Overview
Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH)
Provide a cooperative structure for the development and implementation of high quality, culturally sensitive and community supported research linked to health disparity issues. Collaborative effort will facilitate the participation of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in the research process through training and mentoring opportunities within both academic and community settings.
Student Development Programs
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, in partnership with multiple groups interested in the health of American Indian people, has designed a student development program to support students who are interested in health care research and occupations. Through this program, students are provided with academic support, career guidance, and opportunities for hands-on learning experiences from middle school through graduate degrees.
Held in Madison, WI during the spring. Geared to students in 6th- 12th grade from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.
Purpose: The event serves to both welcome and attract American Indian students into health sciences professions. American Indian students are invited to the UW-Madison and Madison College campuses virtually to learn about science and health professions through hands-on activities, tours, and cultural activities. They will be introduced to American Indian professionals in the health sciences and can interact with UW-Madison American Indian students who have successfully navigated pre-college and college programs.
Cost: FREE
INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND WELLNESS DAY 2021 WEBSITE
When: July 10-20, 2022
Cost: FREE
AISSP 2022 SAVE THE DATE FLYER
Multiple sites within the MN, WI and MI area, throughout the Summer and Fall. Geared to Native American college students from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year. The internship is a time of academic mentoring and summer research experiences during the undergraduate years. Students approved for this program will work with identified research mentors in paid research internships at selected universities and colleges. Students will have the opportunity to work closely with mentors on research projects that are directly addressing health issues in American Indian communities.
Students must complete an application process. Preference will be given to those students who have completed the American Indian Science Scholars Program. Submit the following documents: Application, Letter of Interest, Community Involvement, College Transcript with GPA (unofficial copy accepted) and Writing Sample.
Great video post from GL NARCH Intern Jeneile Luebke!
Posted by Great Lakes NARCH (Native American Research Center for Health) on Friday, September 11, 2020
GL NARCH Intern Final Presentations 2020
Tribal Research Capacity Building Activities
The NARCH Program nurtures collaborations between Tribes, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Native-serving mainstream institutions. Through this network, participants can work collaboratively by sharing, and directing the necessary resources to address pressing tribal health concerns.
4th Biennial Tribal Environmental Health Summit
Through Our Eyes: Advancing Resiliency Through Research
August 4-5, 2022 at Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino in Lac du Flambeau, WI
The 4th Tribal Environmental Health Summit (TEHS 2022) is expected to:
- Renew and solidify networks among researchers working on tribal environmental health issues and policy
- Increase stakeholders understanding of Tribal environmental health policy needs and goals
- Provide an opportunity for students to explore a variety of relevant career paths
- Provide a venue for discussing progress made in Tribal environmental health science and future directions
- Develop a summary of the best practices and needs for publication
- Showcase Tribal Environmental Health research projects through presentations and scientific posters
We also expect that the 4th TEHS will continue the trend of improving the relevance of Tribal Environmental Health Summits by incorporating the critiques and evaluations from the 3rd TEHS held in 2018.
Travel assistance funds available for speakers and native students. For more information and registration please contact Great Lakes Native American Research Center at 800-472-7207 or Tara Senter at
Past Tribal Environmental Health Summits
3rd TEHS 2018 was hosted at Oregon State University
2nd TEHS 2016 was hosted at Northern Arizona University
1st TEHS 2014 was hosted at Salish Kootenay College
Tribal Research Projects
Over several funding cycles, the Great Lakes NARCH Program has established health research initiatives that aim to reduce tribal health disparities while building tribal health sciences capabilities. Over the last decade, the GL NARCH program has implemented projects to establish collaborative research, build capacity and promote science important to Tribes and Urban Indian organizations within the three state Bemidji area, while collaborating with academic and research partners such as the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). While the GLNARCH grant is administered by the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC); scientific oversight is provided by the Community and Scientific Advisory Committee (CSAC), comprised of representatives from partner academic institutions, tribal health directors and WI Indian Education Association (WIEA) members.
Measuring Resilience to Adverse Childhood Effects (ACEs) in Menominee Youth (Grades 9-12)
Aim 1: To quantify the factors contributing to ACEs in AI youth, and the individual community strengths necessary to advocate for the most effective programs that build individual and community resiliency.
Validated scales will be used to conduct a cross-sectional assessment of AI youth (grades 9-12) to measure strengths and resiliency to adversity. These scales were adapted and shortened from existing scales to ease the burden on the participants. This will allow us to identify and measure the risk and protective factors most highly associated with ACEs and the differences in factors between those with high and low/no ACEs.
Aim 2: To employ a novel storytelling approach by partnering with tribal leaders to contextualize the AI strengths, including cultural practices that focus efforts toward renewal through cultural and community-based intervention models.
Storytelling sessions will be held with tribal mental/behavioral health and trauma assessment providers and tribal leaders to identify how resiliency is cultivated individually, through economic opportunity, mentors and role models, organized community programs for families, and school environment that promotes prevention. These stories will be a means of evoking imagery through meaning about perceptions of trauma exposure and strength based perspectives about resiliency.