AchieveOvercoming Challenges

Challenges

Cultural differences Resources Socio-economic status Discrimination/racism At-risk youth Maltreated youth Isolation

Discrimination/racism

“After enduring a long history of prejudice and indignities, American Indians remain the only ethnic group that is still the subject of national and local team mascots, sports chants, stereotypical statuary and widely accepted derogatory language and place names.”

Whitbeck, Chen, et al, 2004

Cultural Differences

Forms/applications Procedures: formalizing

the informal Grant reporting

requirements Qualitative vs.

quantitative Cookie-cutter

assumptions (uni-Native approach)

Isolation

Out of sight, out of mind

Geographic: Remote Air-accessible /poor roads Peripheral to

political/economic centers & drivers (some exceptions)

Social: Lack of services (esp.

mental & behavioral health) Marginalized populations Lack of connectedness “Bell jar effect”

Lack of partners Absence of civic

organizations Lack of local capacity

(functioning, available adults)

Overworked and overstressed adults

Lack of role models Lack of stable, safe

environments

Resources

Excessive poverty rates Lack of basic

infrastructure (indoor plumbing, clinics, law enforcement, etc)

Lack of political status (some exceptions)

Racial biases, stereotypes & racism

Unemployment rates:AK Native villages: 35 to 65%

Standing Rock: 84%

Native Americans in poverty: 28.4%

Nation as a whole: 15.3%Sioux Indians: 97%

Standing Rock: 6 police patrolling 2.3 million acres

Alaska Native villages: no police; nearest state

trooper: ~ 1 hour flight away

Socio-Economics

At-Risk Youth

Suicide Accidental death Social isolation/ennui Loss of

culture/language High drop-out rates High delinquency rates

Standing Rock Reservation has the highest suicide rate in the

lower 48 states

14% of AK is Alaska Native;29% of juveniles in the juvenile

justice system are Alaska Native

On Standing Rock Reservation, less than 45% graduate high

school

Maltreatment

Developmental trauma disorder/PTSD:

Relational (distrustful) Behavioral Cognitive (dissociation) Loss of expectancy of

protection by others Distrust of protective

caretaker

In Alaska, 53% of Alaska Native children suffer maltreatment

Successful Tribal Mentoring …

Understands/operates from indigenous worldviews

Validates/accepts cultural differences & approaches

Develops appropriate indicators of success

Undertakes responsive not adaptive programming

Martial arts program, Tanana, AK

Mentors the mentors Substantively integrates

tribal communities/tribal leadership

Actively acknowledges/addresses mental/behavioral health component

Establishes broader connections within and without indigenous world

World champion sprint musher George Attla with mentee, Huslia, AK

Successful tribal mentoring…