Culturally Grounding Health Interventions for Native Youth Exploring the Why and How across Development

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Interventions grounded in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) cultural knowledge and practices are essential for promoting the health and well-being of AIAN youth. AIAN communities have a profound understanding of what is needed and what works when it comes to the development of AIAN children, based on their cultural teachings and practices and lived experience as Indigenous people. Child development researchers can support AIAN communities in their efforts to promote children’s health so long as this research is aligned with community priorities, values, ways of knowing and being, and, importantly, invited. Conversation roundtable participants will discuss strategies they have utilized to integrate culture into programs and approaches to reduce a multitude of risk behaviors and negative health outcomes, such as substance use, suicidal ideation, alcohol exposed pregnancy, and diabetes. Panelists will provide perspectives on the rationale and methods to integrate culturally specific values, practices, and beliefs into their respective interventions. Panelists represent diverse intervention platforms (e.g. in-person vs. virtual), populations (e.g. a reservation-based community in the Northern Plains, urban young AIAN woman of various tribal affiliations across the US, midwestern US tribes, and Canadian reserves), and developmental stages. Such diversity provides a range of viewpoints—offering common and contrasting lessons learned.

Sub Unit

• Solicited Content: Indigenous Children and Families

Moderator

• Michelle Sarche, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Panelists

• Umit Shrestha, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

• Nicole R. Tuitt, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

• Melissa L. Walls, Johns Hopkins University

• Roland S. Moore, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation