Due to reporting errors, the story below incorrectly portrayed Kaitlyn Jongkind’s research and the Cherokee tribe. The article incorrectly suggested that the Cherokee Native Americans are unexposed to modern medicine. It also incorrectly implied that Jongkind exposed them to the Internet and linked them to modern medicine. Jongkind researched the potential of using a website she created to spread nutrition awareness in communities with little Internet access. The article also incorrectly stated that the Cherokee tribe featured Jongkind’s work on their website. The Cherokee Health and Medical Division featured her research. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the errors.
With the click of a mouse, senior Kaitlyn Jongkind exposed a group of Cherokee Native Americans to the Internet, expanding their world — and giving them a link to modern medicine.
Jongkind, a nutrition major, lived on a reservation in the town of Cherokee for two months last summer and gathered information to develop a website that raises awareness about Type 2 diabetes.
“This type of diabetes is directly related to weight,” she said. “We need to encourage programs with nutrition and physical activity.”
Jongkind said most Cherokee are not accustomed to using the Internet. As a result, she said the Cherokee often suffer from preventable conditions like diabetes because they lack the ability to use online resources.
As a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship recipient, Jongkind wrote her honors thesis about her time with the Cherokee.
“My concept of research was wearing a lab coat and using a test tube,” she said.
“Now I see that at UNC, students can explore anything they are interested in.”
The Cherokee Health and Medical Division featured her work on their website with suggestions for losing weight, eating healthily and engaging in physical activity.