FUTURE
Physician Leaders B y S h e l b y S n y d e r, Incoming Medical Student Fall 2022
On Uplifting Indigenous Voices
Disclaimer: I am not here as a spokesperson for everything Indigenous or other Indigenous experiences. There are many things I am still learning about myself, my connection to community and others. Additionally, the term Indigenous is not to say we are a monolith, but rather an amalgamation of distinct Tribal communities, cultures, and identities. Yá'átééh, Shí éí Shelby Snyder yinishyé. Lók'aa' Dine'é nishłį. Hashk'aan Hadzohó bashishchiin. Italian dashicheii. Belgian dashinalí. Hello, my name is Shelby Snyder. I am of the Reed People clan born for the Yucca Fruit Strung Out in a Line clan. My maternal grandfather is Italian. My paternal grandfather is Belgian. I am Navajo and Southern Ute. By introducing myself with my clans, I acknowledge my kinship ties to others and my positionality as a Navajo woman. Growing up, I had the immense privilege to have my father, an Indigenous physician, as a role model. Additionally, from participating in cultural ceremonies to attending Dartmouth College and exploring summer programs, the culmination of my experiences as a Native person kindled my desire to go to medical school. In particular, much of what sustains me to go to medical school lies in the power of representation and community building, all of which the Native Americans into Medicine (NAM) program offered. The Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH) at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth hosts the NAM program. The program aims to encourage college sophomores and juniors interested in pursuing a career in the health professions. NAM spans over two summers, accepting applications every other year. A new iteration of NAM starts in Summer 2022, with applications available in March 2022. I encourage all college sophomores or juniors interested in working with Indigenous communities to apply! The breadth of the NAM program ranges from Indigenous mentorship, Indigenous research methods, and community advocacy. NAM focuses on engaging undergraduate students with the research process. Unique to NAM is its ability to do so while uplifting Indigenous voices that speak to Indigenous health inequities. While in NAM, I worked with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peers to translate existing scientific literature to more accessible platforms to be used by clinicians or community members. Specifically, we developed infographics to assist with data dissemination in Indigenous communities. This program 28
Spring 2022
gave me the resources and skills to further my education in Indigenous research ethics, community-based participatory research, and data sovereignty. As an advocate for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge in Western medicine, I imagine spaces where Indigenous people can receive care without leaving their cultural practices at the door. Two aspects of the program that significantly impacted my drive to pursue medicine were mentorship by Mary Owen, MD, and learning from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Institutional Review Board (IRB). Dr. Owen is Tlingit, a physician and director of the CAIMH. She is an inspiration exemplifying the strength of being an Indigenous physician. The Fond du Lac IRB emulated the benefits of research sovereignty and modeled practices Indigenous communities can take to have more autonomy in research done for, by, or with us. These lessons are all invaluable steps to navigate the impacts of colonization and improve the health of our communities. Overall, I am humbled and reminded of my accountability to my community of Indigenous people — for those who have gone on, for those who are currently struggling, and for future generations. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I attained through the NAM program, where I learned more about myself and my ability to provide care to Indigenous people. As I am currently in the medical school admissions cycle for Fall of 2022, I am excited to see where the future takes me — to Indigenize¹ healthcare spaces and pave new paths for future generations of Indigenous people. My definition 1. Indigenize (verb): to collectively celebrate, honor, and respect Indigenous knowledge, values, and teachings by and for Indigenous people NAM application page Summer 2022: https://med.umn.edu/ caimh/college-premed For more information regarding “Data Sovereignty” check out resources from the Urban Indian Health Institute: https:// www.uihi.org/. MetroDoctors
The Journal of the Twin Cities Medical Society
