Alaska Native Communities Research Articles

Measurement invariance of the revised multigroup ethnic identity measure among a national sample of Native American and Alaska Native college students.

Developing a healthy ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is a vital developmental task for ethnically or racially marginalized individuals, promoting positive mental health and psychosocial adjustment. However, no prior study has evaluated whether one of the most widely used ERI measures, the Revised Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM-R), functions equivalently across Native American and Alaska Native (NA/AN) communities. Among a national sample of 241 NA/AN undergraduate students (76% women, Mdnage = 21) representing 122 communities, this study tested the factor structure, measurement invariance, and latent mean differences of the MEIM-R based on whether participants were raised on or away from their reservation and whether they identified as monoracial or Multiracial. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that factor structure for the MEIM-R was not wholly consistent across demographic factors, requiring some residual covariances between items depending upon the group examined. Measurement invariance testing demonstrated full scalar invariance between participants raised on and away from their reservation and partial scalar invariance across monoracial and Multiracial identities. Latent means testing highlighted group differences in ERI exploration and commitment across these variables. These findings support that, at least in part, the meaning and configuration of ERI, as measured by the MEIM-R, differ slightly for NA/AN communities based on where individuals grew up and whether they identify as Multiracial. Scholars using the MEIM-R should account for these within-group differences when conducting research with NA/AN communities. Further research is necessary to holistically understand and operationalize important and salient aspects of ERI for NA/AN communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Health Equity, Environmental Justice, and American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: A Short Report

Environmental public health hazards present unique challenges for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities due to their close cultural, physical, and spiritual associations with the environment. To raise visibility of these challenges among environmental public health professionals, this report summarizes findings from studies, news articles, and case studies. We categorized five major environmental public health challenges that affect AI/AN communities: climate change, environmental health hazards, air quality, water quality, and environmental prenatal exposures. A general explanation of each environmental health issue is articulated with contextual history, statistics, and reports. Discussion of these categories is followed by case studies of AI/AN communities affected by these environmental health challenges. Lastly, we point to efforts by Indigenous communities and allies who are working to improve AI/AN environmental public health within the U.S.

Marijuana policy and tribal communities in the United States

Abstract In the United States (US), the policy landscape surrounding marijuana is complex, multijurisdictional, and often messy, if not contradictory—particularly for tribal communities. Currently, tribes may choose to criminalize or legalize marijuana but may be located within a state or adjacent to a city that has opposing policies. With patterns of substance use that are notably different from the US population as a whole, including higher rates of marijuana use and dependence among Native American youth, tribal communities have important policy decisions to make that will directly impact public health. This paper reviews the history and policy background related to marijuana in the United States, associated health concerns for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and considerations for tribal communities seeking how to best move forward. A community-led public health response that is culturally grounded can more effectively promote Indigenous health and sovereignty worldwide.

Conducting an implementation intervention study with American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Methodological considerations.

Conducting an implementation intervention study with American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Methodological considerations.

Organochlorine concentrations in ice seals harvested in Alaska in the 2000s and 2010s.

Organochlorine concentrations in ice seals harvested in Alaska in the 2000s and 2010s.

Beta-testing the feasibility of a family-based financial incentives smoking cessation intervention with Alaska Native families: Phase 2 of the Aniqsaaq (to breathe) Study.

Beta-testing the feasibility of a family-based financial incentives smoking cessation intervention with Alaska Native families: Phase 2 of the Aniqsaaq (to breathe) Study.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Alaskan Butter Clams: Does Cleaning Make Them Safe to Eat?

Butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) are a staple in the subsistence diets of Alaskan Native communities and are also harvested recreationally. This filter–feeding species can accumulate saxitoxins (STXs), potent neurotoxins produced by late spring and summer blooms of the microalga Alexandrium catenella. The consumption of tainted clams can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Traditional beliefs and early reports on the efficacy of removing clam siphons have created the impression that cleaning butter clams by removing certain tissues makes them safe to eat. However, the toxin distribution within clams can vary over time, making the practice of cleaning butter clams unreliable. This study tested the effectiveness of the cleaning methods practiced by harvesters on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Specifically, butter clams were cleaned by removing different tissues to produce samples of “edible” tissues that were tested for STX content. The results were compared to historical data from a study conducted in Southeast Alaska from 1948 to 1949. Using these data, the risk for an average–sized man and woman consuming 200 g of edible tissue was calculated. The results showed that for clams containing >200 µg STX–equivalents 100 g edible tissue−1, no cleaning method reduced the concentration of STXs in the remaining tissue below the regulatory limit. Meals containing >900 µg STX–equivalents 100 g edible tissue−1 posed a substantial risk of moderate or severe symptoms. No cleaning method assured that untested butter clams are safe to eat.

Microplastics in spotted seal stomachs from the Bering and Chukchi seas in 2012 and 2020.

Microplastics in spotted seal stomachs from the Bering and Chukchi seas in 2012 and 2020.

Review: They Came but Could Not Conquer: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Alaska Native Communities, by Diane J. Purvis

Review: <i>They Came but Could Not Conquer: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Alaska Native Communities</i>, by Diane J. Purvis

Honoring elder wisdom: In the classroom, in practice, in life.

Indigenous science and education provide classification systems for ordering the natural, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual worlds. Alaska Native groups have shared values about life, kinship, and the interconnectedness of human beings. However, these values and knowledge systems are contested in the European American educational landscape, subjugating Alaska Native peoples through assimilatory acts of settler colonialism (e.g., boarding schools, Eurocentric achievement standards). Decolonization demands action, more than inclusion, to dismantle settler-colonialism and to address all the diverse manifestations and permeations across Tribal Nations. Further, Indigenous psychologies of liberation presume that action needs to take the form of indigenization, cultural-derived antidotes to healing soul wounds, with embodied representations of cultural practices, lives, and epistemologies. Thus, we will discuss the intentional, liberatory act of embedding and reinforcing Alaska Native Elders (i.e., wisdom holders, culture bearers) in the classroom within the Rural Human Services program at the University of Alaska. Using an Indigenous Inquiry Framework, we interviewed four Alaska Native graduates, one non-Native graduate, two allies, and one Alaska Native Elder graduate. Analysis of barriers and Indigenous liberation identified four key domains: (a) transformative healing and love, (b) Indigenous identity development, (c) a generative and holistic education, and (d) allyship. This organization of Alaska Native expertise in the University of Alaska system reflects the growing reclamation of Alaska Native education in the hands of Alaska Native leaders and communities. Alaska Native Elders in the classroom is a fruition of ancestral directives that facilitate space for gathering, deepening, and sharing knowledge, wisdom, and healing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Misinformation and digital health literacy among American Indian and Alaska Native people.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in the United States experience significant health disparities, compounded by socioeconomic challenges, systemic racism, limited health information access, and mistrust of health research, mainstream healthcare, and federal health organizations. Misinformation on digital media and variable digital health literacy further hinder informed decision-making. Explore digital health literacy, digital technology use for health information-seeking, and the perceived influence of misinformation on health decision-making among AI/AN populations. In 2022, 540 AI/AN individuals aged 18 and older were surveyed at two large cultural events. Cross-sectional data were collected on health decision-making, influence of misinformation on decisions, digital health literacy, and perceptions of misinformation on specific health topics. Paired t-tests examined differences in perceived effects of misinformation on health decisions. Although 62.7% of respondents felt confident evaluating online health information, only 35.5% used online information for health decisions. The perceived impact of misinformation on one's own health decisions was significantly lower for oneself (16.2%) than for friends and family (26.9%, p < 0.001) or other AI/AN individuals (25.9%, p < 0.001). Participants also believed AI/AN peoples were less vulnerable to misinformation than others (25.9 vs. 28.7%, p < 0.001). Addressing misinformation and digital barriers in AI/AN communities requires targeted public health initiatives. Strategies should focus on improving access to culturally relevant health information, integrating digital literacy education, and strengthening digital infrastructure with supportive policies. Collaborating with trusted community leaders can enhance culturally aligned health communication and information dissemination.

