ResearchOn

In 2012, HPAIRI launched a comprehensive inventory of all research activity between UW and tribal communities across the nation.  The results of that effort have been published on the websites of the Wyoming Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (WyEPSCoR) and UW’s American Indian Studies Program.  Building on the foundation provided by this initial effort, HPAIRI will develop an expanded clearinghouse for research related to tribal nations that will be renewed biennially.

This data collection effort will help prevent research duplication while enabling UW and its tribal partners to be good stewards of limited funds; will provide a streamlined approach to obtaining information regarding recent research projects; and will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.

HPAIRI is developing a research relationship with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Institutional Review Board (RMT-IRB).  RMT-IRB is made up of eleven member tribes in Montana and Wyoming, including the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho tribes.  The Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho tribes are located on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.

The RMT-IRB was established to protect the rights and well-being of its member tribes in the context of grant-funded research.  It recognizes tribal sovereignty and strives to ensure that safeguards are in place for the tribes in relation to grant-funded research permitted on reservations.  The safeguards are meant to enhance and protect tribes’ sovereignty and cultural integrity. 

To learn more about the RMT-IRB, visit its website at http://mtwytlc.org/irb/rmtirb-home.html. The general IRB resources tab provides considerable information about conducting research involving Native people, tribes, and Indian reservations, including ethical considerations, evaluation vs. research, informed consent, and the role of tribal governments in research.

HPAIRI is working to create a repository of past research projects that have been conducted by the University of Wyoming and partners on the Wind River Indian Reservation.  When completed, this virtual repository can be accessed on the HPAIRI and EPSCoR websites.

Consistent with HPAIRI’s goal of empowering tribal citizens through direct participation in the research process, HPAIRI intends to create a research office on the Wind River Indian Reservation.  The HPAIRI Research Office will provide tribal members, and tribal stakeholders alike, with access to cutting-edge research being conducted at UW that relates to American Indians.

1. As home for Native learning opens, a dream is realized

Link: http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/03/10/as-home-for-native-learning-opens-a-dream-is-realized/

Description:  New “Intellectual House” opens on University of Washington Campus for Indigenous research and learning.


2. National Policy and Education Experts to Speak at American Indian College Fund’s Convening on Native Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education

Link: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-policy-and-education-experts-to-speak-at-american-indian-college-funds-convening-on-native-family-engagement-in-early-childhood-education-300046975.html

Description:  Public remarks by Bill Mendoza, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, at the American Indian College Fund’s convening Native Family Engagement.


3. Avera to manage cancer research program focused on Native Americans in South Dakota

Link: http://www.tribtown.com/view/story/0a857d5e6aa54bceac18ae18af0011bc/SD--Reservations-Cancer-Program

Description:  Tribal partnership with Avera Health will undertake a four year research project aimed at improving cancer cure rates and treatment among South Dakota Native Americans.


4. California Students Research Federal Recognition and Water Rights

Link: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/03/05/california-students-research-federal-recognition-and-water-rights-159401

Description:  San Jose State University students research federal recognition process and water fights for California American Indian tribes.


5. Colon Cancer (Colorectal Cancer) Affects American Indians at Significantly Higher Rate

Link: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/colorectal-cancer-affects-american-indians-at-significantly-higher-rate-1998134.htm

Description:  March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Researchers from the American Indian Cancer Foundation and the Colon Cancer Alliance are working to raise awareness of the unique risks facing American Indians.


6. Research shows Native American imagery hurts all ethnic groups, says UB psychologist

Link: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2015/03/021.html

Description:  University of Buffalo scholar explores the intersection better prejudice and American Indian nicknames and mascots, concluding that such symbols generate significant negative consequences for all ethnic groups - not just Native Americans.


7. The medical marijuana business could save Native American reservations

Link: http://qz.com/357621/growing-legal-marijuana-is-a-game-changer-for-cash-strapped-native-american-reservations/

Description:  The Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington State recently hosted the first ever Tribal Medical Marijuana Conference organized by tribal leaders from across the United States.
 

8. Strengthening Native American families to improve children’s health

Link: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-03-native-american-families-children-health.html

Description:  New research by the Strengthening Families Program for preschool aged-children demonstrates that strong Native families can help improve children health. The one-year pilot study was conducted among 3 - 5 year olds on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.


9. ‘Imagining the New World’ explores early Native American and European music

Link: http://dailybruin.com/2015/03/06/imagining-the-new-world-explores-early-native-american-and-european-music/

Description:  The UCLA Early Music Ensemble performed a concert recently,  exploring the cross-cultural exchange in music at the time of Indigenous - European Contact.


10. Elders-in-Residence program brings indigenous knowledge to UW classrooms

Link: http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2015/03/11/elders-in-residence-indigenous-uw-native-american/34533

Description:  The University of Washington’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute in partnership with the University’s School of Social Work has created a new Elders-in-Residence program that connects tribal elders from the Pacific Northwest with students across the UW campus.