The Indigenous Faculty Forum (IFF) aims to create a supportive space for Indigenous faculty in academic medicine to come together, foster community, and develop skills to navigate their academic careers.
2027 INDIGENOUS FACULTY FORUM
Our theme for IFF 2027 is Reclamation: Returning to What Sustains Us. Cultivating What Comes Next.
When: May 27-28, 2027
Where: Portland, Oregon
Who: Target audience: Indigenous faculty (terminal degrees) at academic medical centers.
HOSTED BY
2026 INDIGENOUS FACULTY FORUM
When: February 5 - 6, 2026
Where: John A. Burns School of Medicine
Honolulu, Hawaii
Our theme for IFF 2026 was: E lauhoe mai nā waʻa; i ke kā, i ka hoe; i ka hoe, i ke kā; pae aku i ka ʻāina. (Everybody paddle the canoe together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore is reached.)
IFF 2025: ROOTS OF RESILIENCE
When: February 13th – 15th, 2025
Where: Portland State University Native American Student and Community Center (710 SW Jackson St, Portland, OR 97201)
Our theme for IFF 2025 was Roots of Resilience
A Brief History of NNACoE’s Indigenous Faculty Forum
Indigenous faculty are the most under-represented minority in academic medicine. Indigenous faculty also experience unique challenges such as the complexities of practicing in Tribal or Urban Indian communities, limited information on academic career paths, lack of credit for teaching and community service, isolation, challenges in balancing Indigenous and academic cultures and lack of mentors.
To combat these challenges, NNACoE convened their first Indigenous Faculty Forum in the Fall of 2017, which included culturally relevant sessions, career development support and a focus group to better understand the professional development and other needs of Indigenous faculty.
Over 20 AI/AN faculty from U.S. medical schools participate in the longitudinal forum, representing over 10% of AI/AN physicians in academia nationwide. Attendees engage in networking, receive career support and instruction on key professional competencies, and discuss unique cultural considerations for Indigenous faculty in academia.
