# data[].attributes.body
Today I learned a lot about health care for our Native American people. We toured the IHS (Indian Health Service) facility in Sisseton, SD. The Indian Health Service, better known as IHS, is a functional division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. IHS is in charge of delivering direct medical and public health services to Alaska Natives and members of federally recognized Native American Tribes. This clinic is very different to a clinic you would see in Sioux Falls. This clinic had various different departments within their facility; for example dentistry, pharmacy, radiology, and even audiology. The IHS is a free health care clinic to Native Americans. Although it is free, it is not the best thing that it seems to live up to be. At the IHS in Sisseton, they have a hard time keeping faculty. So it is difficult to provide the best care that the patient needs.
The biggest thing that surprised me the most about visiting IHS, is that people have to drive 45 minutes to an hour just to visit the clinic. Some individuals don't have access to a vehicle, so they have to rely on someone else to bring them to their appointments. The IHS is working on getting a mobile clinic to provide for those who are not able to make the drive.
My biggest takeaway from today is to build relationships with your patients. This forms a bond and trust with your patient, which can lead to a more positive reaction to how the patient will respond to your advice. They are more likely to follow your techniques on how to make them better with someone that they trust.

# data[].attributes.body
Today I had a lot of fun with the horses. You got to interact with the horses a lot. I didn’t expect barn with the horses as much as I did. I love getting to brush the horses, ride them, and bond with them as one of my own. What I thought was interesting was how much is a horse can sense our feelings and then that depends on how they are feeling as well. During our one activity where we had to guide the horse around different obstacles without speaking to the horse, you had to show trust in your horse And your teammates. this ties into how you should bond with your patients. If you don’t give them the time and energy that they need. You as a doctor won’t see positive results with your client. at the clinic in Flandreau, they emphasize how big of a part bonding with your patient was. I believe this is a very important thing to do as a doctor now that my eyes have opened in ways that they weren’t before.
Another thing that I took away from this activity is that success comes in many different ways. You could have a very big success like passing the MCAT test or a very small success like getting out of bed in the morning. A way that we show different successes in our activity today was during the horse obstacle activity. One of our groups biggest accomplishments was making it through all the obstacles, while one of the other groups his successes was getting through one obstacle. It doesn’t matter how big or small your successes are it just matters that you got through it and had one success. doesn’t matter how big or small your successes are it just matters that you got through it and had one success.

# data[].attributes.body
Today we went to Pipestone MN. We saw how the pipestone was carved out of the pits. Pipestone is a rustic orange color, that can only be carved out with stone. We took a nature trail walk with our tour guide. I thought it was very interesting how there is a plant for everything. They found a purpose for all those different plants. It also amazed me how our tour guide knew every plant off of the top of his head. I could never do that!

# data[].attributes.body
Travel day!

# data[].attributes.body
After our long day of travel, we finally got to our dinner. Before our dinner, we had a Sami introduction. Where we had a lady come in and introduce us into the Sami culture. What I found interesting was how our Native Americans followed the buffalo, the Sami people followed the reindeer. Just like how Native Americans used every single part of the buffalo, they used every piece of the reindeer as well. Another thing I found interesting is that they don’t use wedding rings instead they use hats.

# data[].attributes.body
Today was a very, long tiring day for me. I am still not used to the time change just yet. Our first activity for the day we took a cruise around Lake Inari. Lake Inari is the largest lake in Sápmi and the third-largest lake in Finland. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters above sea level, and is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plant in Russia. The best-known islands of the lake are Hautuumaasaari, which served as a cemetery for ancient Sami people, and Ukonkivi, a historical sacrifice place of the ancient inhabitants of the area. During the cruise, I may have been a little tired and took a nap. But this was information i had retained before i had fallen asleep. Next off we toured the Sami museum. I loved how this museum had an indoor and outdoor exhibit. What I though was very interesting was that when bear hibernate and they are pregnant, they have their cubs while they are hibernating. Which means that the mamma bear wakes up for the duration of the birth of her cubs and then falls back asleep. The cubs are born independent so they know how to feed off of their mothers without any help. Another thing that I found interesting about the Sami culture is that they have rap music. Never would I think that the an indigenous group would have rap music. For supper, we had a semi-American meal, with a twist. We had chicken slack in red wine with white rice, salad with cheese toppings, and for dessert a cloudberry crisp.

# data[].attributes.body
Today has been one of my favorite days so far. We started off our day driving to our destination where we were going to start our hike in Lemmenjoki National Park. First we had to get in a boat. Nobody expected that we needed to take a boat to start our hiking journey. The boat ride was very cold, and was about an hour long. At our halfway point, we stopped and saw a waterfall. I loved this! Waterfalls are my favorite thing to look at so when I saw this I was very excited. We finally got to our destination, where we started our hike. The hike was about 0.62 miles up hill. It got rough at some points but we made it through it. When we got at our spot, we gold rushed in the stream. This was very hard to do, I myself didn’t find any gold, but I found some pink granite. After the gold rush, we hiked back down to camp where our guides made reindeer stew, which was very good. We then took the boat back to where we started and then we saw some reindeer. The reindeer was out tour guides personal reindeer, where we got to meet them and feed them. I loved it. Then we headed back to our hotel where we had our debriefing. Finally for supper, we were served vegetable beet root soup, salmon, cooked vegetables, masked potatoes, and a rhubarb cake. I loved everything but the fish. I am not a big fish eater. I even liked the rhubarb, which I didn’t like coming into this trip.

# data[].attributes.body
Some of my views that have changed are with the whole Sami culture. I thought it was going to be similar to our indigenous groups but they are really different but similar at the same time. One question that was asked a lot was if the teepee had a specific symbolism like how our indigenous groups do with the teepee. The Sami group built their teepee, from what I gathered, strategically. The professor e applied that the teepee was their home away from home. This is because teepees are easy to take down and put back together.
One thing that stood out to me today was how hard the Sami people work to make their wardrobe. They stitch it all by hand and all the materials are natural, handmade products. They seemed like old souls and don’t use big machines to makes clothes or shoes. I believe this add more meaning to the product and what brings upon them.

# data[].attributes.body
Today we went to the Sami education institute. What surprised me the most about this school was that local people did not have to pay for school or board at all. International student only pay a small fee for their schooling. This is not how it is in America. I wish it was! We learned about reindeer hearding, education, and different products and crafts that were hand made. Then the people from the institute, took us on a little hike across a bridge where we took cute pictures! After the institute, we went to see this couple and their race huskies. They were adorable! They train their dogs every single day so it is a full time job. That is all what they do, which is crazy. They have something kind of like an internship, where you can stay at their place and help take care and train their dogs. If you know what you are doing they will pay you, but if not they will not pay you as it is like a training fee.

# data[].attributes.body
Today had to be my favorite day so far. In the morning we had picked berries and mushrooms to make a light lunch out of. The blueberry’s were so much better than they are in America. After we made our lunch we went to the reindeer farm, where we even got to feed the reindeer. My biggest take away from today was when our guide was talking about what made you Sami to the government. He said that if you’re grandparents or parents are registered under Sami you are considered Sami. But the Finnish government is trying to change this to language. So if you are born Finnish but you can speak Sami you could be considered Sami. But if you are born into a Sami language and your ancestors don’t speak Sami you couldn’t be considered Sami you would be considered Finnish. Which I don’t believe is right at all. The lifestyle of the Sami is very interesting to me as I saw it first hand at my guides house. Our guide was very information and the things he had said really connected all the dots from what I had learned previously. I have a different view on how they do things.