Assessing Cultural Life Skills of American Indian Youth

Abstract

While the global United States society emphasizes independence and emancipation from parents and families as appropriate transition tasks for adolescents in foster care, American Indian communities tend to stress interdependence and continuing youth, family, and community connections. The purpose of this naturalistic collective case study is to describe cultural life skills needed by American Indian youth to leave foster care and successfully transition into adulthood. Three Northern Plains Native reservations and two urban Indian communities participated. The research team partnered with the American Indian gatekeepers, elders, youth, and professional staff in efforts to embrace qualitative methods, considered the best way to legitimate and liberate Native ways of knowing. Findings take into account the subtleties of vast diversities among America's First Nations' people and support the importance of positive cultural influences in youth identity development.

American Indian gay, bisexual and two-spirit men: a rapid assessment of HIV/AIDS risk factors, barriers to prevention and culturally-sensitive intervention

“…American Indian research necessitates cultural sensitivity and relevance (Long et al 2006). Researchers have called for the need of community-based, indigenous-supporting and holistic assessment models (Brayboy 2006).…”

“…Hill (2003) has argued that modern research methods and healthcare practices alike may act to marginalise and ignore indigenous knowledge and medicine. In contrast, qualitative and naturalistic research methods offer a legitimate means to study American Indian communities (Long et al 2006). While quantitative research is often a preferred research methodology, it is not without limitations, especially among difficult-to-reach populations such as American Indians and men who have sex with men.…”

“…In seeking applicability, qualitative research holds important implications particularly for the participants involved because it is developed from their ideas and perspectives. Applicability of findings should be examined with caution, as variance and heterogeneity exist across tribal affiliations, sexual orientations, gender identity and individuals residing in urban or reservation settings (Long et al 2006). While this study's sample incorporated a diversity of tribal nations, it was weighted towards urban American Indians rather than those living on reservations or other rural areas.…”

Urban American Indian Youth Spirituality and Religion: A Latent Class Analysis

“…Research on reservation‐based American Indian youth confirms the continuing importance of spirituality through a broad array of practices and activities, such as learning about the sacred drum, singing, dancing, sweat lodge, talking circles, ceremonials, and prayer (Kenyon and Hanson ; Long et al. ). Youth involvement in traditional spirituality has been found to be positively associated with physical well‐being and emotional health (Schiff and Moore ; Wilbur et al.…”

“…Qualitative research suggests that American Indian youth in urban and reservation settings often blend traditional spiritual practices with ecumenical Christian beliefs, rather than separate them, and do not distinguish aspects of traditional spirituality and religion from Christian teachings (Long et al. ).…”