American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

This book is written in the Teetł’it Gwich’in dialect and in English. The stories are told by Mary Martha Firth and are aimed for children 6-12 years of age. The story has an accompanying audio track where the story is read aloud in Gwich'in. The stories were taken from Mary Martha’s stories as they appear in Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land. By Leslie McCartney and Gwich'in Tribal Council. Published by University of Alberta Press (2020).

This book is written in the Gwichya Gwich’in dialect and in English. The stories are told by Antoine (Tony) Andre and are aimed for children 6-12 years of age. The story has an accompanying audio track where the story is read aloud in Gwich'in. The stories were taken from Antoine’s stories as they appear in Our Whole Gwich’in Way of Life Has Changed / Gwich’in K’yuu Gwiidandài’ Tthak Ejuk Gòonlih Stories from the People of the Land. By Leslie McCartney and Gwich'in Tribal Council. Published by University of Alberta Press (2020).

The relationship of Inupiaq Values (or any Alaska Native Values), is embedded in cultural activities and within families. Learn about the ways that  in the act of obtaining fur skins and living in an Inupiaq family in Alaska that embraces fur sewing is demonstrating strong bonds with each other and expresses everyday values such as Spirituality, Responsibiity to Tribe, Sharing and Respect for Nature. These values are remembered and important to Inupiat culture today.

Finding stories within fur sewn items in Alaska is important to passing the knowledge to the next generation. Read more about a particular fancy fur parka in the Barr family from Shishmaref, Alaska, USA. Read about a personal experience of understanding the fur parka as a family heirloom, how the sewing techniques are considered, and how the process of having the right resources matter to what is made. Photos of the fur parka are shared, and direct quotes from family on how they are viewed are shared.

A survey of positions recently advertised in American Indian Studies, Native American Studies, Ethnic Studies, etc., shows that such disciplines seem to include everything but the natural sciences. A highly ranked university in the Midwest seeking faculty in ethnic studies requests applicants with "specialization in humanities, behavioral, and social sciences, creative arts, creative writing, business, communication, law or medicine." A major Canadian university seeking a head for their Department of Native Studies suggests that "areas of cognate interest include Sociology, Political Studies, or Law." What seems curious to us is that the natural sciences are always left out of such lists. This is especially poignant when we remember that our ancestors typically defined their identities and traditions in terms of what they shared with the natural world and their surrounding environments (Lyons 1984; Deloria 1990,1992; Cajete 1994; Marshall 1995; Anderson 1996; Bas...

A partir de una exploración cualitativa aleatoria de contenidos periodísticos, esta investigación revisa ejes narrativos esenciales que conectaron la crisis de imagen y sanitaria desde la agenda setting y desde las redes sociales, en la esfera pública, durante el primer año de la pandemia del COVID-19 en Ecuador. La delimitación del contexto en el cual se desplegó este proceso y la lectura crítica del enfoque hegemónico subyacente en la información y la opinión publicadas tienen el objetivo de identificar las claves de comunicación que posicionaron una percepción colectiva de crisis global, y que incluso podrían haber incidido en la coyuntura electoral de 2021. La investigación concluye reflexionando sobre los eslabones que entrelazaron dos crisis específicas, en una tormenta perfecta.

Prepared under the multi-year grant project, “Alcohol Control in Village Alaska,” funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Portions of this manuscript were revised for inclusion in the paper "Town Law and Village Law: Satellite Villages, Bethel and Alcohol Control in the Modern Era — the Working Relationship and Its Demise" (1982) (http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7352) and the monograph No Need of Gold — Alcohol Control Laws and the Alaska Native Population: From the Russians through the Early Years of Statehood (1986) (http://hdl.handle.net/11122/7353). This unpublished manuscript doesn’t include a bibliography, but references used can be found in bibliographies for those later documents.When representatives of eleven villages in the 57-village Bethel region met in Bethel on September 19, 1962, to organize what came to be the Association of Village Council Presidents, they also discussed the interplay between state law and traditional social c...