Syndromic Surveillance in Tribal Health: Perspectives from Three Tribal Epidemiology Centers on Access and Utilization.

Syndromic surveillance has evolved into a vital public health tool, providing near real-time data to detect and respond to health threats. While states administer syndromic surveillance systems, Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) serve American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities across multistate regions, often encountering significant barriers to data access and utilization. This manuscript explores how TECs access and use syndromic surveillance data to address health disparities in AIAN populations, highlighting successes, innovations, and ongoing challenges. The Alaska Native Epidemiology Center (ANEC), Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC), and Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (NWTEC) provide insights into their syndromic surveillance practices. This includes data access methods, the creation of dashboards and reports, technical assistance for Tribal Health Organizations (THOs), and strategies for overcoming jurisdictional and data-sharing barriers. TECs have successfully leveraged syndromic surveillance to monitor critical health issues, including respiratory illnesses, substance misuse, behavioral health, and maternal care. Collaborative efforts have addressed race misclassification and data gaps, enabling targeted interventions such as air purifier distribution and improving health care delivery for tribal veterans. However, TECs can face restrictive data use agreements, jurisdictional misalignments, and limited access to granular data, hindering their ability to serve AIAN communities comprehensively. Syndromic surveillance offers transformative potential for improving public health in AIAN communities. To fully realize this potential, systemic changes are needed to streamline data-sharing agreements and improve data accuracy. These efforts, along with strong collaborations between TECs and state health departments, are critical to advancing health equity, respecting tribal sovereignty, and ensuring timely, actionable insights for AIAN populations.

Factors in and Perspectives of Achieving Co‐Production of Knowledge With Arctic Indigenous Peoples

Abstract Co‐production of knowledge (CPK) is a process of bringing together diverse perspectives from researchers, agency, and community partners to achieve a shared research goal. The main objective of this article is to provide tools for achieving CPK in research projects, especially with Alaska Native and Arctic Indigenous communities. Team members need to understand their positionality and be aware of assumptions and biases to come to jointly agreed upon project priorities. To assist researchers in reflecting on their positionality, we present research paradigm dispositions from commonly trained methodologies and academic norms. Differences across the dispositions are highlighted in decision‐making, success metrics, evaluation, and validation of outputs. Factors of Success were synthesized from existing literature on CPK, boundary spanning, the science of team science, convergence, Indigenous methodologies, and best practices to understand the CPK process. These Factors of Success are presented in a typical project life cycle logic model, categorized into inputs, process, and outcomes. Given the limited time and resources of research projects and activities, some factors will be given stronger emphasis over others. This article provides tools for transparent communication between researchers and community or agency partners.

Developing self-efficacy and ‘communities of practice’ between community and institutional partners to prevent suicide and increase mental health in under-resourced communities: expanding the research constructs for upstream prevention

