Blackfeet Community College

The goal of this study is to determine whether an intervention grounded in Blackfeet culture improves systemic inflammation and symptoms of arthritis in Blackfeet People with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention is designed to increase conectedness of Blackfeet people to Blackfeet culture and community. The intervention will consist of one week of meetings in which Blackfeet Elders talk about Blackfeet historical trauma, culture, traditions and cerimonies. The second week of the intervention consists of visiting Blackfeet sacred sites, guided by Blackfeet Elders. Participants will complete surveys to determine their conectedness to Blackfeet Culture, level of stress, Adverse Childhood Experiences Score (ACES) and arthritis symptoms. Participants will also be evaluated for clinical severity of arthritis and biomarkers of systemic inflammation. Participants will be evaluated pre- and post-intervention as well as 6 months post-intervention.