Our work is rooted in a set of core beliefs and corresponding commitments to our partners.


We believe

  • Native Nations know the consequences of trauma in their own communities and are intensifying their commitments to community, family, and individual wellness in response.

  • Many mental health service providers and treatment models minimize the value of traditional holistic practices.

  • In the past, Native Nations have been exploited by universities and other institutional researchers.

  • Tribes exist as sovereign Native Nations and therefore must be the arbiters when questions arise about the types of activities that will best serve its peoples.

  • Any products or outcomes of research, such as data sets and other forms of intellectual property, are owned by the Native Nation.

  • Trauma intervention is necessary for and effective with American Indian and Alaska Native children.


our commitment

  • We will respond to identified community needs for trauma interventions.

  • We will follow the guidance of the Native Nation in establishing a collaborative process for implementing, adapting, and evaluating trauma interventions.

  • We will safeguard Native Nation ownership of data collected during the course of institutional and government-sponsored programs and research.