UND Indigenous Health Department

10/14/2026

🦷 Connecting Oral Health and Diabetes in North Dakota

Dr. Shawnda Schroeder and PhD candidate Rashid Ahmad are working with the North Dakota Oral Health Program to provide education and resources to dental teams and medical professionals across the state on the important connection between diabetes and oral health.

Did you know that people with diabetes are more likely to experience gum disease, dry mouth, and other oral health problems? These conditions can affect overall health and make blood sugar levels more difficult to manage.

Regular dental visits are an important part of managing diabetes! Encouraging coordination between dental and medical providers can help support better overall health.

📄 Learn more: Diabetes and Dental Visits Among North Dakota Adults on Medicaid, 2024
🔗https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Public%20Health/diabetes-dental-adults-medicaid-2024.pdf

10/14/2026

Join UND Indigenous Health Alum and Faculty Member, Cole Allick, PhD:

Dakota Geriatrics and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences invite you to attend the 6th Annual Age-Friendly Healthcare for American Indian Elders Virtual Symposium on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM Central Time.

This free virtual learning opportunity is designed for providers, healthcare professionals, and community workers interested in improving care for American Indian elders through the Age-Friendly Health Systems framework.

Participants will learn about the Geriatric 4Ms:

• What Matters
• Medication
• Mind
• Mobility

Below is a program of the topics that will be covered:

Time (CST)
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Cole Allick, PhD, MHA, Washington State University, IREACH Centering American Indian and Alaska Native Elders in Age-Friendly Health Care

1:10 PM - 2:10 PM Lois Ellen Frank, PHD, Red Mesa Cuisine, LLC, Walter Whitewater Red Mesa Cuisine, LLC Using the Ancestral Native Diet for Wellness and Healthy Aging

2:20 PM - 3:20 PM Jacqueline Gray, PhD, Emeritus Professor, UND Family and What Matters Most

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Jordan P. Lewis, PhD, University of Alaska Cultural Aspects of What Matters Most

Register here: https://und.zoom.us/meeting/register/7Z5zHHAzR0mzbpz8M9b3BA #/registration

For questions, please contact [email protected].

10/13/2026

Check out the AEA 365 Blog: "What We Carry Home" Indigenous Evaluators Gathering Reflections from UND Indigenous Health students, Jennie Holmes, Casierra Cruz and Taylor Holland....

https://aea365.org/blog/ipe-tig-week-what-we-carry-home-indigenous-evaluators-gathering-reflections-from-und-indigenous-health-students-by-jennie-holmes-casierra-cruz-and-taylor-holland/

09/17/2026

We're so proud to share that one of our graduates, Dr. Va'atausili Tofaeono, will be presenting at the upcoming IIDRN Webinar, "When Community Priorities and Research Timelines Conflict," alongside Dr. Rhiann Sue See!

📅 September 21, 5:00 PM CDT
🔗 Register here: https://umn.zoom.us/meeting/register/jbLtmBVLSR2RYnJ1fOIidA

Congratulations, Dr. Tofaeono - we're cheering you on! 👏

Dr. Tofaeono is the Executive Director of the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition and a public health researcher focused on advancing culturally grounded health research and research capacity in Pacific Island communities. He serves as Multiple Principal Investigator of Puipui Malu Manatu (PMM...

09/17/2026

Catching up with Dr. Grace Karikari: a leadership role with APHA, presenting with Dr. Luger at the UND Multicultural Conference, but also a volunteer with Great Plains Food Bank who would like you to meet Dr. Gee... Click here https://greatplainsfoodbank.org/meet-dr-gee/

09/15/2026

Join Dr. Mel at the event below!

Join us for the Indigenous Perspectives Symposium on Medicines Friday, September 25th! Register with the link in our bio or follow the link below!
https://nmu.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=4240&p=1

08/20/2026

Dr. Mel Nadeau and our current Indigenous Health doctoral students are in Anchorage, Alaska, this week for the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering—connecting, learning, sharing, and strengthening Indigenous approaches to evaluation.

We’re especially proud that Dr. Mel and Courtney are serving on the planning committee, helping shape a gathering centered on Indigenous knowledge, relationships, community, and evaluation.

After Day 1, the group journeyed over to the Alaska Botanical Garden, where we had the beautiful opportunity to get our hands in the soil and pot spruce trees that will be planted right here in Anchorage. 🌲

There was something especially meaningful about ending the first day of gathering and learning by planting trees—putting down roots, nurturing growth, and thinking about the work we are cultivating together for generations to come.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to be part of this gathering and to see our doctoral students building relationships and contributing to the growing field of Indigenous evaluation. 💚

Learn more about the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering: https://indigenousevaluation.com

Learn more about the AEA Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Topical Interest Group: https://comm.eval.org/aeaipetig/home

08/19/2026

DIH is grateful for the large and strong presence of our community at the National Tribal Health Conference 2026, taking place August 16–21, 2026!

We are especially proud to celebrate two of our own, Lannesse Baker, PhD(c) and Stephen Wyatt, ’24, who are serving in leadership positions with the National Indian Health Board.

Your leadership, service, and commitment to advancing Tribal health are an inspiration. We are proud to see DIH represented so strongly at the national level!

And while you're at the conference, be sure to stop by the DIH exhibitor booth and say hi to our Department Manager, Bethanie! She'll be happy to share information about our Indigenous Health PhD program, application process, and upcoming application deadlines.

We hope to see you there! 💚

08/14/2026

📚 Student Spotlight!

We’re proud to share that PhD student Tonya Kjerland (Connor) is a co-author of Chapter 7 in the open-access textbook 'Research to Action: Structural Racism as a Barrier to Health Equity'.

Congratulations, Tonya, on your contribution to the field of health equity! 👏🏽

The full open-access textbook is available here:
https://academic.oup.com/book/62917?login=false