Winds of Change - Summer 2017 - 33

continue working in federal Indian law.
What else would you like our readers to
know about Mitchell Hamline and
pursuing a career in Indian law?
MR: What they offer is unique. It's hard to

imagine being in a more traditional law
program, with the opportunity to work
- to put theory into practice - three or
four years away. I'll be 40 years old when I
graduate. I love being able to dig into it
now with the student groups, the
professional organization on campus, and
the faculty who also believe this is
important work we do in Indian law. I
want people to know that valuable
opportunities like the Indian law program
are out there, and perhaps more accessible
than they think.
DT: I want to encourage Native American
students and recent graduates to pursue
this kind of opportunity, whether you're
living in a city, on a reservation, or in
another remote location. You can find a
way to contribute to tribal governments or
judicial systems, or other aspects of Native
communities. The program here allows
you to afford the education to earn a law
degree, and to do it in the context of
Indian law. You get to learn all there is to
understand about its complex history as
well as its application today. The number
of Native Americans going to law school is
so low, and it's important for us to be
represented.

COURTESY OF TORI WELKER

❚ TRIBAL ENTERPRISE
OPPORTUNITY:
CHEROKEE NATION
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Headquartered in Talequah, Okla., the
Cherokee Nation has a tribal jurisdiction
spanning 14 counties in northeastern
Oklahoma. An important initiative of the
tribe is supporting young people as they
pursue their education and careers through
a variety of programs, including Cherokee
Nation National Scholarships and the
Summer Youth Employment Program.
Both undergraduate and graduate
students may apply for scholarships of up to
$2,000 per semester. The Summer Youth
Employment Program provides hands-on
work experience for approximately 600
participants each year. To qualify, young
people must be between the ages of 16 and 24
years old, be a citizen of a federally recognized
tribe, and reside within the Cherokee Nation
jurisdiction. Participants work 40 hours a
week for an hourly wage in job assignments at
Cherokee Nation offices as well as local
schools, clinics, libraries, and businesses.
aises.org

Tori
Welker

school. As part of the scholarship
program, I did a certain number of
volunteer hours in the community,
which was also a valuable opportunity for me.
Describe your experience with the
Cherokee Nation Summer Youth
Employment Program. When I was

an undergrad, someone I knew from
AISES told me about the Cherokee
Nation Summer Youth Employment
Program. I applied and was selected
to work in a clinic pharmacy. I
worked the customer window,
helped keep medicines stocked, and
became familiar with systems and
processes. I was also able to interact
with the pharmacist and begin to
gain drug knowledge. The experience
really solidified for me that I was on
the right career path.
ASK A PARTICIPANT
Tori Welker of Salina, Okla., received Cherokee
Nation scholarships during the four years she
attended Northeastern State University, where
she earned her BS in chemistry. She was also
awarded Cherokee Nation scholarship support
each of the four years she attended the
Oklahoma University College of Pharmacy,
where she earned her doctorate of pharmacy. In
addition, she participated in the Cherokee
Nation Summer Youth Employment Program
and was assigned to a clinic run by the
Cherokee Nation Health Services - the largest
tribally run health care system in the United
States. Welker is now a Commissioned Corps
officer for the Indian Health Service and works
as a pharmacist for the Muscogee (Creek)
Nation. We asked her about her career path
and experience with the Cherokee Nation
youth programs and scholarships.
How did you become interested in a
career as a pharmacist? Science was always

my favorite subject. I had a wonderful
chemistry teacher in high school and knew I
wanted to do something in a scientific field.
Then a pharmacist from Cherokee Nation
came to speak to us at school, and after
talking with her, I decided I would look into
the education and training required to
become a pharmacist. When I enrolled at
Northeastern State, pharmacy was my goal.
What kind of scholarship support did you
receive from the Cherokee Nation? As a

tribal citizen, I was aware that scholarships
are available. I submitted my application and
was very fortunate to have scholarship
support all four years of my undergraduate
work, as well as all four years of pharmacy

How did the opportunities through
Cherokee Nation impact your educational
and career path? The scholarship support

was huge for me. To obtain my undergraduate degree without student loan debt is an
incredible thing, and I couldn't have done it
without the Cherokee Nation. My Summer
Youth employment was also pivotal. It not
only gave me confidence that I had chosen a
strong career field, it put me in a position to
realize that I want to work in Indian health. I
had worked in a retail pharmacy while I was
in school, but working in the clinic was so
much more meaningful to me.
What led you to the Commissioned Corps?

I had two professors who were Commissioned Corps officers. They wore their
uniforms to class sometimes, and I was always
curious about how they served. I learned that
they were part of the Commissioned Corps of
the U.S. Public Health Service, which is one of
the seven uniformed services of the United
States. As I talked with them, I started
thinking it would be a good fit for me. So
when I opted to do a residency, I joined the
Commissioned Corps and completed my
residency at Claremore Indian Hospital. And
I was right. It was a great experience, and after
my residency I transferred to the Muscogee
(Creek) Nation Koweta Indian Health Facility
in Coweta, Okla.
As for the future, I also recently earned
my master's in health care administration. I
know I want to continue working in this field
- and serving Indian communities. I was
born at Hastings Indian Hospital in
Talequah, and my whole life, my family and I
have received health care in the Indian
Health Service system. That's my world. And
I want to continue making a contribution to
it however I can. ■
SUMMER 2017 * WINDS OF CHANGE 33
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