Lived Challenges and Getting Through Them

Abstract

Because of imposed rapid social change, Alaska Native youth are growing up in a context different from their elders and suffering far worse health and behavioral outcomes. This research seeks to understand (a) their everyday struggles and life challenges, (b) the practices and resources they rely on to get through challenges, and (c) the meaning they make from these experiences. Data were generated from interviews with 20 Alaska Native youth between the ages of 11 and 18 years, balanced by gender and age-group (early and late adolescence). Purposive sampling identified participants with a broad range of experiences. Following a semistructured guide, youth participated in face-to-face, audio-recorded interviews, transcribed verbatim. A codebook was developed using an iterative process and transcripts were coded using ATLAS.ti. The most commonly identified stressors were relationship loss, "not being there for me," nonsupportive/hostile experiences, transitioning into adulthood, and boredom. Resilience strategies included developing and maintaining relationships with others, being responsible, creating systems of reciprocity, practicing subsistence living, and giving back to family and the community. These opportunities allowed youth to gain a sense of competence and mastery. When difficult experiences align with opportunities for being responsible and competent, youth are most likely to exhibit resilience.

A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth

“…Suicide rates for 15 to 24 year-old Alaska Native males is 14 times the national rate (16) and, in northwest Alaska, suicide is the leading cause of death for 15 to 18 year-old Inupiat youth (5, 17). These Circumpolar regions have demographically young populations, which can lead to a higher burden on mental health (2, 7, 9). In Northern Canada, more than half of the Inuit population is under the age of 24 (11, 18), a reality also reflected in Circumpolar communities across Greenland, Norway, and Alaska (1, 3, 11, 16).…”

Youth-Led Participatory Video as a Strategy to Enhance Inuit Youth Adaptive Capacities for Dealing with Climate Change

“…Specifically, feeling a sense of belonging to a supportive, caring, and connected community is at the core of Indigenous cultural values. This feeling greatly enhances circumpolar Indigenous resilience (Mohatt et al, 2004;Wexler and Goodwin, 2006;DeCou et al, 2013;Wexler et al, 2013;Wexler, 2014) and cultivates strong communities that support participation and cooperative, community-led action which has been identified as important to building adaptive capacity (IPCC, 2014). Not only can the process of PV foster these feelings, but the video itself can also express the support youth feel from their community, as was the case in this study.…”

“…Indeed, communities play a crucial role in fostering youth resilience and adaptive capacities (DeCou et al, 2013;Wexler et al, 2013Wexler et al, , 2014Wexler, 2014). Specifically, feeling a sense of belonging to a supportive, caring, and connected community is at the core of Indigenous cultural values.…”

“…In this sense, not only does active youth participation benefit adaptation efforts, but also the act of participating and being engaged can simultaneously enhance individual youth adaptive capacity by supporting protective factors such as staying busy and having positive role models. Furthermore, providing opportunities for young Inuit to be meaningfully involved in community issues using PV demonstrates recognition and appreciation for youth that can lead to autonomy and foster community pride and self-pride, other documented protective factors that enhance circumpolar Indigenous youth mental health and well-being (Bals et al, 2011;Wexler et al, 2013;Wexler, 2014) and thus may contribute to enhancing resilience and adaptive capacities for dealing with climate change impacts.…”

“…These known protective factors are synonymous with key characteristics of strong adaptive capacity. For example, connecting youth with older community members is not only a factor well established as important for circumpolar Indigenous youth resilience (Kirmayer et al, 1998;Wexler and Goodwin, 2006;Kral et al, 2011;DeCou et al, 2013;Wexler et al, 2013Wexler et al, , 2014, but also an essential aspect of sharing traditional knowledge between generations, which, in turn, can increase adaptive capacity to respond to climate change impacts and climate-related challenges (Ford et al, 2006Pearce et al, 2011). Thus, protective factors play an important role in building youth resilience and adaptive capacities within circumpolar Indigenous populations.…”