Indigenous Wellness Research Institute

Students

	Ramona Beltran (Mexican-American/Yaqui) obtained her MSW from Portland State University in 2005. She has over ten years of experience working with diverse youth and families in clinical and programmatic capacities. The majority of her work has centered around services to Latino and Native American communities with an emphasis on the use of creativity and art in programming including film and photography. Her recent area of research focus is on the question of how space and place gets embodied physically and spiritually in indigenous communities. As a doctoral student and NIMH Prevention Trainee, Ramona is applying her research question by working with Dr. Karina Walters on an NIH funded project to design and test a culturally appropriate, feasible, and generalizable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prevention program for American Indians (AIs) in the Northwest. In addition, she works on a NIMH funded project developing ratings of traumatic events in the lives of American Indian Vietnam Veteran! s (AIVVP).
	Nancy “Lynn” Palmanteer-Holder (Colville) earned her M.Ed., from Washington State University in 1990. She brings 20 years of professional experience in education, community development and administration on American Indian reservations. She is a doctoral student and NIMH Prevention Research Trainee working with the Seattle REACH, a Racial & Ethnic Approach to Community Health, and the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. Her interests include the reduction of mental health, alcohol and substance abuse disparities among American Indian/Alaska Natives by means of cultural competent, community-based participatory governance. Lynn’s vision is to foster traditional knowledge within contemporary practices to facilitate Tribal sovereignty, a unique federal status with the US government
	Katie Johnston-GoodStar, MSW (Dakota) is a PhD Student and IGERT Trainee: Multinational Collaborations on Challenges to the Environment. Katie is also the Principal Investigator for the project: 'Picture This': Native Youth Look at Their Environment
	Karen Fieland is a doctoral student and has worked with the Honor Project since June 2002. Her current work with the Honor Project is funded under a three-year pre-doctoral research grant, in conjunction with the Honor Project and is entitled Spirituality and Health among HIV+ Native Americans; (NRSA: 1 F31 MH076663-01; Sponsor: Karina Walters, Ph.D.).
	Roy Old Person (Blackfeet, Ohkay Owingeh) is a CSWE research fellow with the HONOR Project and doctoral student. His interests include Mental Health discourses that impact policy and mental health practices in Native American communities. In addition, he is also interested in HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention in these communities.
	A. Tyler Perry is doctoral student and NIMH Prevention Research Trainee working with the HONOR Project. Tyler's primary research interest is the discourse of "HIV/AIDS" and emerging "at-risk" populations -- as created by the media prevention efforts since the beginning of the HIV pandemic.