December 27, 2017 – Fargo, North Dakota – A documentary film titled “Essence of Healing: Journey of American Indian Nurses” received the 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Media Award at the group’s 44^th biennial convention in Indianapolis, Indiana in October and the Best Service Film Award from the 42^nd American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco in November.

The documentary captures the journeys of 14 American Indian nurses from the Northern Plains as they follow their calling into the nursing profession.

STTI is an International Honor Society of Nursing that advances world health and celebrates nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. The organization reports more than 135,000 active members in 85 countries. STTI honors healthcare professionals for their contributions to professional excellence.

“Our International Award recipients are recognized by their peers for their excellence and outstanding contributions to global health. I am honored to offer my personal congratulations on these achievements,” said STTI President Cathy Catrambone, PhD, RN, FAAN, in a news release about the event.

The American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, California is the world’s longest-running exposition showcasing independent films of U.S. American Indians and First Nations peoples of Canada. During the past 42 years, the American Indian Film Institute has celebrated generations of Indian filmmakers, performing artists and audiences with the best of the most current Indian Cinema.

Groups collaborating to develop the documentary that received the STTI and AIFI awards include:

• Loretta Heuer, professor and documentary executive producer, North Dakota State University School of Nursing, Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota
• Cynthia Lindquist, president, Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten, North Dakota
• Candace Muggerud, executive producer; Greg Kasowski, content development manager; and Juan Thomas, videographer; KAT Communications, Bismarck, North Dakota
• Deb Wilson, director, and Barb Anderson, program coordinator; University of North Dakota Recruitment and Retention of American Indians into Nursing (RAIN Program), Grand Forks, North Dakota 

“This joint project of multiple institutions has improved education/awareness by the public and officials about the ongoing inequities for nursing and American Indians,” said Cynthia Lindquist, president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Fort Totten, North Dakota. She hopes the work will spur continued improvement to recruit and retain Native American nurses. 

“The American Indian nurses in this documentary have touched the lives of many and they make valuable contributions to the health and wellness of their communities,” said Loretta Heuer, professor at North Dakota State University, Fargo. “It is humbling that the film has received so many accolades. This demonstrates the need to promote the contributions of American Indian nurses, along with the unique perspectives and values they bring to the nursing profession.”

DVDs of the documentary have been provided to North Dakota Tribal Councils, Tribal Colleges, and high schools on the Tribal Nations or reservations. It has been archived in local, state, and national museums.

Film receives multiple awards 

In addition, Essence of Healing: Journey of American Indian Nurses has received the following awards:

• Wales International Film Festival, Swansea, Wales, September 2017 Official Winner Documentary Feature
• 2017 Oregon Film Awards – Gold Award for Documentary Feature Competition
• Top Indie Film Awards, Online Festival, June 2017, Best Documentary Feature
• Festigious International Film Competition, Los Angeles, April 2017, Best Documentary Feature
• Highway 61 Film Festival, Pine City, Minnesota, 2017 Second Place Winner Documentary Feature 

The documentary was selected as a finalist or semi-finalist in the following film festivals:

• Hollywood International Independent Documentary Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, January 2017, Finalist
• European Film Festival (Mainstream & Underground), Moscow, Russia, October 2017, Semi-finalist
• Film Festival of Columbus, Columbus, Ohio, 2017, Semi-finalist
• Southern States Indie FanFilmFest, Biloxi, Mississippi, January 2018, Semi-finalist 

The documentary was selected for screening at the following film festivals:

• 2018 Flathead Lake International CinemaFest, Polson, Montana, January 2018
• American Public Health Association Global Public Health Film Festival General Submission, Competent Workforce Category, Atlanta, Georgia, November 2017
• 12^th Annual Central Florida Film Festival, Orlando, Florida, September 2017
• Canadian Diversity Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 2016
• Cutting Edge Film Festival, Pompano Beach, Florida, October 2017
• Direct Monthly Online Film Festivals, Siracusa, Italy, June 2017
• Chandler International Film Festival, Chandler, Arizona, December 2016 

Twenty-five public service announcements developed from the film aired on GoodHealthTV^®, an American Indian health and wellness network that reaches more than 6 million American Indians annually. 

Copies of documentary available 

The documentary was screened at events including the NDSU Native Voices Exhibit, the North Dakota Center for Nursing Culture of Health event, as well as a premiere at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. 

Copies of the film are available through the North Dakota State University Bookstore, Fargo and the North Dakota Heritage Center & Museum Store, Bismarck, North Dakota and online at www.ndsubookstore.com  

Funding for the project was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, University Partnership Research Grant for the Health Profession Opportunity Grants Program, No. 90PH0019, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families. 

For information about Essence of Healing: Journey of American Indian Nurses, contact Loretta.Heuer@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8205.