For many people, the state of Alaska symbolizes pristine nature—clean air, clean water, and a clean environment. The aurora borealis, Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley (the tallest mountain in North America), and abundant wildlife all symbolize the unique beauty of Alaska. The magnificent and mostly untouched nature of the far north fascinates people from all over the world who visit, including scientists who travel there to study the impacts of climate change, which are especially pronounced in such northern latitudes. Large areas of spruce forests are dying because of the abnormal spread of the bark beetle, glaciers are receding, and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is shrinking.

For many people, the state of Alaska symbolizes pristine nature—clean air, clean water, and a clean environment. The aurora borealis, Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley (the tallest mountain in North America), and abundant wildlife all symbolize the unique beauty of Alaska. The magnificent and mostly untouched nature of the far north fascinates people from all over the world who visit, including scientists who travel there to study the impacts of climate change, which are especially pronounced in such northern latitudes. Large areas of spruce forests are dying because of the abnormal spread of the bark beetle, glaciers are receding, and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is shrinking.

(1) Background: Settler colonialism has severely disrupted Indigenous ancestral ways of healing and being, contributing to an onslaught of health disparities. In particular, the United Houma Nation (UHN) has faced large land loss and trauma, dispossession, and marginalization. Given the paucity of research addressing health for Indigenous individuals living in Louisiana, this study sought to co-identify a United Houma Nation health framework, by co-developing a community land-based healing approach in order to inform future community-based health prevention programs. (2) Methods: This pilot tested, co-designed and implemented a land-based healing pilot study among Houma women utilizing a health promotion leadership approach and utilized semi-structured interviews among 20 UHN women to identify a UHN health framework to guide future results. (3) Results: The findings indicated that RTOR was a feasible pilot project. The initial themes were (1.) place, (2.) environmental/land trauma, (3.) ancestors, (4.) spirituality/mindfulness, (5.) cultural continuity, and (6.) environment and health. The reconnection to land was deemed feasible and seen as central to renewing relationships with ancestors (aihalia asanochi taha), others, and body. This mindful, re-engagement with the land contributed to subthemes of developing stronger tribal identities, recreating ceremonies, and increased cultural continuity, and transforming narratives of trauma into hope and resilience. Based on these findings a Houma Health (Uma Hochokma) Framework was developed and presented. (4) Conclusions: Overall, this study found that land can serve as a feasible therapeutic site for healing through reconnecting Houma tribal citizens to both ancestral knowledges and stories of resilience, as well as viewing self as part of a larger collective. These findings also imply that revisiting historically traumatic places encouraged renewed commitment to cultural continuity and health behaviors-particularly when these places are approached relationally, with ceremony, and traumatic events tied to these places, including climate change and environmental/land trauma, are acknowledged along with the love the ancestors held for future generations.

Climate change is significantly impacting Alaska Native Villages (federally recognized tribes) as well as other rural and place-based communities that wish to continue their traditional lifeways. While many communities are looking to state and federal governments for assistance with climate change and other emergencies, there are limits to assistance under the current political and legal framework. This article discusses strategies for climate change adaptation that Alaska Native Villages and similarly situated communities may be able to take on their own. The article acknowledges the limits to these strategies and the gaps likely to remain in adaptation assistance. The article considers the Native Village of Newtok, Alaska, which is relocating to another site as an adaptation to climate change, as a case study in navigating adaptation assistance. While each community is different, several factors that have helped Newtok may benefit other communities: strong leadership; unified comm...

A manual and computer search of Alaska Native death certificates for firearm-related fatalities from 1990-1992 was conducted. During this three-year period, 116 Alaska Natives lost their lives due to firearm injuries; 88 (76%) of these deaths were suicides. Firearms were the leading cause of injury death for Alaska Natives during this study period. Ninety-two percent of the victims were male, with nearly half of the deaths occurring between the ages of 20-29. Contributing factors and potential solutions are discussed. In This Issue… 33 Firearm-Related Deaths in the Alaska Native Population 35 Erratum 36 American Indians and Alaska Natives: Defining Where They Reside 42 Meetings of Interest 43 Continuing Education on Child Abuse Available March 1996 Volume 21, Number 3 (30%) of the 116 cases. Of these cases, long guns (rifles and shotguns) accounted for 19 (54%) and handguns for 16 (46%) of the deaths. Of the 116 death certificates, 85% listed the deceased as single, 12% as married, and 3% as divorced. Alaska is divided into eight regions, or "service units," by the Alaska Area Native Health Service. A three-year average firearm death rate per 100,000 population was calculated for each of the service units, so that regional rates could be compared. This three-year rate ranged from 18.5 for the Southeast Alaska Service Unit to 85.8 for the Barrow Service Unit (Figure 3). Discussion The rate of firearm-related suicides among Alaska Natives rose dramatically from 14/100,000 for the years 1981-1985 7 to a rate of 31.1/100,000 for the years 1990-1992. Since suicides are by far the leading type of firearm-related death (76%), special consideration should be given to this category. Research by Brent et al showed that firearms were twice as likely to be found in the home of a suicide victim as in the home of a suicide attempter. 8 Research by Hlady and Middaugh found detectable blood alcohol levels in 79% of the Alaska Native suicide victims in 1983-84. 9 Personal observations and anecdotal information from a variety of Alaska Native groups suggest that one of the contributing factors for increased rates of firearm fatalities in the summer months may be increased alcohol availability. Many Native wage earners have seasonal employment from commercial fishing, fire fighting, construction, etc. Some Native people believe that alcohol use, and in turn firearm injuries, increase as the workers return to their communities with large sums of money. Alcohol sales to rural areas, plotted by month and by service unit, would be an interesting topic for further research.

Calorie counting mobile apps claim to assist in weight management by helping users monitor their diets and track activity. This study assessed quality and effectiveness of popular calorie counting apps in weight management and behaviour change. Top 20 apps were selected from Google Play store and their quality was assessed using a 55-point scoring scale on attributes like standards used, content accuracy, user interface and sources of database. The mean (±SD (standard deviation)) quality score was 36.95 (±5.65). The calorie and activity recommendations were compared with standards and over 65 per cent apps over/underestimated calorie intake. To assess effectiveness, 60 young volunteers were recruited and divided into two groups. The intervention group (n = 30) was asked to use one of the top 3 apps for 8 weeks. Pre-and post-comparisons were made with the control group (n = 28). No significant difference was noted in anthropometry or food consumption. There was increasing trend (13.33%) in physical activity in the intervention group.

Objective. To explore patient preferences that influence decision-making in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by indigenous patients living in southern Alberta, Canada. Methods. We conducted a qualitative narrative-based study within a social constructivist framework. Thirteen in-depth interviews with indigenous patients with RA who had attended 1 of 3 rheumatology practices in southern Alberta (1 rural and 2 urban) were completed. Codes generated through 2 phases of analysis were condensed into main themes, triangulated, and used to produce theoretical statements. Results. Patients preferred to use a combination of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments to manage their RA. Nonpharmacologic treatments included physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strategies. Patients' preferences for taking medications varied and were influenced by factors that were clinical (i.e., trust in health providers and understanding drugs' mechanisms of action, benefits, harms, and administration burden), familial (i.e., support), and societal (i.e., access to medications and stigmatization of drug dependency). Conclusion. Indigenous patients apply a holistic approach to the nonpharmacologic management of RA. Increases in preferences for RA medications could be supported through enhanced communication strategies to increase patient understanding of medication effects and health provider recognition of societal and familial influences on patient decisions. A patient-provider relationship based on trust was fundamental to reaching mutual understanding and should be fostered by models of practice that promote cultural safety, empathy, compassion, openness, acknowledgment, and respect of cultural differences.

