Cultivating an Indigenous Graduate Research Environment to Enhance Retention
and Scientific Careers
Indigenous people are underrepresented in scientific research, resulting in a lack of
Indigenous perspectives in the scientific workforce, health care, and academia. In the
U.S., Native Americans make up only 0.24% of master’s and doctoral students in the
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, despite constituting 2.9% of
the population. Among these Indigenous graduate students, only 25% complete their
graduate degrees. Several studies examining the success of Native graduate students
have identified key factors for degree completion as mentorship, connection to
community, and an emphasis on situatedness―the ability to connect oneself with the
environment, society, and culture. The absence of systemic infrastructure and
researched interventions poses a significant barrier to implementing these success-
supporting factors. We have established the Center for Indigenous Research to Create
Learning and Excellence (CIRCLE) to address these obstacles. CIRCLE aims to
increase the number of Native American students who complete graduate degrees in
STEM fields by developing, implementing, and studying a model of Indigenous science
support. The development of CIRCLE has been spearheaded by Indigenous scientists
and educators who prioritize Indigenous values of community, interdisciplinary
approaches, and a strong sense of purpose. Specifically, our community-engaged
project will:
• Develop a mentorship program for Indigenous scientific advancement.
• Create an Indigenous support network for graduate students.
• Develop community connections with Indigenous communities and Tribes at the
national level.
Project team: Dr. Judi Simcox (PI), Dr. Jeneile Luebke (Co-PI), Dr. Yowelunh McLester-
Davis, Danielle Yancy, Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis, Dr. Matt Anderson, Dr. Amanda
Whiteeagle, and Dr. Dan Cornelius.
This project is funded by the National Science Foundation
Healing from within: Identifying and understanding the intersecting barriers to
help-seeking after experiences of violence for Wisconsin American Indian women
through survivor-led research
This pilot study uses a community-engaged, mixed-methods approach to identify and
understand the barriers to help-seeking among Indigenous women with co-occurring
mental health and/or substance use disorders after experiences of gender-based
violence (GBV). It also aims to explore how resiliency and cultural identity may motivate
help-seeking among Indigenous women survivors of GBV in the local context of
Wisconsin. This study aims to:
• Develop a community advisory team to guide all aspects of the study, made up of
GBV survivors, providers, elders, and other stakeholders, to ensure the study is
culturally safe, meets the needs of the collaborating communities, and builds
trusting relationships between researchers and Indigenous communities.
• Utilize storytelling through qualitative interviews to explore how women navigate
barriers related to help-seeking in diverse and unique ways, influenced by
resiliency factors and cultural identity after experiencing GBV.
• To assess the prevalence and types of barriers to help-seeking, as well as
motivation for help-seeking, following experiences of gender-based violence
(GBV) among Indigenous women living in both urban and rural areas of
Wisconsin.
Study team: Jeneile Luebke (PI), Micaela Salas (research specialist)
Community Partner(s): Great Lakes Intertribal Council, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Forest County Potawatomi tribe.
This study is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Native American Research
Center for Health
A Mixed-Methods, Multi-Stakeholder Study to Understand and Improve Access to
Post-Sexual Assault Care for Survivors of Color, LGBTQ+ Survivors, and/or
Survivors Living in Poverty
In the United States, 54.3% of women, 30.7% of men, and 41% of trans and non-binary
individuals have experienced sexual assault at some point in their lives. Rates of sexual
violence are particularly high among people of color, those who identify as LGBTQ+,
and individuals living in poverty. Sexual violence is linked to numerous mental and
physical health issues; however, only 21% of survivors seek medical care after an
assault, and fewer than 40% of these survivors receive the follow-up care they need.
Although the high prevalence of sexual violence is well-documented in these
demographics, limited research has focused on increasing access to and improving
post-assault care, particularly for minoritized populations. This project will address this
research deficiency by incorporating the perspectives of minoritized sexual violence
survivors.
The project is expected to yield new information about barriers to care, experiences with
care, associated physical and mental health, and economic disparities among survivors
of color, LGBTQ+ survivors, survivors living in poverty, and individuals with multiple
minoritized identities, along with key stakeholders who work within systems of care. The
project will also consider where post-assault care occurs- such as hospitals, clinics,
Indian reservations, LGBTQ centers, and advocacy spaces- and the perspectives of
various types of care providers. Furthermore, the project will explore and assess
barriers and facilitators for different types of care across groups.
