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Native Spirit: Development of a culturally grounded after‐school program to promote well‐being among American Indian adolescents
Author(s) -
Hunter Amanda M.,
Carlos Mikah,
Nuño Velia L.,
TippeconnicFox Mary Jo,
Carvajal Scott,
Yuan Nicole P.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1002/ajcp.12590
Subject(s) - grounded theory , indigenous , general partnership , community based participatory research , health psychology , cultural competence , club , culturally appropriate , sociology , community engagement , public health , gerontology , medicine , public relations , qualitative research , pedagogy , participatory action research , political science , nursing , social science , anthropology , law , ecology , biology , anatomy
Abstract Culturally grounded after‐school programs (ASPs), based on local cultural values and practices, are often developed and implemented by and for the local community. Culturally grounded programs promote health and well‐being for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) adolescents by allowing them to reconnect to cultural teachings that have faced attempted historical and contemporary erasure. This article is a first‐person account that describes the development and implementation of a culturally grounded ASP, Native Spirit (NS), for AI adolescents (grades 7–12) living on a Southwest urban‐based reservation. NS, a 13‐session culturally grounded ASP, was developed by an academic–community partnership that focuses on increasing cultural engagement as a form of positive youth development. Each session was guided by one to two local cultural practitioners and community leaders. The development of the NS program contributed to an Indigenous prevention science that emphasizes the positive impacts of Indigenous culture and community on health and well‐being. The use of the ASP format, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, increased the feasibility of dissemination and refinement of the NS program by tribal communities and organizations.