Educational Alternatives for Rural Alaska

1985 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bernhardt
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Educational Preparation ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Full Control ◽  
The Social ◽  
Educational Alternatives ◽  
Rural Alaska ◽  
Institutional Landscape ◽  
Economic Developments ◽  
The University

In the recent years, major economic developments have occurred in rural Alaska that have permanently changed the social, political and institutional landscape. The 150 Eskimo, Indian and Aleut communities have borne the brunt of these changes. Few have had available to them the indigenous human resources, the technical skills and educational preparation necessary to assume full control over these forces. In 1980 the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in cooperation with several native organisations, successfully approached the Bernard van Leer Foundation with a proposal to assist Alaska Native communities in developing their own capacity to shape their future. This is the story of how the ‘Van Leer Project’ has attempted to respond to those developments.

Preliminary Evaluation of a School-Based Youth Leadership and Prevention Program in Rural Alaska Native Communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Wexler ◽  
Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar ◽  
Suzanne Rataj ◽  
Lucas Trout ◽  
Krishna C. Poudel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Prevention Program ◽  
Youth Leadership ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
School Based ◽  
Rural Alaska

Beliefs about causal factors for suicide in rural Alaska Native communities and recommendations for prevention

2020 ◽  
pp. 136346152096386
Author(s):  
Monica C. Skewes ◽  
Julie A. Gameon ◽  
Fiona Grubin ◽  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Lindsey Whitcomb
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Rural Alaska

Rural Indigenous communities in Alaska suffer staggeringly high rates of suicide. In close-knit Alaska Native villages, each suicide leaves a trail of affected family and community members in its wake. This research aimed to understand community perceptions of what causes suicide in rural Alaska Native villages and generate recommendations for prevention strategies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 Alaska Native university students who moved from rural villages to an urban area to attend college. All had been profoundly affected by others’ suicides and shared their beliefs about causal factors and recommendations for prevention efforts. Perceived causes included resistance to seeking help or discussing personal problems, loss of culture, traumatic experiences, geographical and social isolation, lack of opportunity, substance abuse, and exposure to others’ suicides. Participants believed that suicide is preventable and recommended multi-level approaches to address suicide disparities. They provided recommendations for potentially effective and culturally appropriate prevention strategies, including increasing cultural and social connections, educating community members about mental health, and increasing accessibility of counseling services/reducing barriers to mental health services utilization.

scholarly journals Household reporting of childhood respiratory health and air pollution in rural Alaska Native communities

2014 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 24324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desirae N. Ware ◽  
Johnnye Lewis ◽  
Scarlett Hopkins ◽  
Bert Boyer ◽  
Luke Montrose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Rural Alaska

scholarly journals Some consequences of the delocalization of the food system in rural Alaska Native communities: the CANHR Study

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Bersamin ◽  
Bret Luick ◽  
Cécile Lardon ◽  
Christopher Wolsko ◽  
Bert B Boyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Food System ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Rural Alaska

Alaska Natives

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah (Hicks) Kastelic
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Historical Trauma ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Alaska Natives ◽  
Cultural Appropriateness ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Social Welfare Services ◽  
The Social ◽  
The U.S

Alaska Natives represent less than 1% of the U.S. population but reside in more than 229 Native villages and account for 40% of federally recognized tribes. Most Alaska Native communities shared common Euro-American contact experiences: exposure to western religions, education, and disease. Historical trauma contributes to many of the social welfare problems Natives experience today: low educational attainment, unemployment, inadequate health care, substance abuse, and violence. Service delivery mechanisms, lack of cultural appropriateness, and isolation compound these pressing issues. Locally delivered social welfare services that take into account traditional Native worldviews, values, languages, and intergenerational relationships are effective in addressing many of these issues.

scholarly journals Worth a thousand words: visual collections and a long view of the North

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 654-660
Author(s):  
Leonard Kamerling
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Vital Function ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
The North ◽  
Historical Film ◽  
The University