(1) Background: Settler colonialism has severely disrupted Indigenous ancestral ways of healing and being, contributing to an onslaught of health disparities. In particular, the United Houma Nation (UHN) has faced large land loss and trauma, dispossession, and marginalization. Given the paucity of research addressing health for Indigenous individuals living in Louisiana, this study sought to co-identify a United Houma Nation health framework, by co-developing a community land-based healing approach in order to inform future community-based health prevention programs. (2) Methods: This pilot tested, co-designed and implemented a land-based healing pilot study among Houma women utilizing a health promotion leadership approach and utilized semi-structured interviews among 20 UHN women to identify a UHN health framework to guide future results. (3) Results: The findings indicated that RTOR was a feasible pilot project. The initial themes were (1.) place, (2.) environmental/land trauma, (3.) ancestors, (4.) spirituality/mindfulness, (5.) cultural continuity, and (6.) environment and health. The reconnection to land was deemed feasible and seen as central to renewing relationships with ancestors (aihalia asanochi taha), others, and body. This mindful, re-engagement with the land contributed to subthemes of developing stronger tribal identities, recreating ceremonies, and increased cultural continuity, and transforming narratives of trauma into hope and resilience. Based on these findings a Houma Health (Uma Hochokma) Framework was developed and presented. (4) Conclusions: Overall, this study found that land can serve as a feasible therapeutic site for healing through reconnecting Houma tribal citizens to both ancestral knowledges and stories of resilience, as well as viewing self as part of a larger collective. These findings also imply that revisiting historically traumatic places encouraged renewed commitment to cultural continuity and health behaviors-particularly when these places are approached relationally, with ceremony, and traumatic events tied to these places, including climate change and environmental/land trauma, are acknowledged along with the love the ancestors held for future generations.

This Career workshop is dedicated to helping students (members of Native and rural communities, juniors, undergraduates and graduates, international students, etc.) prepare for their future academic or professional careers in archaeology, anthropology, humanities, science, and education in Alaska.

Background: Chronic pain is a burden in terms of patient distress, social and work disability, diminished quality of life, and increased healthcare costs. In the treatment of chronic pain, non-pharmacological interventions offer patients self-management strategies to improve function, coping and adaptation skills. Improved health outcomes through education in these methods may be more beneficial than reliance on prescription pain medication. Aims and Methods: Chronic pain patients benefit from enhanced knowledge to manage pain through health education, support tools and information on complementary therapies, with non-pharmacological, acceptance-based health education. The aim of this paper is to summarize the non-pharmacological tools that patients may use to relieve chronic pain. Results: Interventions such as stretching, ergonomics, exercise, as well as other alternative approaches offer enhanced pain control. Conclusions: Nurse-led interventions in chronic pain education offer solutions for clinical practice with non-pharmacological, acceptance-based health education. Chronic pain patients benefit from ergonomics and posture training, stretching discussions, and complementary modalities.

Contemporary Indigenous women’s literature illustrates how American Indian women facilitate adaptation from “traditional” communities to diverse urban communities.  The objective of this study is to examine how Northern Athabascan women lead in communities which are not exclusive to these Indigenous peoples.  The use of Athabascan values such as self-sufficiency, hard work, practice of traditions, caring, sharing, family relations, and respect for elders and others, can be seen as one example of how women lead in non-“traditional” communities.  This thesis examines Athabascan women leaders who have worked at two seasonal Native-owned hotels in Alaska as a case study to examine how women lead.  By analyzing the women of Doyon Tourism Inc. through the framework of Athabascan values, evidence of cultural continuity can be seen through the sustained use of “traditional” values.

The Red Dog Mine is a joint venture between NANA Regional Corporation, Inc., owned by the Iñupiat people of Northwest Alaska, and Teck Alaska Incorporated, Canada’s largest diversified mining corporation. The mining operation is based upon a rather singular agreement whereby the Canadian company, Teck is the mine operator and NANA is the landowner.
The Website of the Red Dog Mine claims that the venture was ‘founded on the principles of consensus, cooperation and mutual respect’ and that the Red Dog Mine ‘demonstrates that mining can be compatible with Iñupiat values,’ and is ‘committed to protecting the region’s natural resources for generations to come’ while promising to create jobs, benefit future generations, and to ‘act as a catalyst for regional economic benefits without infringing upon the Inupiat culture and way of life.’
Is resource extraction seen as a necessary compromise in the wake of the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act, and is it truly compatible with Iñupiat community values and a traditional lifestyle of subsistence hunting?

This community-based research applied principles of wilderness experience programming and Indigenous knowledges in an exploratory intervention designed to address health disparities in a tribal community. Drawing on historical trauma frameworks, tribal members rewalked the Trail of Tears to consider its effect on contemporary tribal health. Qualitative data from tribal members suggest that engagement with place and experiential learning, particularly the physical and emotional challenge of the Trail, facilitated changes in health beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Deep engagement outside of traditional health service settings should be considered in interventions and may be particularly effective in promoting positive health behaviors in Native communities.

