Blackfeet Community College, Little Big Horn College, and Montana State University will collaborate in a project which will provide research experience, mentoring, and academic enrichment to students at the three schools. A total of 30 students over a five-year period will participate in the project beginning Summer 2009. Students from the three schools will engage in 2-year cohorts where they will they will do research in ecology, environmental science and microbiology projects relevant to their lives and career goals. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Missouri and Yellowstone River systems, numerous mountain ranges and the Northern Great Plains will provide diverse ecosystems and opportunities for research. The collaborative network will enhance student opportunities on all three campuses and will also support graduates of LBHC and BCC as they transition to MSU for their bachelor?s degrees. The student participants will be mentored by science faculty and by Native American professional biologists in developing academic and research skills to prepare them to complete baccalaureate degrees and continue on in graduate school. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of Native Americans completing bachelor?s degrees and entering graduate programs in ecology, in environmental science and in biological fields. More information is available from Cindy Doore (cindy_doore@fbcc.org) at Blackfeet Community College, from Neva Tallbear (tallbear@lbhc.cc.mt.us) at Little Big Horn College, and from John Watts (jwatts@montana.edu) at Montana State University. The website address is: www.montana.edu/wwwai/
The overall goal of the program is to increase the number of Native Americans pursuing bachelor's degrees in ecology, environmental science and other NSF relevant disciplines to increase their graduation rates and help them prepare for graduate work. We expect the project to continue efforts in the area of professional development and increase educational opportunities for the students working under the mentorship of renowned faculty members. The faculty members have on-going collaborative projects particularly with MSU-Bozeman to continue to utilize and train Native Students who in turn participate and present their findings within their respective communities, at Little Big Horn College. These students also are given opportunity to conduct oral presentations and to present their poster findings at national research conferences demonstrating their knowledge and skill particular to tribal communities. National student conferences strengthen the relationships among the other leading research institutions by the student networking and gaining knowledge as to how specific research projects could benefit their communities. The SACNAS, AISES, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Leadership Alliance & Native Health Research conferences particularly lend themselves to showcasing research projects from other minority student researchers and it increases their awareness of other research career possibilities beyond undergraduate school. This program increased students’ capability to understand the process of environmental research. The students conducting research at LBHC have developed excellent communication and problem solving skills that will prepare them for research when they transfer to obtain their BS degree. Water Quality Project at LBHC: The results of this project will assist faculty at Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency, MT) in teaching students to prepare them for studies of local water sources. It will also help them in performing these environmental health investigations. Up to now, Coliscan Easygel procedures have been used, and although this is a simple method it is limited by the sample size and poor detection of Escherichia coli. Use of membrane filtration with a medium such as MI broth that is more reliable in detecting E. coli will provide a better indication of water quality. Use of membrane filtration with Coliscan Easygel would allow testing of larger sample volumes, improving sensitivity, but the failure to detect many E. coli should be a good reason not to use this medium. Another more suitable medium for membrane filtration, mColiBlue (Hach) which was not available for these trials, is now being studied in comparison with Coliscan Easygel. Radon Project at LBHC: The results of this project will assist faculty at Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency, MT) in teaching students to prepare them for studies of environmental issues. It will also help them in performing theses environmental health investigations. Up to now they have educated the Apsaalooke people about radon. Topic was "Radon in Apsaalooke Country". Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps through cracks in your home and foundation. It is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Radon is caused by the natural breakdown of the earth’s elements in water, soil and rock. Radon is released during the natural decay of uranium, which is found in most rock and soil. It’s also the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. If Radon levels are higher than 4pCi/L the EPA recommends that your home be better ventilated or fixed. The average indoor Radon level is 1.3pCi/L and .4pCi/L for outdoor. The types of methods used to inform the public were brochures and surveys. We went door to door conducting the surveys. A total of 22 surveys were completed and with those 22 surveys; 100% had never heard of Radon, 100% have never tested their homes, and 55% have not heard of the health risks associated with Radon. There is a lack of knowledge about Radon within the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation. Early Radon detection is the key to saving people’s lives from lung cancer.
