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This is a film review of Winding Path (dêtetsi vo'i oninjakan) (2023), directed by Alexandra Lazarowich and Ross Kauffman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nationwide system of postsecondary education in the United States was launched in 1862 when the Morrill Act provided each state with “public” lands to sell in order to raise funds to establish universities. The landgrant university movement is lauded as the first major federal funding for higher education and for making liberal and practical education accessible to Americans of average means. However, hidden beneath the ofttold land-grant narrative is the land itself: the nearly 11 million acres of land sold through the Morrill Act was expropriated from tribal nations. Due to the California Land Act of 1851, which served to dissolve pre-statehood land claims, the failure of the federal government to ratify 18 treaties made with California Indians, and other systematic acts of genocidal violence and dispossession carried out in the second half of the 19th century, the Morrill Act had particularly dire consequences for California Indians. The intent of this report is to motivate the University of California to take action regarding accountability to California Indians stemming from the University’s founding as a land-grant institution through Morrill Act land sales and from the ongoing benefits that UC receives from both returns on the original endowment and continued occupation of California Indian territories via current UC land holdings. The report provides background on the settler-colonial context of Indigenous land expropriation via the Morrill Act, situates the University of California’s unique history, and details the proceedings of a forum on the topic that was held in 2020.

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) sought to end the forced removal of Native children from their tribes. Decades later, American Indian children are still placed in foster and adoptive care at disproportionately high rates. Drawing on forty years of archival data, this study examines the role of administrative burden in reproducing these inequalities and the system of domination from which they arise: settler colonialism. Focusing on three arenas—notice, meeting and hearing involvement, and foster family certification—this article illuminates the burdens imposed on tribal governments that serve as mediating institutions in ICWA implementation. Findings suggest that burdens have particularly strong consequences for inequality when they fall on third-party organizations. They also demonstrate how administrative burden operates as a mechanism for the reproduction of settler-colonial domination.

Abstract Objective Multiple national and international studies of college student COVID-19 vaccination have been recently published, providing important descriptive information and a conceptual basis to inform future decisions about infectious disease prevention in higher education settings. Yet almost no research has examined Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs), which occupy a unique space in US higher education in terms of structure and students served. To address that gap, this report describes results from a two-wave cross-sectional survey administered at a NASNTI in Durango, Colorado, as part of a larger study of COVID-19 campus response. Surveys were administered prior to (wave one) and following (wave two) statewide availability of the COVID-19 vaccine for ages 16+. Comparisons between waves used Cramer’s V and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results A total of 283 students responded to wave one, and 186 responded to wave two. Notable results included a self-reported COVID-19 vaccination rate (40.1%) at wave one that far exceeded parallel national rates. Injunctive and disjunctive normative beliefs were also less supportive of vaccination among the unvaccinated at wave two compared to wave one. Findings from this study should be considered in the context of all available evidence and not used to make inferences in isolation.

IntroductionSuicide and suicide clusters within Native American Reservation communities are devastating to the entire community and increase individuals’ risk for suicide over the lifespan. The objective of this paper is to describe the Indigenous community-based participatory research protocol implemented in partnership with the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana, United States. The study protocol was developed to understand suicide risk and protective factors, and community-derived solutions, in a reservation community with history of a suicide cluster and high rates of youth suicide.MethodsIn this mixed-methods study, qualitative data from youth, adults, and service providers and quantitative data from 200 adolescents and young adults (aged 14–24 years) were collected in Fort Belknap, Montana from May – December of 2022. Qualitative data were collected first via in-depth interviews and focus groups. Survey questions included validated and pre-tested measures of factors youth experience across socio-ecological levels. Thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data; and logistic regression models were used to examine relationships within the quantitative data.DiscussionThis study will add a multi-dimensional perspective to our current understanding of (1) risk and protective factors for suicide, community-derived postvention solutions, and insights on community assets, and (2) the current health and psychosocial status of youth in the Fort Belknap community. This study may serve as an exemplar of co-created, culturally safe solutions designed to address mental health resource gaps. Next steps include development of a suicide crisis response tool kit and a culturally aligned postvention intervention that will enhance individual, family, and community survivance.

