As a young girl, Shanell Sinclair dreamed of becoming an aerospace engineer working for NASA. Then, as she was growing up in rural Montana, achieving that career seemed increasingly remote. But today Sinclair’s dream is no longer up in the clouds. Now a junior at Montana State University majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in aerospace engineering/mechatronics, she is closer than ever to making her dream come true.

The newly established Indigenous Dental Association of Canada (IDAC) is one of the most prominent Indigenous-led initiatives addressing inequities in Canada’s oral health delivery. A 2017 report from the country’s auditor general found that First Nations and Inuit populations had nearly twice the rate of dental disease as non-Indigenous Canadians, partly due to geographical barriers, fewer dentist visits, and less access to nutritious food.

Dr. Stan Atcitty, Diné, has a record of tremendous technical success and remarkable achievements as a leader. His ability to cultivate and maintain relationships is paramount to his success. Whether he is presenting to a packed gymnasium at his high school alma mater in Shiprock, N.M., or coaching junior staff members on his team, Dr. Atcitty is energized by finding ways to build people up.

Professional work can be exciting, enjoyable, and challenging. It can also be exhausting, intense, and draining. It’s easy to let work take over your life. Especially now, as many professionals work remotely or in a hybrid setting, it’s easy for your personal and professional worlds to overlap. As a result, you may find that you’re not separating from work effectively, and you’re not taking time to recharge. Taking a break is key to being your best at work and at home. Here are a few reasons why taking time out to recharge is so important.
 

You know the feeling: school’s out for the summer and you can’t wait to sleep in, hang out with your friends, and completely forget about school until September. But while it’s tempting not to crack open a book or review any of your lessons from the past school year, taking such a long break can lead to forgetting much of what you have learned. As a result, you may go into the next school year with lower knowledge levels than when you left. Here are some ways to prevent brain drain and stay sharp over summer break.
 
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Working on water resource and environmental issues, often in support of Native communities, is at the heart of what drives Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie, Diné. Now an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Regional Planning at the University of New Mexico (UNM), she grew up in the remote community of Na’Neelzhiin, N.M., where she saw firsthand the need for clean drinking water for rural residents. “Although the house I grew up in had running water, nearly half the households in Na’Neelzhiin did not,” she says.

AISES National Conference graduate research award winner, PhD candidate, and aspiring professor, Stephanann Costello is quickly becoming a global expert in a fatal disease. “I’m part of an interdisciplinary team studying a rare neurodegenerative disease called Familial dysautonomia. This disease is inherited, so these patients start exhibiting symptoms when they are infants. There is no known cure, and most therapies only target symptoms,” Costello explains.

Jordyn Cates’ journey toward a career in clinical psychology has been a process of unraveling her family’s past to reconnect with her Indigenous roots. A member of the Okanagan Indian Band, she’s come to realize that her decision to study nearby at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus (UBCO) was partly driven by this desire to reconnect.

“Fun.” That’s the word Dr. Caleb Hickman uses to describe his job. As a supervisory biologist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, he oversees nearly 37 projects in the Qualla Boundary, a 57,000-acre forested region of western North Carolina that is within the tribe’s ancient home. 

Tenacious, dedicated, determined — those characteristics begin to describe Dr. George Blue Spruce. He is the first Native American dentist, an AISES elder, and for eight decades a relentless advocate for dental education and services for and by Indigenous people. Now 92, Dr. Blue Spruce has no intention of retiring. He currently serves as the assistant dean for American Indian Affairs for A.T. Still University–Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.