Our work is rooted in a set of core beliefs and corresponding commitments to our tribal partners.
We believe
- Tribes know the consequences of trauma in their own communities and are intensifying their commitments to community, family, and individual wellness in response.
- Many non-tribal mental health service providers and treatment models minimize the value of tribal holistic practices.
- In the past, tribes have been exploited by universities and other institutional researchers.
- Exploitation remains a concern even with well-meaning researchers and universities when they are culturally uninformed.
- Tribes exist as sovereign nations and therefore must be the arbiters when questions arise about the types of research that will best serve tribal members.
- Any products or outcomes of research, such as data sets and other forms of intellectual property, are owned by the tribe.
- Trauma intervention is necessary for and effective with Native American children.
our commitment
- We will respond to tribes' identified community needs for trauma interventions.
- We will follow the guidance of the tribe in establishing a collaborative process for implementing, adapting, and evaluating trauma interventions.
- We will safeguard tribal ownership of data collected during the course of institutional and government-sponsored programs and research.
- We will maintain communication with tribal partners beyond project funding periods to advance well-being and best practices in tribal communities.