Introduction:Native American Veterans are the most rural and experience heightened risk for mental health (MH) challenges while facing significant health care inequities and access barriers. Rural Native Veterans (RNVs) have experienced historical loss and racial discrimination, contributing to mistrust of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and other Federal systems. Telemedicine, including video telehealth (VTH), can improve access to MH care for RNVs by addressing barriers. Understanding the cultural context and existing community resources can improve engagement and implementation efforts with RNVs. Objective:This article describes a model of culturally centered MH care and a flexible implementation approach, Personalized Implementation of Virtual Treatments for Rural Native Veterans (PIVOT-RNV), used to disseminate the model. Methods:Participants included four VHA sites serving large RNV populations where PIVOT-RNV was applied to expand the availability of virtual solutions, including VTH, for RNVs. A mixed methods formative evaluation tracked VTH utilization and used provider and RNV feedback to inform iterative process improvements. Results:Where PIVOT-RNV was used, number of providers using VTH with RNVs, number of unique RNVs receiving MH care through VTH, and number of VTH encounters with RNVs grew annually. Provider and RNV feedback highlighted the importance of addressing the unique barriers and cultural context of RNVs. Conclusions:PIVOT-RNV demonstrates promise for improving implementation of virtual treatments and access to MH care for RNVs. The integration of implementation science within a cultural safety framework helps address specific barriers to adoption of virtual treatments for RNVs. Next steps include expanding PIVOT-RNV efforts at additional sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists have not readily applied collective action and institutional approaches to the study of hunter-gatherers. This is especially true of the American Southeast. Here, I use a review of the recent literature to illustrate the value of such approaches to understanding long-term histories. This review of hunter-gatherer archaeology spans the entire temporal range of Native American history in the Southeast. I argue that the term "hunter-gatherers" itself is constraining. In its place, I suggest that a focus on institutional change and collective action provides a way to better connect histories across temporal units, which then allows for a greater understanding of how such traditions developed, were maintained (or abandoned), and reinvented over the course of history. At the end of the review, I pose five key research areas that archaeologists should focus on that speak to institutions, the nature of public and private goods, common pool resources, and collective action regarding large-scale labor projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, Native youth had the highest rate of teen pregnancy of all racial/ethnic groups. "Respecting the Circle of Life" (RCL) is one of the first evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs for Native teens and there is interest in replicating the program across tribal communities. To inform replication, it is important to consider process data including quality, fidelity, and dosage as these may all moderate impact of the program. Participants were Native youth aged 11–19 and a trusted adult. This study includes participants randomized to the RCL program only (N = 266). Data sources include independent observations, facilitator self-assessments, attendance logs, and self-report assessments completed by enrolled youth at baseline and 3 months post assessment. Data was compiled and summed by cohort. Dosage was number of minutes participating in activities separated by theoretical constructs. Linear regression models were utilized to assess moderation of the effects of the intervention dosage on outcomes of interest. Eighteen facilitators delivered RCL. One hundred eighteen independent observations and 320 facilitator self-assessments were collected and entered. Findings indicate RCL was implemented with high fidelity and quality (4.40 to 4.82 out of a 5-point Likert scale; 96.6% of planned activities completed). Dosage was high with an average completion of 7 out of 9 lessons. There was no association between theoretical construct dosage and outcomes of interest. Overall, this study indicates RCL was delivered with high fidelity, quality, and dosage in this trial. This paper informs future replication of RCL and provides support for hiring paraprofessionals from the local community as facilitators, delivering the RCL to peer groups of the same age and sex, delivering the RCL with short duration and high frequency, and encouraging youth to attend all RCL lessons, but continue to serve youth who have missed one or more lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the prevalence of suicidality among American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) adolescents. Additionally, we measured suicidality, stratified by sex, and its association with sexual identity, sexual violence, and binge drinking. We pooled data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2005 to 2019 to analyze the prevalence of sexual minorities, forced sex, and binge drinking, and their association with suicidality using basic descriptive statistics followed by adjusted odds ratios stratified by sex among AI/AN youth. 19% of AI/AN participants reported having suicidal thoughts and 14% reported having a previous suicide attempt. More than 17% of AI/AN participants identified as sexual minority youth (SMY). Compared to AI/AN heterosexual youth, AI/AN bisexual youth had significantly higher odds of reporting suicidal thoughts (aOR = 16.01), planning (aOR = 12.4), and previous attempts (aOR = 7.73). This pattern was also significantly demonstrated for AI/AN gay/lesbian youth. 43% of all AI/AN participants reported being forced into sexual intercourse. The presence of binge drinking was associated with higher odds of suicidal thoughts for both females and males compared to those who did not binge drink. At the intersection of multiple marginalization, AI/AN SMY have a high mental health burden, demonstrating the need for culturally informed, community-led, and targeted mental health support focused on SMY AI/AN. Though this study fails to capture the heterogeneity within the AI/AN community, as nuances exist at the tribal level, these results demonstrate work needs to be done to support the health burden that AI/AN youth carry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the college experiences of Indigenous students in the United States is critical to enhance their goals of educational attainment. Indigenous college students have been historically underserved by institutions they attend, which are often fraught with the uncertainty of belonging and feelings of isolation. A driving force behind this marginalization is the lack of proper valuation of cultural ways of knowing and being central to their identities. Thus, we sought to examine factors associated with tribal college students' academic achievement: the degree to which institutions support Indigenous students' cultural development and their other academic, social, and nonacademic needs in addition to perceptions of belongingness. With a secondary data sample of 1,393 self-identifying Indigenous students (65% women) across 22 institutions from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement as part of the Tribal Student Success and Completion Project, we situated our study in tribal community colleges, which by design, prioritize the preservation of Indigenous culture and can provide valuable lessons for all institutions to support the academic goals of Indigenous students. Our structural equation model suggested that perceiving institutional support of Indigenous cultural development did not directly impact students' grade point average (GPA) but rather indirectly via their sense of belonging and perceptions of support for student success. Our study sheds light on possible pathways through which respecting students' cultural assets can be linked with their academic performance. Implications for higher education and efforts to forefront Indigenous culture are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ms. Lewis, a Native American parent has a son named Ashkii who receives special education services in a rural elementary school located on a reservation. She has not received support from the individual education program team regarding Ashkii's academic progress due to COVID-19. The challenges in accessing special education services for Ms. Lewis and her child raise issues about equity for students with disabilities during the pandemic. This case unpacks the intersections of race, disability, and the cultural and community wealth of Native American families in rural areas with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine how families and foodways have evolved over time and how they may present promising promotive factors for resilience, health, and wellness. Background: Because food is central to family, social relationships, and healthy living, Indigenist foodways may promote family resilience and offset inequities. Method: Pragmatic horizon analysis of data drawn from 31 critical ethnographic interviews on food and family in the Southeast and Northwest, including both urban and rural reservation tribal contexts, resulted in emergent themes related to food and families. Results: Themes included (a) foodways fostering family connectedness: "The fresh vegetable is how I remember my grandpa"; (b) tight‐knit extended families and communities: "The community where I grew up ... everybody knew each other, so everybody ... pitched in"; (c) family and community celebrations nurturing cohesion: "The family I have, I can always count on. I can trust each one of them"; and (d) families fostering healing: "Sit down and talk to somebody ... that you can trust." Conclusion: Participants explained how foodways promoted family resilience by bringing families and communities together. Indigenist foodways fostered continuity and healing through food preparation and processing and through feasts and gatherings. Implications: Foodways were described as fundamental to family resilience and community connectedness. Subsistence fostered exercise, eating locally sourced foods, and family resilience. Interventions are needed to promote Indigenist foodway sovereignty while first understanding how culture, history, and food inform wellness and community well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cancer worldwide; incidence varies greatly by country and racial group. We compared 2018 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) CRC incidence rates in Alaska to other Tribal, racial, and international population rates. AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest CRC incidence rate among US Tribal and racial groups (61.9/100,000 in 2018). AI/AN persons in Alaska also had higher rates than those reported for any other country in the world in 2018 except for Hungary, where males had a higher CRC incidence rate than AI/AN males in Alaska (70.6/100,000 and 63.6/100,000 respectively). This review of CRC incidence rates from populations in the United States and worldwide showed that AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest documented incidence rate of CRC in the world in 2018. It is important to inform health systems serving AI/AN persons in Alaska about policies and interventions that can support CRC screening to reduce the burden of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous communities in the United States experience some of the highest rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases despite an abundance of food assistance programs and other public health interventions. New approaches that center Indigenous perspectives and solutions are emerging and urgently needed to better understand and address these challenges. This Practice Note shares lessons learned from ongoing collaboration between the Karuk Tribe and University of California, Berkeley researchers and other partners to assess and enhance food sovereignty among Tribes and Tribal communities in the Klamath River Basin. Through two participatory research and extension projects, we demonstrate the importance of centering Indigenous knowledge to strengthen research findings and identify more culturally appropriate solutions to community identified food access, health, and ecosystem challenges. Key findings suggest that approaches to food sovereignty and community health must emanate from the community, be approached holistically, reflect community values and priorities, and center Indigenous land stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Settler colonialism disrupted traditional Indigenous foodways and practices and created high rates of diet-related disease among Indigenous peoples. Food sovereignty, the rights of Indigenous peoples to determine their own food systems, is a culturally centered movement rooted in traditional Indigenous knowledge. This approach directly intervenes upon systems-level barriers to health, making it an important strategy for health equity. While food sovereignty initiatives can be found within many Indigenous communities, the conceptual linkages between food sovereignty and health have not been well documented within the public health literature. We present a practice-informed conceptual framework developed as part of the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity (CIIHE) initiative, a community–academic partnership with the goal of strengthening Indigenous food systems and practices to promote health and well-being. The framework emphasizes connectedness, including the transmission of knowledge across generations and the restoration of relational responsibilities, as central to Indigenous concepts of health and wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional foods and foodways are a critical part of health and well-being for Alaska Native/American Indian (ANAI) peoples. However, many of these foods are being replaced by ultra-processed foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium. The cultural knowledge needed to gather, hunt, and fish to acquire these foods is not being passed down to younger generations, due to lingering effects of colonialism, leading to poor health outcomes among ANAI peoples. Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and the Center for Indigenous and Health Equity (CIIHE) are using community-based participatory research to identify and prioritize food sovereignty interventions to strengthen the transmission of cultural knowledge across generations and improve ANAI health. Through the implementation of a comprehensive landscape analysis and the development of a community advisory board, SCF has planned an Alaska Native Traditional Foods Gathering to highlight regional efforts to document, revitalize, and share cultural food knowledge and practices to build healthy communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission of generational knowledge in Alaska Native communities has been disrupted by colonization and led to declining health among Alaska Natives, as evidenced by the loss of knowledge regarding traditional foods and foodways and increasing rates of cardiometabolic disorders impacting Alaska Natives. Elders play a central role in passing down this generational knowledge, but emerging Elders may have difficulty in stepping into their roles as Elders due to the rapid social and cultural changes impacting their communities. The Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) and the Denakkanaaga Elders Program are partnering with the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity to uplift and support traditional food knowledge and practices to promote health in Alaska Native communities. Guided by a decolonizing and Indigenizing framework, researchers at CANHR are working with Athabascan Elders in the Interior of Alaska to strengthen and protect the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge and practices for emerging Elders. This community-academic partnership will implement and evaluate an Elders Mentoring Elders Camp to focus on repairing and nurturing relationships through the practice and preservation of cultural knowledge and practices, including traditional foodways. This initiative contributes to the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, which is necessary to keep culture alive and thriving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to healthy and appealing food is essential for individuals to be able to live a healthy and quality life. For decades, food security has been a priority issue for public health professionals. Food sovereignty expands upon the concept of food insecurity (i.e., having access to nutritious and culturally relevant food) by incorporating people's rights to define their own food system. The expanded focus of food sovereignty on food systems prioritizes public health professionals' role in supporting environmental- and systems-level initiatives and evaluating their implications for health, economics, and the natural environment. Food sovereignty is of particular importance for Indigenous peoples (i.e., American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities). Colonization had demonstrable consequences, with many Indigenous communities being forcibly relocated from traditional lands, alongside the destruction of traditional food sources. Indigenous food sovereignty aligns with the sovereign nation status that American Indian tribes and Alaska Native communities have with the United States. Furthermore, the worldviews that incorporate Indigenous communities' relational responsibilities to care for their food systems, according to their traditional practices and beliefs (Coté, 2016; Morrison, 2011), uniquely positions Indigenous peoples to lead food sovereignty initiatives. In this article, we explore what is currently known regarding food sovereignty and health. We then discuss opportunities to expand the evidence on Indigenous food sovereignty's relationships with (1) health and well being, (2) economics, (3) the natural environment, and (4) programming facilitators and barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital storytelling is a decentering methodology in health promotion that positions the storyteller as an expert to create a narrative of their lived experiences. This article describes using a two-phase digital storytelling process within the Diné (Navajo) Educational Philosophy framework to guide the development of a culturally grounded curriculum plan that actively engages Diné youth in exploring health professions pathways in their community. The first phase consisted of developing a high school digital storytelling team by training three Diné youth attending high school on the Navajo Nation located in southwest United States, in digital storytelling. In the second phase, the high school digital storytelling team worked collaboratively with seven Diné students enrolled at the local tribal college to develop digital stories about navigating from high school to college. Data from seven completed digital stories were analyzed with assistance from a community advisory board to identify asset-based themes that contributed to positively transitioning from high school to a tribal college. The results revealed several strategies for successful transitions from high school to a public health college major. The culturally relevant strategies and stories were incorporated into a school-based health professions pathway curriculum plan for Diné youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To describe skin disease prevalence, access to dermatologic care, and teledermatology interest among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Methods. Data were collected via self-report surveys administered in person at two community powwows in Denver, Colorado in 2021 and 2022. Results. Most American Indian and/or Alaska Native respondents (94.5%, n=225) reported at least one skin disease. The top three active skin diseases among adolescents were acne, scarring, and eczema. The top three among adults were dry skin, hair loss, and acne. Only 20.9% (n=47) of respondents with skin disease had seen a dermatologist. Approximately one-third of respondents (34.0%, n=81) were open to engaging with teledermatology in their home; 43.3% (n=103) were open to engaging with teledermatology in their local clinic; 42.0% (n=100) were not interested in engaging teledermatology from their home or in their local clinic. Conclusions. Skin disease is prevalent and access to dermatologic care is poor among American Indian and Alaska Native people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Addiction