Annual Community Research Symposia

2015: The Research Symposium design is to help participants better understand the importance of research and the benefits of research now and for our future. The theme “Researching, Restoring & Rebuilding Our Oyate for a Longer Life” centers on the needed to make a longer life for our people. Tribal led, self-directed research serves the people and makes a greater impact. Leading researchers from Cheyenne River and beyond shared research results; high school and college students participated in a Student Research Competition and scholarships were awarded to the winning entries. The March 2015 Cheyenne River Research Symposium was sponsored by: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc.; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Ventures; Oglala Lakota College; and Sanford Health. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2016:Researching, Restoring & Rebuilding Our Oyate for a Longer Life is a venue for community members to learn about current research, meet presenters and have face to face discussions with researchers and other scientists. Topics addressed: Health Disparities in Indian Country; Research Creating a Lasting Legacy; RED Talks an Innovative Way to Share Ideas; Reducing the Silo Effect in Tribal Communities; Discover the Native Food Agriculture Program; and Learn the Latest Research Results. The March 2016 Research Symposium was sponsored by: Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc.; Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Ventures; Cheyenne River Youth Project, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and South Dakota Humanities Council an Affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2017: Researching, Restoring & Rebuilding Our Oyate for a Longer Life is where community members and Tribal Leaders come together to learn about current health research and have face to face discussions with researchers and other scientists. This year’s symposium featured an adult tract and a high school tract. Topics covered were: Ethics in Research, Sharing Results & Return of Benefit from American Indian Research; Significance of Science & How it Impacts Your Community; Importance of Institutional Review Board (IRB) Protocol & Protections; How Native American Philosophies Can Enable Us to Protect Our World; Interconnection: Indigenous Knowledge, Astrophysics & Environmental Health; Study of Autoimmune Disease in Lakota the SAIL Project; and Preserving Cultural Sites. Participating area high school students shared their research projects and had the opportunity to apply for scholarships and summer internships in the research field. The April 2017 Research Symposium was sponsored by: Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc.; The University of Oklahoma; and the South Dakota Humanities Council. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2018: The 4th Annual Cheyenne River Research Symposium Researching, Restoring & Rebuilding our Oyate for a Longer Life focused on the theme of data sovereignty. The symposium brings community members together with researchers from across the nation to learn, discuss health issues, and much more. Other research areas explored during the symposium were decolonizing science and technology; rheumatoid arthritis and DNA; mercury exposure and sources in communities; environmental quality; exposure to metals and immune response; and how local research impacts community members. The Research Symposium also featured a Student Research Day for high school students. All six schools on Cheyenne River were invited to participate in the daylong event. The students rotated through four hands on learning sessions where they learned about the Strong Heart Study and Informed Consent; What’s in Their DNA; Looking Thru Dirt with X-Ray Eyes to See If Anything is Bad; and Spit, Cotinine and Nicotine Exposure. Some of the descriptive words shared from students about their day were: excellent, pleased, productive, interesting, important, and liked. Participating students also learned about other science related summer activities at various universities and other locations. Students were also able to apply for scholarships and summer internships. The 2018 Research Symposium was sponsored by: The Bush Foundation, South Dakota Humanities Council, The Keya Foundation, and Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc.