Help Asniya improve health outcomes for American Indian communities. Help Asniya
  • Steering more Native American youth towards health science careers

    Steering more Native American youth towards health science careers

    Asniya implements a culturally relevant health science curriculum that excites and motivates young American Indians and help propel them toward careers in the health sciences.
  • Increasing cultural competency of current medical student interns

    Increasing cultural competency of current medical student interns

    Medical student interns gain insight into different cultures, especially those having deficiencies in health care, and leave with an informed perspective on American Indian culture, education, and healthcare and strong ties to the community.
  • Developing future health professionals for long-term health improvements

    Developing future health professionals for long-term health improvements

    Students will return to the reservation as health science professionals and improve the health outcomes for their community.
  • Guiding towards better health for American Indian communities

    Guiding towards better health for American Indian communities

    The curriculum includes units on basic medicine and the connection between lifestyle choices and chronic diseases, thus leading to better health outcomes for them and their communities.
  • Reaching American Indian youth at just the right time

    Reaching American Indian youth at just the right time

    American Indian youth are exposed to crucial information and options for health science careers at an age when intervention is most likely to inspire and break the cycle of extreme health disparities.
  • Mentoring to support students interested in health science careers

    Mentoring to support students interested in health science careers

    Adult mentors in the medical field guide and support each student with a serious interest in the health sciences to develop and implement a pathway to a career.
  • Disparities

    Disparities

    Health problems amongst American Indians are disproportionately higher than the rest of the general population. This disparity contributes to inhibiting economic, educational, and social development. The statistics are shocking. Many American Indians suffer and ultimately die from preventable diseases at alarmingly higher rates. Mental health is no different, with many American Indians disproportionately burdened by substance abuse and mental health issues.

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  • Science

    Science

    American Indians are also the single most underrepresented minority in the field of medicine, comprising 1.7% of the total United States population but only 0.05% of our nation’s physicians. Other health care professions, such as nursing, dentistry, and pharmacology, demonstrate a comparable disparity. There are many factors that contribute to this imbalance, deeply rooted in decades of racial inequities and marginalization.

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  • Mental Health

    Mental Health

    In the US, the rate of suicide has increased more than 25% over the past 10 years. It presently is the highest in American history. Furthermore, existing research paints a devastating picture of the mental health of American Indian youth, with suicide being the leading cause of death for American Indians aged 10-25. No other ethnic group in the United States experiences such rates of suicide among this age group.

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Learn About Asniya

Asniya, meaning “to heal” or “to cure” in the language of the Dakota Sioux

Our Programs

Help Asniya improve health outcomes for American Indian communities

Meet the Board

Learn about the members of our Board of Directors

"The path to one’s strength, pride, integrity and wisdom often starts with a vision as a child. Our children may be granted visions in many ways. Often it is through a teacher with a pure heart.”

Contact Info

  • Asniya.org
    PO Box 9746
    Rapid City, SD, 57709
    info@asniya.org

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