Tribal College students who took part in the Aseto’ne Institute learned about biomedical and health research at the UNMC Durham Research Center in Omaha. Photo by Liliana Bronner

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s (AIHEC’s) Aseto’ne Institute was held June 4-15, 2018, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha. The program hosted 10 tribal college and university (TCU) students representing several institutions, including Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College, Turtle Mountain Community College, Tohono O’odham Community College, Oglala Lakota College, Navajo Technical University, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, and Haskell Indian Nations University.

The Aseto’ne Institute is part of a National Institutes of Health grant-funded program administered by AIHEC, which collaborated with UNMC in an effort to engage tribal college students in biomedical and health research. AIHEC and UNMC are dedicated to assisting TCU students in getting them connected and involved in biomedical and health research and opportunities, and in connecting them to people and resources.

Overall, the Aseto’ne Network Project has three aims: outreach, establishing a mentor network for TCU students, and enhancing research and personal skill development. One of the main components of the project was the development and implementation of a two-week summer residential program to provide TCU students the opportunity to learn about biomedical and health research from faculty and health professionals.

The Aseto’ne Institute provided students with lodging, meals, local transportation, and reimbursement of travel expenses. Moreover, each student received additional support for participating. Criteria to attend the program included the completion of an online application, enrollment at an AIHEC-affiliated TCU, a 2.5 cumulative gPA, a letter of reference from a faculty member, and a short essay detailing the student’s interest in biomedical and health research.

The program schedule listed presentations, seminars, tours, and visits to local community organizations. Presenters included UNMC and University of Nebraska Omaha research faculty, and locally and nationally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native speakers. Members of the Omaha Nation gave an opening prayer and song on the first day of the program.

TCU students were appreciative of the opportunity to attend and to be a part of Aseto’ne Institute. Faculty and staff also enjoyed working with the students and are looking forward to continuing working with the Aseto’ne Network Project.

“The Aseto’ne Institute has opened my eyes to the need for continued research in so many diverse fields,” shares Misty Jackson of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. “In my future career as a pain medicine doctor, I know that I will utilize research in applications that will help my patients have a better quality of life.”

TCU staff who served as coaches/mentors for participants were also involved in the two-week program. “To be inspired and fulfill one’s dreams, one must first be shown the path, and that is exactly what the Aesto’ne Institute accomplishes,” observes Dr. Kerri Patrick Wertz, a faculty member at Aaniiih Nakoda College. “TCU students were able to bridge the gap between university research and the research needs in their own communities. One key goal of working in education is to open students up to possibilities and to the limitlessness of their true potential, and the Aesto’ne Institute achieves this goal.”

Currently, the AIHEC Aseto’ne Network Project will continue with outreach efforts and plans to host a series of webinars this fall for TCU students. The webinars will feature Native American health researchers who will share their research and other information related to their work and academic journey.