INMED graduates honored at Time Out Wacipi Powwow
Honored guests drape Star Quilts around graduates to show highest respect for the students’ achievements
Editor’s note: In the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, the Equity core value calls on the University to “establish cooperative relationships with the surrounding communities and Indigenous nations,” and to “work to meet the changing needs of our students and employees with a commitment to access and inclusion.” The photos on this page show an honoring ceremony that took place at the recent Time Out Wacipi Powwow at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.
As part of the ceremony, graduates of UND’s INMED or Indians into Medicine program are recognized by — as the story reports — elders, advisory board members and honored guests.
The INMED program at UND is ranked first in the nation for graduating American Indian/Alaska Native physicians.
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By Danielle Thompson
Each spring, INMED recognizes the achievements of its graduates with a traditional honoring ceremony at the Time Out Wacipi. Elders, Advisory Board members and honored guests drape each graduate with a Star Quilt as an acknowledgement of their accomplishment and contribution to their community.
Sixteen individuals were able to attend this year’s event. They included graduates from science and health disciplines across the university, including Biology, Public Health, Nursing, Psychology, Physics, Medical Lab Science and Social Work, as well as recipients of doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy and Medicine.
Two UND INMED alumni participated in this year’s ceremony: Dr. Monica Mayer, ’95, a Tribal Advisory Board member from Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation; and Dr. Delbert Lamb, ’16, a pediatric anesthesiologist for Boston Children’s Hospital.
Lamb delivered the keynote address at INMED’s graduate recognition brunch earlier in the day. It was a special moment when Dr. Lamb was present to drape Kendra Roland, a member of the UND medical school’s Class of 2025, in her Star Quilt. Lamb also serves as Roland’s research mentor, and Roland will begin her Anesthesia residency program this summer at the University of Iowa.
“You are not here by accident,” Lamb said to the students in his keynote address. “You are not a statistic, but instead a story of survival and resilience, of brilliance. You are the answer to your ancestors’ prayers. …
“As you walk across that stage soon — walk proud, walk grateful, walk ready. But above all, walk with purpose.”
American Indians and Alaska Natives make up fewer than 2 percent of the total physician workforce in the United States. INMED has worked to serve students and Tribal Nations since 1973, supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation of American Indian and Alaska Native professionals into health care fields.
About the author:
Danielle Thompson is program manager for the Indians into Medicine program at UND.
