Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Celebrates National Native American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month
|
|
|
In 1986, the United States Congress passed a proclamation authorizing "American Indian Week," and in 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 "National American Indian Heritage Month." From 1990 onward, presidential proclamations have been issued annually to celebrate the heritage and culture of Native Americans. Native Americans and Alaska Natives are peoples with origins in the many indigenous communities of North, South, and Central America who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. According to the U.S. Census, there were 5.2 million Native American and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. in 2010, 7.1 million Native American and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. in 2020, and there are projected to be 10.1 million Native American and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. by 2060. Today, 28 states plus thousands of cities and geographic locations have names derived from Native American heritage.
This month, let's all celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and important contributions of Native people. We can work to spread awareness about Native American identity and educate others on the various sacrifices and challenges faced by Native communities both past and present.
Below are the names of just a few Native American doctors and healthcare providers who made significant contributions in the field of medicine:
|
-
Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865 - 1915) – The first Native American woman to earn a medical degree. A public health advocate, she opened the first privately funded hospital on a Native American reservation
- Charles Alexander Eastman (1858 - 1939) – Physician, writer, and social reformer who founded 32 Native American chapters of the YMCA and collaborated to found the Boy Scouts of America
-
Carlos Montezuma (1866 - 1923) – The first Native American student at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, and only the second Native American ever to earn a medical degree. Dr. Montezuma founded the Indian Fellowship League in Chicago, the first urban Indian organization in the U.S.
-
Carolyn Gay Barcus (1939 - present) – Native American Elder and psychologist known for her work with Indigenous students, self-actualization education research, and her work with the Society of Indian Psychologists
|
|
|
Regards,
Gloria Elam MD, MPH, FACOG
Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion, UI COM
Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology
Associate Department Head of Clinical Affairs
Constance Umbles-Sailers, MS
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, UI COM
Elsa L. Vazquez Melendez, MD, FAAP, FACP
Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion – UI COM Peoria
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Alesia Hawkins Jones, PhD
Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion – UI COM Rockford
Associate Professor and Director of Behavioral Medicine
Department of Family and Community Medicine
|
University of Illinois College of Medicine 1853 W. Polk St. | Chicago, IL 60612 US
|
This email was sent to adil@uic.edu.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
View this email online.
|
|
|
|
