Eva Marie Smith '74 on Michael Dorris

"He Believed In Me."

AM A MEMBER of the Shinnecock Tribe of New York. When I transferred to Dartmouth, it was mainly to be at a school with other Native students. I was a history major, thinking about a possible career in journalism or education. I thought about what my role would be after graduation in terms of the college-educated Indian what I could contribute to the Indian community.

I got to know Michael Dorris through a work-study job with the Native American Studies office. He was the one who helped expand my thinking. He was more than just a well-read, incredibly intelligent professor. He was a sounding board. He showed me how to list and weigh pros and cons before I made decisions. He believed in me he had a habit of saying, "Yes, you can. Yes, you can." It got to the point where I started saying, "Well, before I make a decision, I'll have to check in with my agent "

While I was on a summer recruitment trip at the Crow Fair in Montana, I attended a

meeting of the Association of American Indian Physicians. I was inspired by the commitment I saw there, and after a discussion with my family and a tribal elder, I decided to make a switch in my career track. At Dartmouth, Professor Dorris's persistent encouragement allowed me to get through my pre-med courses. He wrote a letter of recommendation which promised that I would be a "calm, competent, and caring physician." During many rough hours of classroom, laboratory, and hospital experiences, particularly during times of panic, self-doubt, and frustration, those words and his friendship helped me through.

I don't know if he realized, during the many midnight phone calls, how much of a rock for me he really was.

Eva Marie Smith

"Hewas morethan just awell-readincrediblyintelligentprofessor."

EVA MARIE SMITH, with training in family,preventive, and addiction medicine, has been aphysician with the Indian Health Service fornine years.