A team from the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH) at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine attended the 37th-annual Seafair Indian Days Powwow in Seattle this summer to strengthen connections with Indigenous communities and share opportunities to get involved in research. IREACH also served as a sponsor of the event.
Hosted by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) at Daybreak Start Indian Cultural Center, the powwow regularly attracts more than 20,000 attendees from around the country. The event is an opportunity for Native Americans from all tribes to come together, see friends and family, and celebrate culture in traditional songs and dances.
Researchers from the institute attend powwows and tribal health fairs to build and sustain relationships with Indigenous communities and Indigenous-serving organizations, a key part of conducting research that is responsive to community needs.
“The Seafair powwow is the largest annual outreach event for IREACH,” said Sharon Mail Kanichy, tribal liaison for IREACH and an enrolled member of the Makah Tribe. “We value our friendship with the UIATF and the opportunity to talk with community members about our work. Many who visit our booth share their thoughts with us, and this feedback is invaluable to our work.”
In addition to listening to community members and organizations about their research priorities, the IREACH team shared information about current research opportunities and results.
“What we hear repeatedly is that this relationship cannot be a one-way street,” Kanichy said. “So, one our largest priorities is sharing results in an easy-to-read format. It is always a pleasure to hear how much this is appreciated.”
Powwow attendees also had an opportunity to participate in an IREACH study at the event. The team administered more than 300 surveys for the Communicating Health Advancements from Native GEnomics (CHANGE) Research project, a National Institutes of Health-funded study that aims to support Indigenous participation in research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Led by Indigenous researchers at IREACH, the study is being carried out in partnership with the UIATF and other Indigenous-serving organizations.
IREACH and UIATF have also partnered on the National Science Foundation-funded CAREER project to better understand the science behind strengths-based approaches to community health.
Indigenous populations experience significant health disparities and remain underrepresented in medical research as the result of historical barriers and ongoing mistrust. WSU researchers hope to rebuild this trust and improve research participation through community-based participatory research, a practice that centers Indigenous communities and cultural knowledge throughout the research process.
About IREACH
IREACH is a transdisciplinary team of 40 staff and faculty members who work with community partners to co-lead community-based participatory research devoted to promoting health and healthcare equity, primarily among Indigenous populations. Through its approaches to building relationships and honoring the right to self-determination, IREACH hopes to increase participation in research among Indigenous communities and ensure they benefit from health science advances.
About UIATF
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation was founded in 1970 to provide culturally responsive services and programming to Seattle and King County’s urban Indigenous community. Its headquarters, the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, opened in 1977 and is a cultural center for Indigenous people and their supporters in Washington and around the world.
This article was authored by Daniel Barker.