoma now.

Every community owes its existence and vitality to generations from around the world who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy to making the history that led to this moment. Some were brought here against their will, some were drawn to leave their distant homes in hope of a better life, and some have lived on this land for more generations than can be counted. Truth and acknowledgment are critical to building mutual respect and connection across all barriers of heritage
and difference. We begin this effort to acknowledge what has been buried by honoring the truth. We are standing on the ancestral lands of the Lenape People. 

The Lenape people are the original inhabitants of Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Southern New York. Since time immemorial they have been the caretakers of these lands and of The River of Human Beings, more commonly known as the Delaware River. The Lenape were the first tribe to sign a treaty with the United Stat.es and the first tribe to have land set aside for them in New Jersey.

Over a period of 250 years, many Lenape people were removed and dispersed throughout the country. Some took refuge with other tribes. A large number of Lenape families remained in the homelands and continue the traditions of their ancestors up to our present day. Today the Lenape people from all over Turtle Island (North America) are revitalizing their communities.
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Many place names in Pennsylvania are derived from the Lenape Language, such as Manayunk, Conshohocken, and Neshaminy...to mention only a few. In the city of Philadelphia stands a statue of Chief Tamanend, a revered leader among the Lenape, who signed many treaties with William Penn. The history of the Lenape is truly the history of Pennsylvania. 
We pay respects to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today."

To learn more about the Lenape, visit the Museum of Indian Culture and the Delaware Nation's websites.

Last month members of the Institute for Indigenous Studies presented at this year's (virtual) American Public Health Association conference. There conference citations can be found below:

Hale, J; Pacheco, J; Lewis, CS; Daley, SM; Nazir, N; Daley, CM; Choi, WS (2020) Assessing the Impact of Discrimination on Health among American Indian Tribal College Students. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.

Lewis, CS; Hale, JW; Haswood, C; and Daley, CM. (2020) American Indian college students’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding alternative tobacco products. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting,

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American Indian Ghosts Stories of the West by Mescalero Apache and Otomi author Antonio R. Garcez is one of our favorite books detailing paranormal belief among the peoples of the American West. Interviewing Native and non-Native peoples from Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico, Garcez provides firsthand accounts of paranormal phenomena from reservation communities, historical sites, and private residences. In addition to telling ghosts stories from communities across the West, he provides a brief contextual note about each of the communities or historic sites before his collected stories. Garcez has also collected several other books of experiences with the paranormal including books focused on stories from LGBTQ+ and medical professionals. To learn more about his other books, visit his website here.

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories compiled by Neil Christopher brings together nine authors from a variety of backgrounds including Inuit, Dene, and Ukkusiksalingmiut writers to bring elements of the cold, dark North to the horror genre. In each of their stories, the authors provide their own approaches to horror fiction including zombies, blizzards, and post-apocalyptic settings. In addition to providing multiple Indigenous voices, nearly every story makes use of Inuktitut language. A glossary accompanies these stories that not only provides meanings for the words used, but also includes their meanings. You come for the scares and get a language lesson for free!

Since 1879, Lehigh University has celebrated their founder with activities and events on campus. This year, due to COVID-19, Lehigh was forced to change up their regular activities in favor of virtual events including two hosted by AIHREA's partner, the Institute for Indigenous Studies. The Institute hosted two events, a presentation on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and an Indigenous Trivia Night. Both events were well attended and, in case you missed it, you can view the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls presentation below!

These are just but some very simple examples of how to start self-care and how to maintain it. Remember, it takes practicing self-care on a daily basis. It takes 21 days for something to become habit. Incorporate these simple steps for self-care into your own life and remember, you can come up with your own list!
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Self-care is holistic and just as important as going to the gym and eating healthy. During this Self-Care Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to keep holistic health and self-care in mind when facing those uphill battles.

The Institute for Indigenous Studies is holding two virtual events at the beginning of October. On October 6, "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls: A Presentation with the Institute for Indigenous Studies" will be held at 3pm EST. Join us virtually to learn about how this epidemic effects indigenous communities across North America. You can register for this event here.

On October 7, the Institute will be hosting an Indigenous peoples trivia night! Join us at 7pm EST to learn about Indigenous peoples and our research! You can register for this event here.