BackgroundSuicide is a serious and growing health inequity for Alaska Native (AN) youth (ages 15–24), who experience suicide rates significantly higher than the general U.S. youth population. In under-served, remote AN communities, building on existing local and cultural resources can increase uptake of prevention behaviors like lethal means reduction, interpersonal support, and postvention by family members, workers and community members, which can be important for preventing suicide in places where mental health services are sparce. This study expands the variables we hypothesize as important for reducing suicide risk and supporting mental wellness. These variables are: (1) perceived suicide prevention self-efficacy, (2) perceived wellness self-efficacy, and (3) developing a ‘community of practice’ (CoP) for prevention/wellness work.MethodWith a convenience sample (N = 398) of participants (ages 15+) in five remote AN communities, this study characterizes respondents’ social roles: institutional role if they have a job that includes suicide prevention (e.g. teachers, community health workers) and community role if their primary role is based on family or community positioning (e.g. Elder, parent). The cross-sectional analysis then explores the relationship between respondents’ wellness and prevention self-efficacy and CoP as predictors of their self-reported suicide prevention and wellness promotion behaviors: (1) working together with others (e.g. community initiatives), (2) offering interpersonal support to someone (3), reducing access to lethal means, and (4) reducing suicide risk for others after a suicide death in the community.ResultsCommunity and institutional roles are vital, and analyses detected distinct patterns linking our dependent variables to different preventative behaviors. Findings associated wellness self-efficacy and CoP (but not prevention self-efficacy) with “working together” behaviors, wellness and prevention self-efficacy (but not CoP) with interpersonal supportive behaviors; both prevention self-efficacy and CoP with higher postvention behaviors. Only prevention self-efficacy was associated with lethal means reduction.ConclusionsThe study widens the scope of suicide prevention. Promising approaches to suicide prevention in rural low-resourced communities include: (1) engaging people in community and institutional roles (2), developing communities of practice for suicide prevention among different sectors of a community, and (3) broadening the scope of suicide prevention to include wellness promotion as well as suicide prevention.

Dietary Factors and BMI Among Preschool-Aged Head Start Children and Home Caregivers in Remote Alaska Native Communities.

American Indian and Alaska Native children experience disparities in obesity. Home caregiver diet and weight status may be important for obesity prevention efforts. The goals of this study were (1) to examine the concordance of diet and body mass index (BMI) between Yup'ik caregivers and preschoolers in remote Alaska and (2) to examine the association of dietary factors with BMI for caregivers. Study data came from "Got Neqpiaq?", a culturally centered multilevel intervention focused on Yup'ik preschool-aged children (n = 155) and caregivers (n = 144) in 12 communities in Southwest Alaska. Dietary factors of interest were measured using biomarkers: traditional food intake (nitrogen stable isotope ratio), processed food intake (carbon stable isotope ratio), and vegetable and fruit intake (skin carotenoid concentration). Associations among variables were evaluated using confounder-adjusted linear regression with BMI modeled as a continuous outcome. Dietary biomarkers were highly concordant between caregivers and children, but caregiver and child BMI were not. Among caregivers, traditional food intake was positively associated with BMI (beta = 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45, 2.68; p = .006), vegetable and fruit intake was negatively associated with BMI (beta = - 0.02; 95% CI = - 0.04, - 0.004; p = .02), and processed food intake was not associated with BMI (beta = 0.74; 95% CI = - 1.07, 2.55; p = .42). There was high concordance between caregiver and child diet which suggests that dietary-related obesity prevention efforts in Yup'ik communities could focus on family-level interventions. Future work must move beyond a singular focus on obesity and consider holistic health, which aligns with an Alaska Native worldview.

Barriers and unmet needs related to healthcare for American Indian and Alaska Native communities: improving access to specialty care and clinical trials.

Substantial healthcare barriers, especially to specialty and cancer care, exist for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals and communities at all levels. The unique history of AI/AN Tribal Nations and resulting policies, treaties, and relationships with the US government and federal agencies have created specific barriers to healthcare and clinical trial access for AI/AN peoples. Commonly, AI/AN peoples harbor a long-standing mistrust of the healthcare system based on lived and historical experiences. The intersection of various barriers to care for AI/AN communities results in health inequities, lack of representation in clinical research, and other disparities faced by historically marginalized and underrepresented peoples. AI/AN patients face unique barriers in their healthcare journey due to a disproportionate burden of life-threatening and chronic diseases, including many cancers. Identifying barriers specific to AI/AN peoples and improving access to high-quality care, with a focus on building on the strengths and capacities in each AI/AN community are vital to improving health equity. In this review, we describe patient, provider, and institutional barriers to healthcare, particularly specialty care and clinical research, for AI/AN peoples, with a focus on the Northern Plains AI communities. Examples and best practices to improve AI/AN patient access to health services, including screening and specialty care, as well as to clinical research, are provided. We emphasize the importance of longitudinal community-based partnerships and strength- and trust-based approaches as essential components of promoting equitable access to high-quality specialty care and recruitment and participation of AI/AN individuals and communities in clinical research.

