CTSI member’s wellness challenge mobilizes COVID relief support for indigenous communities

This November, UCLA honors National Native American Heritage Month. UCLA has taken this opportunity to pay tribute to the significant milestones that were reached this past year as indigenous peoples championed efforts to protect the environment, won long-standing battles to eliminate offensive mascots and served our country at the highest levels.

At UCLA CTSI, we are proud of the achievements and recognition that one of our own has received. Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel, a citizen of Kul Wičasa Lakota, has been acknowledged for her remarkable community work which strives to support marginalized groups of all backgrounds. Jordan, an outreach and program manager for the UCLA CTSI Grants Submission Unit, launched Mitakuye Oyasin (We Are All Related), a COVID-19 relief program for Indigenous communities.

A current focus of the relief program is mobilizing our community to participate in the Native American/Alaska Native Heritage Month/Wellness Challenge. The goal is for teams to attempt to complete 640 miles (the symbolic number represents the sum of 574 federally recognized tribes plus 66 state-recognized tribes) but individuals can also post their own personal challenge mileage amount to try and complete between November 1-30, 2020.

"This virtual race is to bring and call people in–to support the survival of Indigenous People, their strength, and their resilience–because we are still here!” Jordan states on the program website. And the call is still out there. This community challenge is open to everyone--and it's not too late to enter and show your support.

Enter the challenge here.

The virtual event is organized by Jordan's organization, Rising Hearts, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Urban Indigenous Collective. 

UCLA CTSI is part of the UCLA system that values our Native American and Alaska Native patients, faculty, staff, trainees, students and volunteers and are grateful for their presence and numerous contributions to UCLA Health.

Image source: Jordan Daniel (at center) runs as part of a 360 mile prayer run from Bears Ears to Salt Lake City, Utah, organized by the SLC Air Protectors in September 2020.

Image caption:  Rising Hearts/Urban Indigenous Collective