The purpose of this study was to identify the social process of infant care among Cherokee mothers. Nineteen informants, who had an infant less than 2 years of age, were interviewed. The data were analyzed using the technique of constant comparative analysis. A social process of Indian infant care among Cherokee mothers was identified. Eight conceptsemerged from data analysis. The first and principal concept, being a Cherokee mother, describes the functions of being an Indian mother in Cherokee society. The other seven concepts describe the patterns of cultural care the mothers provided to their infants. These included accommodating everyday infant care, accommodating health perspectives, building a care-providing consortium, living spiritually, merging the infant into Indian culture, using noncoercive discipline techniques, and vigilantly watching for the natural unfolding of the infant. Trustworthiness and credibility of the generated theory were evaluated through multiple measures.

Native nurse leaders lead differently. Thus, a leadership curriculum suitable for Native nurses may lead to increased work productivity and therefore improved patient care for Native Americans.

A dialogue with five Native American scholars provides insight into conducting research and publishing resulting manuscripts on Native American topics, specifically healing beliefs and practices. This information provides a means to develop sensitivity and create understanding about concerns held by Native Americans regarding sharing certain defined cultural information with those outside the culture. The article identifies salient tribal issues related to research, discusses perspectives important to tribal nations and Native individuals surrounding research, and supplies a base on which to formulate further discussions.

This chapter provides a review of research literature and describes the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among racial and ethnic minority populations. The relevance of CAM to health disparities is also discussed. Complementary and alternative medicines are terms used to describe methods of health care beyond the usual Western biomedical model. These treatments are prevalent and increasing in the United States. Many CAM therapies are ancient therapies among certain racial and ethnic minorities. Thus, it seems that complementary and alternative medicine is being used and/or could be used to decrease health disparities among these populations. A review of 26 research articles shows that we are at the beginning stages of examining this phenomenon and that CAM use by any population is only now being described. Of the reviewed studies, 19 studies documented use of CAM among racial and ethnic minorities; 7 revealed that CAM is not used more among ethnic groups than among White (non-Hispanic) populations. Although it is known that racial and ethnic people utilize CAM, the vast array of research questions and aims, CAM definitions, CAM practitioners, and diverse research methodologies result in mixed research findings and conclusions. In some instances, utilization of CAM modalities is stated to be a result of culture among particular groups. Even so, there is currently no evidence that scientifically supports the notion that CAM can be used to reduce health disparities within racial and ethnic minority populations.

Hard copies of monographs and back issues (Volume 1, Issue 1 through Volume 8, Issue 3) are available for purchase. Prices and ordering information can be found at http://www.uchsc.edu/ai/ncaianmhr/pdf_files/Journal_Order_Form.pdf. This article describes the collective experience of a multidisciplinary network of researchers, practitioners, and program evaluators who support appropriate research and evaluation methods in working with Native peoples. Our experience underlines the critical importance of culture in understanding and conducting research with the diverse populations of American Indians and Alaska Natives, and documents the need for community-based, collaborative, participatory action research. We discuss the major findings of the first American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology national symposium, and articulate a set of 20 guiding principles for conducting research and program evaluation.Keywords: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Community-based Participatory Research, Participatory Action Research, CultureThis article presents a call for systematic change in how research and program evaluation are conducted in Indian Country. 3 The authors do not intend to offer innovative research and evaluation methods; rather, we draw upon our collective experience, much of it based on working with individuals who have chronic illnesses and disabilities, to offer consolidated documentation for requiring that research and program evaluation in Indian Country be participatory. Further, we offer 20 guiding American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research Copyright: Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Colorado School of Public Health/University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (www.ucdenver.edu/caianh) 2 VOLUME 12, NUMBER 1 principles, derived through the First Symposium of the Work Group on American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology (AIRPEM), that we believe are basic to culturally respectful research and program evaluation. While the purposes of research and program evaluation activities often differ, the methods employed may be quite similar; for this reason, reference to research throughout this article can generally be assumed to apply to program evaluation as well.The special circumstances of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) affect research, program evaluation, and service delivery in Indian Country. In this regard, two fundamental considerations merit particular mention: tribal sovereignty and diversity. Tribal sovereignty means that AI/AN communities are sovereign political entities, each with its own form of governance, culture, and history. Second, AI/ANs are often mistakenly viewed as a single ethnic minority population (also referred to as the homogeneity assumption). In fact, over 560 Native nations and tribal entities exist in this country, constituting distinct cultural as well as political groups. In Alaska, for instance, there are at least four different cultural groups often referred to as Alaska Natives: Eskimos, Ale...