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Story written by: Andrew Rasmussen

At the 2024 National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association conference, the life and legacy of Beverly Stabber Warne was honored. 

Warne, who died on April 14 at the age of 85, will be remembered for the many lives she touched and the impact she had on Native Americans, including through her work at South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University.  

Warne worked tirelessly, both in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã and Arizona, to expand nursing education and improve health outcomes. She was a mentor and friend to countless nursing students and colleagues, and an advocate for Native Americans everywhere.  

Her impact was evident at the conference as Warne was honored at the conclusion of day one. 

"Bev has left a lasting legacy, not only in the College of Nursing, but also among her students and the communities she served," said SDSU's College of Nursing Dean Mary Anne Krogh, who provided the conference's welcome remarks. "She truly lived out the Lakota values in her approach to everything she did and we all benefitted from her wisdom and spirit." 

South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University's Native American Nursing Education Center — NANEC — which Warne founded, hosted the NANAINA conference in Rapid City on June 10-11. 

Jim Warne, Beverly's son, presented a keynote on his work for the University of South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã's The Center for Disabilities of SD on day one of the conference.  

Also presenting were SDSU faculty members Tiara Ruff and Mary Isaacson.  

Ruff, a coordinator of Native American advising and outreach for the College of Nursing's Rapid City site, presented on a U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant that advances registered nurses from Oglala Lakota College to Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates.  

Isaacson, former associate professor in the College of Nursing, presented on her work to develop culturally responsive palliative care for Native Americans. Her work is being supported from a $368,794 grant from the National Institute for Nursing Research.  

The conference finished with bus tour to the Oyate Health Center and the Crazy Horse Memorial.  

The National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association is a committed group of professionals from every corner of the country, dedicated to the health and well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native people. The mission of NANAINA is to improve the health and well-being of Alaska Native and American Indian people through integrity, respect and spirituality.  

The 2025 conference will be held in Anchorage, Alaska.