On April 7, UWO BSW senior Laura Burow presented at the Wisconsin Council on Social Work Education (WCSWE) Conference.
In the context of social work education, Laura outlined research on Indigenous-centered US federal policies and the implication for tribes, enrolled tribal members, and Indigenous communities.
Laura Burow is a social work student at UW-Oshkosh who will be graduating with a BSW this spring semester of 2022. She is also pursuing a Spanish minor and an Indigenous Studies certificate. After graduation, she plans to go to graduate school at UW-Oshkosh for her master’s degree. Her career goals include school social work, policy research and analysis, and community programming. When she is not studying and completing course work, she enjoys rollerblading with her dog, spending time outdoors in the sunshine, and reading. She is currently interning at Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs and Shelter in her hometown of Appleton, WI.
For the Indigenous Studies certificate, she has taken cultural anthropology classes, and has sought out and organized an independent study. Through this process, she has collaborated with social work professors to research and draft a conceptual article to be used as a resource and guidebook for social work educators to incorporate into curriculum. The article addresses social welfare policies that have impacted Indigenous communities and tribal nations throughout history—it is organized to outline each policy by explaining the era, tenets, implications, and its relevance to social work. Examples of included policies are the Indian Removal Act, the Indian Civil Rights Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. The hopes of this guidebook are to provide social work educators with academic text to prepare social work students and emerging practitioners to practice with cultural sensitivity and engagement.
Methodological triangulation was used to formulate this article and promote reliable results. This method draws on multiple sources including academic literature, Indigenous knowledge and tradition, and research to best depict the policies and the importance of their implications and relevance to the profession. The results of this research based conceptual article will foster an education that acknowledges and respects Indigenous communities that hold unique history, traditions, beliefs, strengths, and core values. Accompanied by UW-Oshkosh professor Dr. Fischer-Williams, Laura had the opportunity to present this project at the Wisconsin Council on Social Work Education Student Research Conference. She enjoyed presenting her research and findings to an audience of students and educators that will benefit from the information and material this project provides.