is a significant problem among many Native American groups but has rarely been examined in urban populations. In particular, little is known about the context in which urban Native Americans first use substances. This study compares cases (people with a history of addiction) to controls (people without a history of addiction) on demographics, substance use history, context of first substance use, and polysubstance use. In addition, this appears to be the first study to overcome the lack of Native American professionals by employing and training lay community members to identify criteria of substance use disorders in survey participants. Employing community members helped foster trust that enabled the revelation of sensitive and often illegal activity. As a result, the investigators were able to recruit participants who likely would not have engaged with traditional researchers. Methods. The trained Native American lay research assistants recruited community members and administered surveys. They first asked questions regarding the criteria for substance use disorders. Individuals who were determined to have met criteria for a substance use disorder in the past were classified as cases (n=38) and those who never met such criteria were classified as controls (n=42). They then asked demographic, substance use, and polysubstance use questions. Lastly, eight cases and eight controls were randomly selected for a second interview by a licensed drug and alcohol counselor (LDAC) who conducted a blinded assessment regarding the presence or absence of a history of a substance use disorder. Results. Both groups reported a relatively young age of first substance use (age 16 years for cases and age 15 years for controls). Alcohol was the first substance most commonly used in both groups. Controls reported first benzodiazepine use at a younger age than cases but no other significant differences were found. Both groups reported first obtaining their first drug from family, friends, or at home (rather than a party, bar, or store). Most commonly, the location of their first use of drugs occurred at a friend's home, a party, a bar, or school rather than at their own home. Cases were marginally more likely to report that their first drug use occurred with a friend rather than with a family member when compared with controls. The majority of both groups reported that their first drug use occurred with other Native Americans rather than with non-Native Americans. Polysubstance use was common in both groups (43-45%). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding polysubstance use. The LDAC arrived at the same determination as the trained research assistants on all eight cases and eight controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leslie Marmon Silko, a Native American female writer, includes many photos about family and land in her autobiography Storyteller. The relations of images and words in her book are analyzed from the perspective of semiotics, particularly from Roland Barthes's image rhetoric. The linguistic message and the coded and non-coded iconic message of the photos help in understanding the Laguna Pueblo concept of time and place. Photos about family show the cyclical time expanse of the family history and the change of traditions in Laguna. Photos about land and the stories behind pass on their ancestral culture to the next and the next generation. Photos, as a sign to be against linear time and against humans' violence to nature, help the indigenous reshape their history and re-envision their subjectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While benefiting from strong cultural ties to family, land and culture Native Americans residing on reservations experience psychological distress at rates 2.5 times that of the general population. Treatment utilization for psychological health in reservation-based communities is low with access to culturally appropriate care lacking. Evidence suggests that for mental health treatment, Native Americans prefer culturally informed care that respects Native perspectives on health and well-being. Methods: To decrease stress and promote well-being in tribal Head Start teachers we adapted and implemented a culturally focused intervention within a community-based participatory research framework using mixed methods. Feasibility and acceptability of the adapted 5-session curriculum was tested in a single arm intervention study with a sample of 18 teachers on the Fort Peck Reservation. Participants completed surveys at baseline and upon completion of the intervention. Within session observations and two post-intervention focus groups (n = 8, n = 10) were conducted to elaborate and explain the quantitative results eliciting participant experience of intervention effectiveness and feasibility, acceptably and appropriateness. Implementation outcomes were assessed quantitatively using the Acceptability of Intervention, Intervention Appropriateness, and Feasibility of Intervention measures. Results: Quantitively, attendance rate overall was 93% with no dropouts. Pretest/posttest surveys were analyzed using t-tests and Hedges g to measure effect size. Contrary to our hypothesis, self-perceived stress showed a small positive effect size, indicating that participants were more stressed post intervention. However, depression decreased, with tribal identity and resilience showing positive effect sizes. Content analysis for the qualitative data collected within session observations and post intervention focus groups revealed how lifetime traumas were affecting participants, providing some explanation for the increase in stress. Teachers reported that the sessions helped their psychological health and well-being, supporting feasibility of future interventions. Acceptability scored highest with a mean (SD) of 4.25 (.84) out of 5, appropriateness 4.18 (.86) and feasibility 4.06 (.96) supporting intervention to be acceptable, appropriate, and feasible. Conclusion: Utilizing a culturally based intervention to buffer stress and support the well-being of reservation-based teachers showed promise in helping them recognize their cultural strengths, stress, and need for ongoing support. Implementation outcomes show that intervention scale-out is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequities in access, availability, and affordability of nutritious foods produced by settler colonialism contribute to high rates of food insecurity among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) households. Efforts to understand the influences of food security programming among AI/AN individuals in the United States are constrained by the absence of validity evidence for food security assessments for this population. This study assessed whether AI/AN adult responses on the Food Security Survey Module provide an accurate assessment of food security prevalence, especially when compared with other racial and ethnic groups. A correlational design