Katherine Kava, of Liberty Twp., and Poppie Wilson, of Mason, are junior nursing students at Miami University Middletown that took part in the 14.5-hour bus ride to Miami, Okla. The three-hour credit counts toward a nursing elective and Global Miami Plan credit.
Kava said the group lived in the Drake House, a historic property of the Miami Tribe, and students were split between working with preschool students or senior citizens.
Wilson — who wants to become a pediatric nurse — said she was part of the group that attended morning preschool at the Leonard Learning Center to cover topics of healthy eating and fitness with the children. She said some of the young children had never before tried strawberry, banana or certain vegetables the Miami students introduced to them through dishes including “fruit pizza.”
“The availability and affordability (of fresh produce) is just not there,” Kava said.
At the Myaamia Community Center, presentation topics included care and nutrition for diabetics, foot care and physical education.
“A big part of nursing is assessment, so we learned about their lifestyles and made little suggestions,” Kava said. “We were not there to change their lives but to get insight into their lifestyle and cross-cultural nursing.”
Nicely said she and Suzanne Martin-Stricklin, associate professor of nursing, developed the course over a year and a half in collaboration between Miami University and tribal leaders from Miami. Nicely said there are nine Native American tribes in northeast Oklahoma, including Miami, Eastern Shawnee, Cherokee and Quapaw.
The outreach trip also included cultural activities for the nursing students such as bead-making, a tour of the city of Miami, bonfire and learning stomp dancing and other native rituals.
“We worked with tribal leaders in Oklahoma to identify what the tribe needed and how our students could support initiatives,” Nicely said. “Guest speakers in the first week were on how to provide care and interact with the Miami Tribe in a culturally sensitive way.”
Kava said she was most surprised by the relaxed environment and “Indian time” the community followed.
“They perceive time differently; I’m always halfway out the door with my busy schedule but for them they’re just there,” Kava said, who hopes to earn a master’s degree in public health. “It was high-quality time.”
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