Working as a paramedic in Minnesota, Native American doctor Arne Vainio once rushed a diabetic Native American woman to the emergency room for immediate medical assistance. According to Vainio, the ER physician looked the patient over and dismissed her as "just a goddamned drunk Indian." Experiences like this inspired Vainio to become a doctor and fight racism and discrimination, he said at a speech to about 20 attendees in Moore Hall Tuesday.
"If he would say that in front of me, how many times would he say that?" Vainio asked. "That's when I decided to go to medical school."
Vainio, who now practices medicine in his birthplace, the Mille Lacs Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota, traced the course of his life from childhood through medical school during his lecture, describing his struggles with prejudice against Native Americans outside of reservations and troubles with his family. One of seven children, he spoke about his father's suicide and the separation of his family after their home was destroyed in a fire.
Vainio said he was encouraged to go to college by a guidance counselor, but found himself unprepared for university-level courses. After dropping out and trying several jobs, the death of a family friend inspired him to take an emergency medical services training course and join a fire-fighting squad.
"We saved lives," he said. "That sticks with you. You're part of this elite family, to know what it's like to run into a burning house when the family is running out."
Vainio said his job also gave him status. He was paid $28,000 per year-- more than his family's income throughout his entire childhood -- and was eventually able to buy his mother a house, her first with running water and indoor plumbing.
Despite the benefits of being a paramedic, he and a coworker decided to return to college in order to attend medical school, Vainio said. They eventually reached the top of their class at University of Minnesota, Duluth, though they often faced skepticism from fellow students, Vainio said.
"I couldn't be equal," he said. "I had to be so much more. I had to work so much harder."
After graduating from medical school at the University of Minnesota, Vainio wanted to return to his community to work in order to stay close to his mother, who suffered from severe diabetes, he said. When he was offered a residency position with the Seattle Indian Health Board, he was reluctant to go, though he ultimately accepted the offer.
"I liked the fact that they were primary care for Native American people," he said. "They actually had a traditional healer on staff. They would do sweat ceremonies; they would do whatever ceremonies they could."
His mother's death at the end of his residency severed his main tie to his birthplace, Vainio said, and he felt divided between his work in Seattle and fulfilling his promise to return to his community. He ultimately decided to move back to the Ojibwe Reservation, where he has practiced for the past 11 years.
Vainio said his success as a physician brought him more attention than he felt he warranted and made him an unwilling role model in the community. Having previously struggled with drug and alcohol use during his younger years, Vainio said he felt unworthy of admiration.
"People started calling me a role model, and I did not want that label," he said. "I did dumb things. I didn't want that pressure."
It took time to realize the importance of his position and what he could do to change perceptions of Native Americans, he said, adding that students at Dartmouth are in a similar position to influence their communities.
"How many minority people get to do this?" he asked. "Not enough. You're role models. You're going to be people in a community that people are going to look up to."
Vainio said his work requires him to treat patients, and also to offer support for families with ill and dying relatives. Despite the common problems he sees in his practice -- most notably teen pregnancy, diabetes and drug addiction -- he said he still values the opportunity to serve his community.
"We need to honor all the sacrifices our people made to get us to this point," he said.
The Office of Student and Multicultural Affairs at Dartmouth Medical School sponsored Vainio's speech, titled "A Native American Physician: His Life Experiences as a 21st Century Healer and Teacher."