with the cross-sectional 2019 National Health Interview Survey was used to address the research objective. The 2019 National Health Interview Survey contains a sample (N = 30,052) representative of the resident civilian noninstitutionalized population. The primary outcome was food security, as characterized by the 10-item US Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Survey Module. The module evaluates whether insufficient finances result in perceived food shortages and a reduction in the quantity and/or quality of food intake during the prior 30 days. Data were analyzed by racial and ethnic subsamples to assess scale dimensionality (confirmatory factor analysis), Item Response Theory item analysis, differential item functioning, and external validity (χ2 tests). Results supported the use of the 10-item module for racial and ethnic groups. However, differential item functioning effect sizes exceeded criteria for the Asian, AI/AN, and Hispanic respondents when compared with White respondents. Food security was not significantly related to all expected correlates in the AI/AN subsample. Compelling evidence is presented for validity of the FSSM scores in determining food security status of AI/AN adults. Qualitative inquiry that explores how culture influences the way food security is conceptualized and experienced is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Indigenous-grounded, transformative sequential explanatory study, the author examined the influence of ethnic-racial identity exploration on school connectedness in a sample of (n = 41) Native American youths attending a public school on a federally recognized Indian reservation. The students were enrolled in a Native American cultural immersion program. Participants completed a survey packet including a demographic form, an adapted cultural connectedness survey, and the MAC 5-A-Short Version six-item school connectedness subscale. While the results indicated that ethnic-racial identity exploration slightly impacted school connectedness, they were not deemed statistically significant. The author also captured youth participants' perspectives to develop a deeper understanding of how ethnic-racial identity exploration impacted school connectedness, identifying eight categories. These findings may help inform a broader development and application of a Native American way of knowing instructional model that contributes to strengthening school connectedness for Native American youths through ethnic-racial identity exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I explore the significance of ancestral homelands to Blackfeet identity. Through the analysis of Blackfeet stories and our historical and on-going fight for land sovereignty I examine the entanglements of settler colonial formations and ideologies within Indigenous communities without reinforcing a problematic "plight of the Indian" logic. While the information presented here may contain some elements of pain, the focus centers on pushing beyond a theory of survivance to a theory of thrivance, emphasizing an understanding of our own Blackfeet ways-of-knowing and practices. A thrivance focus is important as it moves beyond a statement of survival to a statement of "we are here, we are productive, and we continue to thrive and contribute to today's world." In addition, thrivance accentuates the importance of ancestral homelands and traditional practices to healing and a positive sense of Indigenous identity and dignity. This emphasis on Blackfeet identity contributes to Native American studies, ethnic studies, and settler colonial studies; but most importantly it offers the hope of understanding through reintroducing a positive Indigenous identity, thus encouraging more balanced and harmonious communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background It is important for non-Native persons to understand that the meaning of culture to Native American/Indigenous Peoples is not about esteem, taste or music but rather is described as a cognitive map on how to be. Native American/Indigenous culture can be thought of as all the things and ways in which Native/Indigenous people understand who they are, where they come from and how they are to interact with others. Hundreds of years across many generations have taught that culture-based activities and interventions improve Native/Indigenous health and wellbeing. We explore if increased Native American culture/cultural connectedness is associated with better mental health/well-being and physical health. Methods We analyzed data from a two-phased study (N = 259 and N = 102) of 361 urban Native Americans in California (2018–2021). The 29 items validated Cultural Connectedness Scale-California (CCS-CA) measured Native culture/cultural connectedness. Mental health/well-being and physical health were assessed using the: modified Herth Hope Index (mHHI), Satisfaction with Life (SWL), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R-10), Substance Abuse (CAGE-AID), and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). We conducted Pearson correlations and stepwise regression analyses with CCS-CA as the independent (predictor) variable to explore our main research questions: 1) Is increased Native American/Indigenous culture associated with: 1) better mental health/well-being; and 2) better physical health? Results Increased Native/Indigenous culture (CCS-CA scores) is significantly associated with better mental health/well-being (mHHI, p

Mutual help groups are a ubiquitous component of the substance abuse treatment system in the United States, showing demonstrated effectiveness as a treatment adjunct; so, it is paramount to understand whether they are as appealing to, and as effective for, racial or ethnic minority groups as they are for Whites. Nonetheless, no known comprehensive reviews have examined whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in mutual help group participation. Accordingly, this study comprehensively reviewed the U.S. literature on racial/ethnic disparities in mutual help participation among adults and adolescents with substance use disorder treatment need. The study identified 19 articles comparing mutual help participation across specific racial/ethnic minority groups and Whites, including eight national epidemiological studies and 11 treatment/community studies. Most compared Latinx and/or Black adults to White adults, and all but two analyzed 12-step participation, with others examining self-help attendance. Across studies, racial/ethnic comparisons yielded mostly null (N = 17) and mixed (N = 9) effects, though some findings were consistent with a racial/ethnic disparity (N = 6) or minority advantage (N = 3). Findings were weakly suggestive of disparities for Latinx populations (especially immigrants, women, and adolescents) as well as for Black women and adolescents. Overall, data were sparse, inconsistent, and dated, highlighting the need for additional studies in this area.

