Native students may apply for healthcare scholarships

Western Native Voice, in partnership with We Are Montana, announced they are expanding their COVID-19 Relief Fund to include a new Native American healthcare scholarship program.

The program will provide financial support to Native American Montanans pursuing education in a healthcare-related field and who are determined to improve the health status of their communities.

The WNV COVID Relief Fund will provide $15,000 in scholarships to associate, or enrolled members of Montana federally recognized tribes who will be attending an accredited college, university, community college, tech school, or healthcare certification program during the 2021-2022 school year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating and disproportionate impact on our tribal communities. It has also inspired many tribal community members to double down on their dedication to improving Native health, by furthering their own health education,” said Ronnie Jo Horse, Western Native Voice’s Executive Director.

“Throughout this pandemic, Native leaders and health workers have worked tirelessly to keep their communities safe. This scholarship program celebrates and supports the next generation of Native health leaders, and helps equip Montana’s tribal communities for future public health challenges, “ said Dr. Cora Neumann, founder of We Are Montana.

“Western Native Voice should be commended for the leadership role they have taken in the state by empowering tribal communities with powerful public health information during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Their action to financially support Natives pursuing education and training in the health field shows their commitment to growing our own Native health professionals, our new warriors, for our tribal nations,” said L. Jace Killsback, public health advisor to Western Native Voice.

Interested applicants should visit www.westernnativevoice.org/resources/scholarships to apply.

The deadline to apply is April 1, 2021. Scholarship awards will be announced early-May 2021. Anyone interested in supporting the Native American Healthcare Scholarship initiative can do so via the COVID-19 Relief Fund on Western Native Voice’s website. All donations are tax-deductible.

The Western Native Voice COVID-19 Relief Fund, in partnership with We Are Montana, has raised and facilitated over $250K in COVID relief to date, delivering and facilitating aid and COVID-19 safety training to over 2000 individuals, organizations, health workers, and families.

Western Native Voice is a non-profit, non-partisan social justice organization working to inspire Native leadership through community organizing, education, leadership, and advocacy.

With 7% of Montana’s population being Native American living almost evenly split between reservation and urban areas, WNV organizes in both rural and urban communities using a culturally tailored community organizing and citizen education model to build Native leadership.

We Are Montana supports local leaders in their work to strengthen our public health systems and improve health care outcomes for every Montanan. We Are Montana’s current focus is COVID relief and public health leadership programming across Montana’s rural and Native communities.