I help promote culturally respectful support for Tribal communities navigating OHSU cancer research and care.

My role as the Tribal Relations Research Coordinator is to serve as a bridge between OHSU Cancer Researchers and Tribal communities. I focus on implementing the Research in Oregon Community Review System (ROCRS) to create a space for Tribal stakeholders and community members to review outside research requests. Tribal communities are unique as they are sovereign nations, and we honor working with them, nation to nation. The ROCR system is to ensure transparency of the research and create a clear line of communication between the researcher and the Tribal community. Part of this process is that research can be bi-directional, and Tribes can request research that they want to explore. As our cancer research / clinical interventions grow in Tribal communities, I also serve as a main contact for these initiatives. 

I enjoy this work because it means building a lasting connection with the Tribal communities beforehand and continuously fostering this relationship. I am enrolled in the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and grew up in the Portland Native community, traveling to the 9 Oregon Tribes for powwows, basketball tournaments and to support family and friends. My educational background is in Medical Anthropology, where I learned a bit about the harmful history of top-down research, and it's an honor to be in a space that avoids top-down research and conclusions that don't make sense to the community. I aim to include Tribal communities in every step of the research process, honoring their cultural values and Tribal Sovereignty. 

Outside of this work, I enjoy time with my family. I have two sons who are 18 months apart and two dogs. My partner and I have an Indigenous Foods catering business, which keeps us involved with the Native Organizations across the Portland Metro Area. I also enjoy participating in community events such as powwows, cradleboard making and play groups for my kids.