It was with great pleasure that Aaniiih Nakoda College presented to the Board of Nursing in Helena on January 19th Ms. LaVerne Parker, RN, MSN, as the Director of our 'Grow Our Own' nursing program.

After having interviewed several candidates by the ANC selection committee, Ms. Parker was chosen as being the best fit for this unique Indigenous program.

She is a highly experienced professional, accruing many awards for nursing, and leadership. Ms. Parker has previously served as a Director of Nursing, as well as worked at the highest levels in the Indian Health Service to affect policy and change.

Her vast experience also involves grant writing and research. Her Masters Degree is in Rural Health Nursing from the University of North Dakota and Rural Health Leadership and Community Health Disparity Training areas of expertise.

LaVerne comes to us from Rocky Boy and is no stranger to ANC. One of our current nursing students is from Rocky Boy and LaVerne taught the Introduction to Nursing course last semester for us.

As we are a Frontier and a Rural environment her background in Rural Public Health will be an asset to our new program. During her time at Stone Child College she was heavily invested in teaching in the Biskanewin Ishkode (Historical Trauma Curriculum) and will bring that with her as our director.

In her own words-her objective in joining us here on the Hi-Line on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation as the first American Indian Director is 'to provide leadership and to increase the number of American Indian Nurses working in the State of Montana".

She is already immersed in our program and with her vision we will continue to go forward in actualizing the dream of providing our community with highly educated and trained, culturally empowered RN's.