Historical film and media collections in the North contain an essential, indelible message for the future — that cultural knowledge is perishable and impermanent. Throughout the world as bearers of traditional culture pass away, much of their knowledge is lost. Film and audio collections can play a critical role in preserving living knowledge, allowing us to observe, experience, and study singular, irreproducible moments of a culture’s past. As time passes, these unique recorded moments take on a vital function; they become new conduits of knowledge, a visual and aural stand-in for real experience. This paper discusses the role of museum film and audio collections in preserving cultural knowledge and the challenges of extending this resource to the classrooms of remote communities throughout the North. The paper also discusses the collaborative cultural filmmaking initiative of Sarah Elder and Leonard Kamerling, their work with partner Alaska Native communities over a period of two decades, and their setbacks and successes in producing “authentic” records of Alaska Native life in the 1970s and 1980s, records that are now part of the Alaska Documentary Collections at the University of Alaska Museum of the North.

scholarly journals Hearing Norton Sound: community involvement in the design of a mixed methods community randomized trial in 15 Alaska Native communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Kleindienst Robler ◽  
S. Meade Inglis ◽  
Joseph J. Gallo ◽  
Heather E. Parnell ◽  
Paul Ivanoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Rural Alaska ◽  
Study Team

Plain English summary Community involvement is important in good research practice. We led a community-based study to improve early detection and treatment of childhood hearing loss in rural Alaska. This study evaluated a cell phone-based hearing screening process and compared a new telemedicine specialty referral pathway to the standard primary care referral pathway. The study included community involvement, engagement, and participation from the very beginning to inform how to best design the trial. We obtained insight and feedback from community members through involvement of a core stakeholder team and through community engagement and participation in focus groups and community events. Feedback received through community involvement and participation influenced the design of the trial at key decision points. Community member guidance shaped the research question, the outcomes to be measured, and the procedures for completing the project, such as participant recruitment. This study offers an example of community involvement, engagement and participation that could be mirrored in future research to maintain the interests of participating communities. Abstract Background Effective systems for early identification and treatment of childhood hearing loss are essential in rural Alaska, where data indicate a high prevalence of childhood ear infections and hearing loss. However, loss to follow-up from school hearing screening programs is pervasive. The Hearing Norton Sound study was a mixed methods community randomized controlled trial that was developed to address this gap. The study engaged community members and participants in the design of the trial, including involvement of stakeholders as collaborators. Methods Community engagement and participation in research design occurred through focus groups and through the integration of stakeholders into the study team. Representation was cross-sectoral, involving individuals from multiple levels of the school and health system, as well as community members from each of the 15 communities. Feedback obtained between April 2017 and August 2017 informed the final design of the randomized trial, which began enrollment of children in October 2017 and concluded in March 2019. Results Stakeholder involvement and community participation shaped the design of specific trial elements (research question; comparators; outcomes and measures; telemedicine protocols; and recruitment and retention). Community involvement was strengthened by the use of multiple modalities of involvement and by the positionality of lead stakeholders on the study team. Conclusions This study highlights the effectiveness of multifaceted stakeholder involvement and participation in the design of health research conducted within Alaska Native communities. It offers an example of involvement and reporting that could be mirrored in future research in order to protect and further the interests of the participating community. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03309553, First registered 10/9/2017

Speech-Language Assessment Considerations for American Indian and Alaska Native Children Who Are Dual Language Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (14) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Vining ◽  
Edgarita Long ◽  
Ella Inglebret ◽  
Megan Brendal
Keyword(s):  
American Indian ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Dual Language Learners ◽  
Native Communities

The overrepresentation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in special education, including children who are dual language learners (DLLs), is a major concern. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can play a critical role in reducing this overrepresentation. Using a holistic assessment process that is responsive to the communication patterns of home and community contexts provides a framework for distinguishing actual language disorders from differences associated with cultural and linguistic diversity. This article presents current trends in Native communities that may impact the speech-language assessment process, including a shift from indigenous languages to English and/or Native language revitalization efforts. It also provides a framework for guiding assessment in a manner that considers cultural and linguistic factors in speech-language assessment for AI/AN children who are DLLs.

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