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//ASETO'NE NETWORK PROJECT

ASETO'NE VIRTUAL INSTITUTE

“In a postcolonial indigenous research paradigm, research is defined as ceremony, and each activity in the ceremony is marked by acknowledging relationships that people have with each other and the environment, as well as the moral and spiritual-base obligation that they have for each other, the community, and the environment at large.”

– Shawn Wilson, Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods.

The Aseto’ne Virtual Institute is a Native centered online ten-week educational curriculum open to all college and university students. Learn about biomedical and health research academic and career opportunities with curriculum organized into three distinct one-credit tracks. Choose from Smudge Keeper, Fire Keeper, and Medicine Shield courses to journey through a set of skills and activities that will launch your interest in careers that empower you to enhance your community. The Aseto’ne Virtual Institute faculty have designed motivating lessons on cultural resiliency, Native mathematics, COVID in Indian Country, Native researchers, and many more. Keep reading to see the exceptional instructional tracks available for TCU students!

This unique program offers personal development, education, and research experiences centered around health and biomedical research both in academia and as a profession. The Aseto’ne Institute is delivered online where students will meet, engage and interact with research faculty and other partners through presentations, workshops, and activities while earning a stipend.

Aseto'ne Institute Teams and Journeys

NameTitleEmail
Reno CharetteHealth Initiatives Program Directorrcharette@aihec.org
Maggie GrandonHealth Initiatives Program Coordinatormgrandon@aihec.org
Eric JohnsonHealth Initiatives Communications Coordinatorejohnson@aihec.org
Tina CooperVP Finance & Administrationtcooper@aihec.org
John PhillipsInterim President & CEOjphillips@aihec.org
TBDGrants Administrator 
Stacia PrueOffice Assistantsprue@aihec.org
David ClarkePraxis AIdavid@prxai.com
Alex FeltusPraxis AIalex.feltus@gmail.com
Sophie Clarke Praxis AI–Digital Learning Engineersophemichelleclarke@gmail.com
Darold H. Joseph Medicine Shield Professor darold.joseph@nau.edu
Agnes Attakai Medicine Shield Professor agnesa@arizona.edu
Liliana Bronner Smudge Keeper/FireKeeper Professorlbronner@unmc.edu
   
   
   
   

 

Faculty/Professional Mentors

Peer Mentors

  • Nicole Walksalong, Blackfeet
  • Angelina Keryte
  • Rajneesh Verma, TOCC
  • Jerald RedBuffalo
  • Diana McKenzie, BMCC
  • Raelynn Rider
  • Edna Wyena, NWIC
  • Misty Jackson
  • Linda Flanery, SWC
  • Autumn Cody
 
  • Nizhoni Draper
 
  • Crystal DeCoteau
 
  • Miranda Gollnow
 
  • Heather Denny
 
  • Stacy White
 

 

Guest presentations provided by SACNAS

  • Karletta Chief, (Diné) is an Associate Professor and Specialist in Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona (UA).

  • Panel: Kateryna Poradiuk, Robin Lopez, Diamond Tachera, Jennifer Wong-Ala

  • Panel: Kateryna Poradiuk, Mario Banuelos, Georgina Moreno, Seda Arat, Nana Ankrah

Guest presentations provided by UND In-Med

  • Evan Adams is a member of the Tla’amin First Nation in British Columbia. He first came to the public’s attention by playing Thomas Builds-The-Fire, in the 1998 film Smoke Signals. Adams went on to earn an MD, as well as a Master of Public Health. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority, in British Columbia.

  • Siobhan Wescott, Athabascan from Fairbanks, MD PhD,

  • Kelly Sassi, PhD

Guest presentations provided by We Are Healers

(See the We are Healers website for a complete list of stories.)

  • Dove Spector, Nez Perce

  • Vernon Grant, Amskapipikuni (Blackfeet) Nation

  • Annette Sampson, Umatilla

Guest presentations from NNHRT

(See the NNHRT website for a complete list of webinars.)

  • Arun Balajee, PhD, Lead, Technical Assistance team, Tribal Support Section, CDC COVID-19 Response

  • Suzanne Stewart, PhD, C.Psych, Waakebinee-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, Dalla Lan School of Public Health, University of Toronto

  • David R. Wilson, PhD., Director, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Director at NIH Tribal Health Research Office (THRO)

Guest presentations from Stanford Life Design Lab

(See the Stanford Life Design Lab website for a complete list of resources.)

  • Designing Your Career: The Networking Reframe

  • Designing Your Career: The Outsider Problem

  • Designing Your Career: The Informational Interview

  • The Two Types of Networking: Outbound and Inbound

  • Designing Your Career: The Elevator Conversation

  • Designing Your Career: The Offer Search

Each educational journey is the equivalent of a one credit college course designed at 1.5 hours of work per day across 10 weeks. A student may choose to combine these tracks to earn more credit hours. The Aseto’ne Network Project staff will assist the students in providing data on time spent in coursework and performance measures so they might seek credit from their home institution through options such as Independent Study or Seminar rubrics.

The Smudge Keeper educational journey contains 20-minute videos featuring content in Native mathematics, career guidance, study skills, and an introduction to Indigenous researchers. Smudge Keeper is supported by mentoring, a discussion board, weekly group video conferencing, and measured learning outcomes.

The Fire Keeper educational journey …

The Aseto’ne Institute is hosted on the PRAXIS AI learning platform. To access this platform, you must first apply to be a part of the Aseto’ne Institute. Then, with your log in information, use this link to access the Aseto’ne Institute platform and begin your educational journey!

Reno Charette -Health Initiatives Program Director (rcharette@aihec.org)
Maggie Grandon – Health Initiatives Program Coordinator (mgrandon@aihec.org)
Eric Johnson – Health Initiatives Communications Coordinator (ejohnson@aihec.org)