Specifically, this mixed-methods CBPR will:
• Identify barriers to seeking or accessing post-assault care and experiences
related to post-assault care, especially among marginalized sexual assault
survivors.
• Refine and expand the instruments we have begun developing to understand
barriers to accessing post-assault medical and mental health care, as well as
experiences with that care.
• Assess and determine the initial psychometric properties of new instruments
related to barriers in post-assault care and experiences with post-assault care for
future research.
• Establish initial connections between survivor experiences of inadequate care or
substandard care and related health disparities.
Study team: Dr. Kate Walsh (PI), Dr. Jeneile Luebke (co-PI), Dr. LB Klein, Padideh
Hassanpour, Taylen Stulting, Jiwon Lee.
Community partner: Dr. Kim Curran (Dane MAC)
This study is funded by the UW-Madison Social and Economic Inclusion Award via The
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (OVCRGE)
Anishinaabe-Mishtadimoons Inawendiwin – Restoring and Awakening the Cultural
and Ecological Context of Ojibwe Horse Society
The Anishinaabe-Mishtadimoons Inawendiwin project is a community-based
participatory research (CBPR) oral history initiative involving Indigenous community
members from the Great Lakes region. It examines the traditional culture of wellness
associated with the Ojibwe horse society. The reintegration of Lac La Croix Indigenous
Ponies (LLCIP), a critically endangered, semi-feral horse breed with only 180 individuals
remaining, has significant relational and spiritual ties to the Ojibwe people within their
territories and supports efforts to restore traditional cultures and histories. This capacity-
building project highlights the benefits of traditional knowledge related to community life,
land-based healing, and equine-assisted therapy for Indigenous people and others. This
project will:
• Preserve the traditional knowledge, stories, and teachings of Ojibwe ponies
within Ojibwe communities.
• Preserve traditional knowledge, stories, and teachings about land-based healing,
culture as medicine, and the healing and nurturing relationships between the
ponies and their caregivers.
• Revitalize storytelling traditions about Ojibwe ponies by Elders and traditional
historians.
• Disseminate the stories and knowledge to tribal members and communities.
• Foster enduring and sustainable partnerships between UW-Madison and
Indigenous agencies and communities.
Study team members: Dr. Jeneile Luebke (PI), Dr. Brian McInnes (co-PI)
The Humble Horse (community partner)
This project is funded by the Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Help-Seeking of American Indian and Black
Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and widespread public health crisis
affecting women worldwide. The violent behavior directed towards women results in
long-lasting negative physical and mental health effects for them, their children, and
their families. IPV is linked to various harmful physical, psychological, and emotional
outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance
abuse, decreased productivity, sleep disturbances, and suicidal thoughts. In Wisconsin,
American Indian (AI) and Black women encounter distinct barriers to seeking help after
experiencing IPV. Pandemics, disasters, and other extraordinary events, such as
weather-related incidents, can complicate how IPV is experienced. Prior to the COVID-
19 pandemic, the Milwaukee metropolitan area was already witnessing a rise in
homicides, with twice as many occurring by mid-2020 compared to the same time the
previous year. During this period, two out of every five homicides were related to IPV. In
line with national and global trends, IPV advocates in Wisconsin reported an increase in
self-referrals and police referrals to their agencies after the pandemic began in the
spring of 2020. This community-engaged mixed methods study will:
• Analyze the characteristics related to help-seeking behaviors among AI and
Black women in both urban and rural areas of Wisconsin.
• Systematically outline the unique and overlapping structural, economic, and
interpersonal facilitators and barriers to help-seeking for IPV during COVID-19
among AI and Black women in urban and rural areas of Wisconsin.
• Generate actionable recommendations for systems change to reduce barriers to
help-seeking by establishing a community advisory board.
Study team members: Dr. Lucy Mkandawire Valhmu (PI), Dr. Jeneile Luebke (co-I), Dr.
Alexa Anderson, Dr. Pennie Kako, Dr. Diane Schadewald, Dr. Maren Hawkins, and Dr.
Hanan Abusbaitan.