Wassaja Indigenous-Led Research on Tribal Program Effectiveness
Goals
The Wassaja Center uses an Indigenous-led framework to work with Tribal Nations, students, practitioners, and communities to assist Indigenous families in healing the body, mind, spirit, and environment. Our VIP Team’s purpose is to capture and measure the effectiveness and efficiency of this Tribally-Led Model. Although it is intuitive, and somewhat inherent, that a Tribal-Led Model would be effective and efficient, there is no data that can be found to support this notion. Capturing data and developing ways to interpret it from an Indigenous philosophical thought to a western one is innovative and essential, especially when trying to evaluate a Tribally-Led Model’s outcomes. Our central research question is whether or not a Tribally-Led program is effective and efficient when working with Tribes.
Issues Involved or Addressed
Tribes know research is powerful, and it can harm or help. Unfortunately, history has taught Tribes that research hurts and not to be trusted. Therefore, Tribes have slammed on their brakes when it comes to research and western healing philosophy. This history of unethical research has contributed to a profound mistrust of research among the AI/AN population. This lack of cultural safety and cultural humility in research limits the integration of understanding between the cultural and contextual Indigenous knowledge frameworks. This understanding is paramount and valuable when working with an AI/AN Community. Without this understanding, progress toward sustainable change is null. To further progress in this area, this VIP team will support diverse researchers whose work seeks to address structural and systemic determinants of health.
Methods and Tech
Students will be led by an Indigenous Faculty.
Outcomes/deliverables include:
- Research outcomes of effective and efficient Tribally-led Programs.
- Create tools to evaluate Tribally-Led programs’ or models’ effectiveness and efficiency.
- Establish a definition of effectiveness and efficiency in programming and research from a Tribal/Western lens.
- Develop approaches to measure Tribally-Led programs/models, such as those below (not an exhaustive list):
- Qualitative data collection
- Case Studies
- Focus Groups
- Interviews
Academic Majors of Interest
All majors will be considered. Most important will be student interest in and enthusiasm for the team's central question and framework for addressing it as described above.
Preferred Interests and Preparation
- Working with plants
- Open to an Indigenous mind-set to health
- Thinking outside the box to solve issues that have never been addressed
Application Process
To express interest in this team, please complete the VIP Interest Form and select "Wassaja Indigenous-Led Research on Tribal Program Effectiveness."
This team recruits students for both credit and federal work-study options (as available) for VIP participation.