Nomokiyam (Welcome) to the Native Dermatology National Society
When we look at the fields of medicine, we often talk about representation as a statistic. But for Native communities, representation has never been about numbers alone. It has always been about presence, responsibility, and sovereignty.
The Native Dermatology National Society was created to bring Native dermatologists, trainees, students, and allies together in community by strengthening mentorship, advancing advocacy, and reimagining dermatologic care in a way that honors Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and Tribal sovereignty.
NDNS began with mentorship. As a Native medical student interested in dermatology, I sought guidance from Dr. Lucinda Kohn to better understand what Native dermatology could look like, especially as a space for advocacy, scholarship, and community accountability. Through our conversations, it became clear that the need extended far beyond a single mentor-mentee relationship. Native dermatologists and trainees were often working in isolation, without structured opportunities to connect, support one another, or build collective strategy. Together, we recognized that what was missing was not talent or commitment, but community. NDNS was built to help fill that space and build our community.
Dermatology is often perceived as cosmetic or elective, yet skin and hair are critical pieces of our identity. Dermatologic disease intersects with autoimmune illness, environmental exposures, infectious disease, mental health, and structural inequities. In many Native communities, limited access to specialty care means delayed diagnoses of melanoma, under-treatment of inflammatory skin disease, and research that fails to reflect lived realities.
We believe that Native communities deserve both access and to see our communities reflected in our medical teams. We deserve leadership, research grounded in data justice, and culturally informed training for providers who care for our relatives. We deserve mentorship pathways that ensure Native students can see themselves in dermatology and stay.
NDNS exists to:
• Build mentorship networks across generations
• Support Native trainees pursuing dermatology
• Advocate for equity in dermatologic research and data reporting
• Partner with Tribal communities to strengthen culturally grounded care
• Create space for storytelling, scholarship, and solidarity
If you are a Native physician, trainee, student, or ally who believes in advancing Indigenous leadership in dermatology, we invite you to join us. Sign up for updates, become a member, and be part of building something that centers our communities and our sovereignty.
Nomokiyam (Welcome) to NDNS!