Indigenous peoples of the Americas are proficient in botanical medicine. KCNQ family voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are sensitive to a variety of ligands, including plant metabolites. Here, we screened methanolic extracts prepared from 40 Californian coastal redwood forest plants for effects on Kv current and membrane potential in Xenopus oocytes heterologously expressing KCNQ2/3, which regulates excitability of neurons, including those that sense pain. Extracts from 9 of the 40 plant species increased KCNQ2/3 current at -60 mV by ≥threefold (maximally, 15-fold by Urtica dioica) and/or hyperpolarized membrane potential by ≥-3 mV (maximally, -11 mV by Arctostaphylos glandulosa). All nine plants have traditionally been used as both analgesics and gastrointestinal therapeutics. Of two extracts tested, both acted as KCNQ-dependent analgesics in mice. KCNQ2/3 activation at physiologically relevant, subthreshold membrane potentials by tannic acid, gallic acid and quercetin provided molecular correlates for analgesic action of several of the plants. While tannic acid also activated KCNQ1 and KCNQ1-KCNE1 at hyperpolarized, negative membrane potentials, it inhibited KCNQ1-KCNE3 at both negative and positive membrane potentials, mechanistically rationalizing historical use of tannic acid-containing plants as gastrointestinal therapeutics. KCNE dependence of KCNQ channel modulation by plant metabolites therefore provides a molecular mechanistic basis for Native American use of specific plants as both analgesics and gastrointestinal aids.

Suicide continues to be a leading cause of mortality for young people. Given persistent intersecting forms of disadvantage, Native American adolescents are especially vulnerable to mental health adversities and other suicide risk factors. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) implemented the Choctaw Youth Resilience Initiative (CYRI), a five-year SAMHSA-funded project that began in 2019. This study uses Choctaw student pre-test/post-test survey data to examine the effectiveness of the Hazelden Lifelines Suicide Prevention Training curriculum for youth. A lagged post-test design was used, whereby post-surveys were administered at least one month after program completion. Several intriguing results were observed. First, the lagged post-test model was subject to some pre-to-post attrition, although such attrition was comparable to a standard pre/post design. Second, analyses of completed surveys using means indicated various beneficial effects associated with the Lifelines curriculum implementation. The greatest benefit of the program was a significant change in student perceptions concerning school readiness in response to a suicidal event. Some opportunities for program improvement were also observed. Our study sheds new light on suicide prevention training programs that can be adapted according to Native American youth culture. Program implementation and evaluation implications are discussed in light of these findings.

Background: North American indigenous populations experience higher rates of obesity and chronic disease compared with nonindigenous populations. Improvements in musculoskeletal fitness can mitigate negative health outcomes, but is not well understood among indigenous populations. This review examines musculoskeletal fitness measures among North American indigenous populations. Methods: A total of 1632 citations were evaluated and 18 studies were included. Results: Comparisons of musculoskeletal fitness measures between North American indigenous men and boys and women and girls were generally not reported. The greatest left and right combined maximal grip strength and maximal leg strength among Inuit boys and men and girls and women were observed among 20-29 years age group. Maximal combined right and left grip strength declined from 1970 to 1990, by an average of 15% among adults and 10% among youth. Maximal leg extension among Inuit has declined even further, averaging 38% among adults and 27% among youth from 1970 to 1990. Inuit men demonstrate greater grip strength and lower leg strength than Russian indigenous men, whereas Inuit women demonstrate greater leg strength. Conclusions: Further research is needed to better understand physical fitness among indigenous peoples and the potential for improving health and reducing chronic disease risk for indigenous peoples through physical fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our initial impetus for this project stems from the development of UNCP’s Indigenous Cultures & Communities (ICC) graduation requirement and the efforts of individual faculty representing disciplines in the arts, education, humanities, library, and nursing to redesign class activities and courses and share models and templates for readers’ use and adaptation in incorporating Indigenous-centered pedagogies in their own courses. We have curated our practical and philosophical methods for engaging Indigenous knowledge and using Indigenous-centered pedagogies in college courses and curricula through the lens of faculty efforts to redesign their courses in support of a newly instituted graduation requirement focused on Indigenous cultures and communities.

ABSTRACTColorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cancer worldwide; incidence varies greatly by country and racial group. We compared 2018 American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) CRC incidence rates in Alaska to other Tribal, racial, and international population rates. AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest CRC incidence rate among US Tribal and racial groups (61.9/100,000 in 2018). AI/AN persons in Alaska also had higher rates than those reported for any other country in the world in 2018 except for Hungary, where males had a higher CRC incidence rate than AI/AN males in Alaska (70.6/100,000 and 63.6/100,000 respectively). This review of CRC incidence rates from populations in the United States and worldwide showed that AI/AN persons in Alaska had the highest documented incidence rate of CRC in the world in 2018. It is important to inform health systems serving AI/AN persons in Alaska about policies and interventions that can support CRC screening to reduce the burden of this disease.

