The University of Minnesota has acknowledged the need to better serve citizens of Minnesota’s Tribal Nations and their communities. The creation of a Center within the School of Nursing (SON) devoted to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities works toward reconciliation. The purpose of the Center for Indigenous People, Health, & Nursing is to build respectful, collaborative relationships with Tribal Nations, health care and higher academic institutions, federal and state agencies; collaborate with community organizations; prepare Indigenous nurses with doctoral education; and develop evidence-based interventions and best practices with stakeholders to eradicate health disparities in Indigenous people and communities. The Center will serve as a leader to address the current status of Indigenous people and communities by educating AI/AN doctorally prepared nurses while focusing on scholarship, education, and community engagement.
Our vision is to eradicate health disparities to optimize health for AI/AN individuals, families, and communities.
Our mission is to establish and maintain meaningful, collaborative relationships with Tribal Nations and communities in order to:
partner with agencies and organizations to positively inform health policies for Indigenous people; and
to educate, mentor, and support current and future Indigenous nurses and students who will transform the communities they serve.
5-Year Strategic Goals & Objectives (2024-2029)
Scholarship/Research
Serve as a regional (and national) hub for connections with Tribal Nations, government agencies, foundations, healthcare systems, and educational institutions
Support and foster research led or directed by AI/ANs to enhance health outcomes
Collaborate and partner with urban and rural organizations and institutions to secure grant funding to support the mission and values of the center and stakeholders
Education
Contribute to increasing and diversifying the nursing workforce by becoming the #1 US institution for AI/AN nurses graduating with a DNP or PhD in nursing
Create pathways for AI/AN nurses to obtain graduate degrees to increase Indigenous nurses, APRNs, faculty, and researchers
Partner with non-Tribal and Tribal colleges and universities with ADN and BSN programs with Indigenous nursing students and support systems to establish sustainable pathways in higher education
Development of education systems to prepare nurses for practicing in community-based settings that include populations with diverse life experiences
Enhance current work to establish and model Indigenization curricula and establish curriculum for providing culturally sensitive care for AI/AN/Indigenous patients
Create a repository for information on Indigenization of curricula
Community Engagement/Relationship Building
Establish and maintain inclusive and trusting relationships with Tribal Nations (urban and rural) in Minnesota, surrounding states, and nationwide to promote benefits of ethical research and address workforce needs and healthcare disparities
Establish and maintain inclusive and trusting relationships with health care and higher academic institutions, Tribal Nations, federal and state agencies, and community organizations to develop evidence-informed interventions and practices
Elevate current and future AI/AN healthcare professionals as national leaders for their research, nursing practice, and teaching
Develop an advisory board to guide the current and future work ensuring the vision, mission, and sustainability of the Center
Inaugural Advisory Board Members
Misty Wilkie
Center Director
Director of Pathway to Doctoral Education for AI/AN Nurses
Connie Delaney
Dean, School of Nursing
Lisa Martin
Clinical Associate Professor, Pathway Mentor & Indigenization Scholar
Margaret Moss
Professor and Associate Dean for Nursing and Health Policy, Advocacy, Access, and Ethics , Pathway Mentor
Marique Moss
President of Natuv Way Foundation
Ravyn Gibbs
MDH Tribal Liaison
Brandon Alkire
Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
Karen Diver
U of MN Senior Advisor to President Native American Affairs
Ana Negrete
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office
Michael Bird
Past President American Public Health Association
Sandy Littlejohn
National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association
Student Representative
Jennifer Libra
BSN, RN, PHN, Health Innovation and Leadership DNP student
Ex-officio members
Carol Flaten, BSN Director
Sue Forneris, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Judy Pechachek, DNP Coordinator
Kathryn Schwartz Eckhardt, Office of Student & Career Advancement (OSCAS) Director
Mary Fran Tracy, PhD Coordinator
Diane Treat-Jacobson, Office of Nursing Research & Scholarship Director