The main focus of my investigation is to look into the effects that alcohol has had on society and law in Alaska through its history. A particular emphasis will be placed into its effects on the native communities of Alaska and how have they reacted to it. For this I will examine the available personal accounts, newspaper accounts, jurisprudence related, and psico/social research to the topic.

The focus of this study will be on the crime and punishment history of Alaska and how the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds of its inhabitants helped shape up its history. To help understand this period we will rely mainly on secondary material and a few primary sources that are available online. These will help us get a better understanding of the social and legal changes that were going on during the different periods, where race relations – even those that did not take place in this territory – would play a key role in the formation of the Alaskan legal history.

Objectives. We evaluated the racial misclassification of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in cancer incidence and all-cause mortality data by Indian Health Service (IHS) Contract Health Service Delivery Area (CHSDA).
Methods. We evaluated data from 3 sources: IHS-National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), IHS-National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)/Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, and National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS). We calculated, within each data source, the sensitivity
and classification ratios by sex, IHS region, and urban–rural classification by CHSDA county.
Results. Sensitivity was significantly greater in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 83.6%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 77.6%; NLMS: 68.8%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 54.8%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 39.0%; NLMS: 28.3%). Classification ratios indicated
less misclassification in CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.20%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 1.29%; NLMS: 1.18%) than non-CHSDA counties (IHS-NVSS: 1.82%; IHS-NPCR/SEER: 2.56%; NLMS: 1.81%). Race misclassification was less in rural counties and in regions with the greatest concentrations of AI/AN persons (Alaska, Southwest, and Northern Plains).
Conclusions. Limiting presentation and analysis to CHSDA counties helped mitigate the effects of race misclassification of AI/AN persons, although a portion of the population was excluded.

Previous studies have recognized the potential of mobile technology to improve health outcomes among underserved populations, but the challenges in conducting research into the use of mobile technology to improve health (mHealth) are not well understood. This manuscript identifies some of the most important challenges in conducting mHealth research with a sample of urban American Indian and Alaska Native mothers. We examined these challenges through an existing partnership with a community health agency. We conducted community consultations and a process monitoring phase for a pilot trial aimed at measuring the effect of a brief counselling session on participants' adherence to use of a mobile app. We identify generalizable challenges in administrative, technological, and logistical domains that will be useful foreknowledge to other investigators planning to conduct mHealth research with underserved populations.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore the chronic pain experience and establish cultural appropriateness of cognitive behavioral pain management (CBPM) techniques in American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Design: A semistructured interview guide was used with three focus groups of AI/AN patients in the U.S. Southwest and Pacific Northwest regions to explore pain and CBPM in AI/ANs. Findings: The participants provided rich qualitative data regarding chronic pain and willingness to use CBPM. Themes included empty promises and health care insufficiencies, individuality, pain management strategies, and suggestions for health care providers. Conclusion: Results suggest that there is room for improvement in chronic pain care among AI/ANs and that CBPM would likely be a viable and culturally appropriate approach for chronic pain management. Implications: This research provides evidence that CBPM is culturally acceptable and in alignment with existing traditional AI/AN strategies for coping and healing.

Native Americans are the most economically impoverished ethnic group in the United States. Fewer educational opportunities, high unemployment, permanent residency or homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, and geographic isolation are realities and challenges that contribute to the proliferation of social problems experienced by Native Americans. For example, twenty-seven percent (27%) of Indian families live below the poverty line (compared to approximately eleven percent (11.6%) among whites nationwide. Also, Native Americans are subject to more violent crime than any other U.S. ethnic group, these crimes include murder, assault, drug trafficking, human trafficking, gang violence, and illegal immigration through Tribal lands. To compound these realities and challenges Native Americans face persistent racial discrimination. Application of discrimination theory provides an understanding of how Native Americans experience both overt and subtle forms of racial discrimination. One solution to reduce these challenges of Native Americans may be the restoration of Native Americans to their core cultural values, while, at the same time, increasing cultural competency among all other racial and ethnic groups.