By: India-Bleu Niehoff, Water Library Student Assistant
Introduction
With the numbers of Indigenous women in STEM historically low, and discrimination, stereotypes and prejudice against Indigenous women in STEM remaining a constant, it is important for Indigenous women who wish to go into STEM to have a support system. This can take the form of financial support through scholarships and funding or personal and/or professional support of other Indigenous women in STEM. The following list is of organizations throughout the Americas and Australia working to create those support systems. This is only a small sampling, and there are certainly many more.
Resources
Learn about Warmi STEM, a group promoting the Indigenous women of Ecuador in STEM, in this blog post. Indigenous Women in STEM Are in a Unique Position to Stop Climate Change
Read a short article discussing the MentorSTEP program at the University of Saskatchewan. MentorSTEP is an organization focused on increasing the number of Indigenous women in STEM fields. A World of Difference: Shining a Light on Indigenous Women in Science
The Indigenous Girls’ STEM Academy is a national investment program in Australia for high-achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, supporting them in pursuing higher education in STEM fields. Indigenous Girls’ STEM Academy
The Canadian Sistering Indigenous and Western Science Program is a paid mentorship program that pairs female-identifying students to work on a research project. The goal of the program is to increase the representation and participation of Indigenous (and non-Indigenous) women in the STEM field. Sistering Indigenous and Western Science Program
While not exclusive to Indigenous women, Natives Rising is an organization created by Danielle Forward and Betsy Fore to highlight Indigenous role models in the technology field.
An article discussing Natives Rising and a grant they received from the Reboot Representation Tech Coalition. Natives Rising Wins Grant Funding to Get Native American Women in Tech
Advancing Indigenous People in STEM, AISES, is an organization dedicated to promoting the inclusion and educational attainment of Indigenous peoples in STEM fields. AISES
The Association of American Indian Physicians, AAIP, is a professional organization that works to promote American Indian and Alaskan Native students in obtaining education in the biomedical sciences, as well as improving health in Indigenous communities. AAIP