Background Addiction is a significant problem among many Native American groups but has rarely been examined in urban populations. In particular, little is known about the context in which urban Native Americans first use substances. This study compares cases (people with a history of addiction) to controls (people without a history of addiction) on demographics, substance use history, context of first substance use, and polysubstance use. In addition, this appears to be the first study to overcome the lack of Native American professionals by employing and training lay community members to identify criteria of substance use disorders in survey participants. Employing community members helped foster trust that enabled the revelation of sensitive and often illegal activity. As a result, the investigators were able to recruit participants who likely would not have engaged with traditional researchers. Methods The trained Native American lay research assistants recruited community members and administered surveys. They first asked questions regarding the criteria for substance use disorders. Individuals who were determined to have met criteria for a substance use disorder in the past were classified as cases (n = 38) and those who never met such criteria were classified as controls (n = 42). They then asked demographic, substance use, and polysubstance use questions. Lastly, eight cases and eight controls were randomly selected for a second interview by a licensed drug and alcohol counselor (LDAC) who conducted a blinded assessment regarding the presence or absence of a history of a substance use disorder. Results Both groups reported a relatively young age of first substance use (age 16 years for cases and age 15 years for controls). Alcohol was the first substance most commonly used in both groups. Controls reported first benzodiazepine use at a younger age than cases but no other significant differences were found. Both groups reported first obtaining their first drug from family, friends, or at home (rather than a party, bar, or store). Most commonly, the location of their first use of drugs occurred at a friend’s home, a party, a bar, or school rather than at their own home. Cases were marginally more likely to report that their first drug use occurred with a friend rather than with a family member when compared with controls. The majority of both groups reported that their first drug use occurred with other Native Americans rather than with non-Native Americans. Polysubstance use was common in both groups (43–45%). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding polysubstance use. The LDAC arrived at the same determination as the trained research assistants on all eight cases and eight controls.

Settler colonialism has contributed to disproportionate health disparities for Indigenous women, however their health experiences during pregnancy are understudied. The first author used qualitative description methodology to conduct life-course semi-structured interviews with 31 women who were members of a state-recognized Gulf Coast Indigenous tribe in the United States. Participants most often described these types of pregnancy experiences: How and From Who Learned About Pregnancy and Birth; Experiences with Miscarriage; Complications During Pregnancy; Working During Pregnancy and Lack of Post-Partum or Maternity Leave and Generational Changes in Pregnancy. We discuss research implications and areas of future research based on participants' experiences.

The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) sought to end the forced removal of Native children from their tribes. Decades later, American Indian children are still placed in foster and adoptive care at disproportionately high rates. Drawing on forty years of archival data, this study examines the role of administrative burden in reproducing these inequalities and the system of domination from which they arise: settler colonialism. Focusing on three arenas—notice, meeting and hearing involvement, and foster family certification—this article illuminates the burdens imposed on tribal governments that serve as mediating institutions in ICWA implementation. Findings suggest that burdens have particularly strong consequences for inequality when they fall on third-party organizations. They also demonstrate how administrative burden operates as a mechanism for the reproduction of settler-colonial domination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal experience in the study of both North American and Baltic European archaeology has provided two totally different ways that the discipline is regarded in the context of national identity and politics. In the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, archaeology has functioned in support of cultural and national identity. In North America, archaeologists are part of dominant non-Indian culture and do not possess cultural continuity with Native Americans. Examples from both regions show how the two orientations differ in the practice of archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine a collection of 47 American Indian baskets collected in the early 20th century, at the height of the 'basket craze'. Currently stored in a Danish museum without much archival information, the baskets encapsulate art historical developments taking place at the turn of the century, a time fuelled by the Euro-American preoccupation with collecting and displaying Native American artefacts. Academic debates developed around the derived 'tourist art' and the colonial framework still haunt Euro-American notions of authenticity. We investigate the baskets, their role, cultural affiliation and significance in a bottom-up approach, with a persistent view to this historical context as well as their material testimony to the agency of the weavers navigating in a transformed economy and legislative restrictions. We show how the baskets materialize the entangled identities of makers, collectors and museums and how interdisciplinary research can provide a spatio-temporal context to overlooked collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family prevention programs that enhance mental health, wellness, and resilience—while simultaneously addressing violence and alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse—among Indigenous families are scarce. This gap in culturally grounded and community-based programs creates a critical need to develop and evaluate the efficacy of such prevention programs. This article fills this gap, with the purpose of describing the structure and content of the Weaving Healthy Families (WHF) program, a culturally grounded and community-based program aimed at preventing violence and AOD use while promoting mental health, resilience, and wellness in Indigenous families. The focus then turns to how to approach this process of developing and implementing the program in a culturally grounded and community-based way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]