Wakanyéja: A Conference on American Indian Behavioral Health

Join the UNL Center for Great Plains Studies for Wakanyéja, a conversation about American Indian behavioral health on April 23–24. The April 23 event will run from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on the University of Nebraska–Omaha campus in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, 6400 University Dr. On April 24, the event will take place at the Michael F. Sorrell Center, 619 S. 42nd St., from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This two-day conference will bring together tribal community members, respected elders, health advocates, academics, biomedical scientists, and tribal health representatives to help better understand community issues and work to address health disparities. More than a dozen conference speakers will engage with these issues from multiple view points. Topics include how behavioral health issues develop, health services, policy, and health behaviors including youth risk and protective factors.

The health of a tribe can be measured in the vitality of its people, but perhaps more so in their spiritual wellbeing. The diverse paths people take to health can lead to new ground in discussions of American Indian health. Significant and lasting change can only happen when those who represent indigenous communities engage with one another to support cultural traditions alongside biomedical research and clinical practice. This conference is intended to bridge the gap between academics, scientists, physicians, and the communities impacted by behavioral health issues.

This event is open to the public. Register online at www.unl.edu/plains/2019-symposium.