Language Dominance and Education Considerations in the Neuropsychological Assessment of Southwestern American Indians Using the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set Version 3.

To address disparities in dementia diagnosis and care in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, it is crucial to understand how sociocultural factors, such as language dominance and education, impact performances on standardized neuropsychological assessments. We discuss sociocultural considerations that are important to consider when evaluating cognition in American Indians. We conducted t tests/Kruskal-Wallis tests and correlation analyses to evaluate the impact of language and education factors on performances on the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set Version 3 Neuropsychological assessments in a community of Southwestern American Indians. There were no significant differences in cognitive performances between the Zuni (Shiwi)-dominant and English-dominant individuals. Number of years of education had a greater effect on cognitive performances relative to language dominance, particularly for the common cognitive screening measure, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Our results highlight that education factors have a greater effect on cognitive performances relative to language dominance in this unique cohort. The associations with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment raise concerns for the use of this tool in this population, highlighting a need to develop culturally appropriate cognitive testing tools as well as ensuring comprehensive, culturally competent neuropsychological assessments are accessible.

Dying in Darkness: Deviations From Data Sharing Ethics in the US Public Health System and the Data Genocide of American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Tribal governments and Tribal Epidemiology Centers face persistent challenges in obtaining the public health data that are essential to accomplishing their legal and ethical duties to promote health in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. We assessed the ethical implications of current impediments to data sharing among federal, state, and Tribal public health partners. Public health ethics obligates public health data sharing and opposes data collection without dissemination to affected communities. Privacy practices, like deidentification and data suppression, often obstruct data access, disproportionately affect American Indian and Alaska Native populations, and exacerbate health disparities. The 2020-2024 syphilis outbreak illustrates how restricted data access impedes effective public health responses. These practices represent a source of structuralized violence throughout the US public health system that contributes to the data genocide of American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Good governance practices like transparent data practices and the establishment of a social license (ie, the informal permission of a community to collect and use data) is essential to ethically balancing collective well-being with individual privacy in public health.

Modular decentralized water system associated with improved child health and increased in-home water use in remote Alaska Native communities.

In this paper, we report our findings focused on how the Miniature Portable Alternative Sanitation System (Mini-PASS) has affected the health of children 12 years old and younger, changes to water hauling and usage that occurred, and hygiene practices. Our findings demonstrate that a simple plumbing system such as the Mini-PASS handwashing station can help decrease the reuse of water in a wash basin, which ultimately contributes to increased positive health outcomes for households. Our evaluation will inform the broader community about the health benefits of an affordable, responsive, decentralized water system solution for communities that lack piped water and sewer.

An Introduction to Traditional Healing in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

The United States has a trust responsibility to provide health care to members of the 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes and Villages through the Indian Health Service, an agency tasked with promoting AI/AN health and cultural connectedness. Despite the presence of a comprehensive health care system in 37 states, physicians and allied health professionals receive minimal health professional education regarding the sociocultural factors affecting AI/AN health. This module addresses the underrepresentation of AI/AN health professional curricula and promotes a greater understanding of AI/AN health determinants and cultural constructions of health for individuals with limited exposure to these topics. We developed a 60-minute interactive session aimed at increasing trainees' understanding of AI/AN traditional healing practices across the medical education continuum. The session consisted of a PowerPoint presentation, one video, and multiple small-group discussion exercises. The session was evaluated with pre- and postsurveys and implemented four times at medical school seminars. There were 37 respondents in total. Analysis of pre/post survey responses to confidence in meeting each learning objective showed a significant increase in confidence for each of the three learning objectives (p < .01). Respondents were very interested in how traditional healing improved health intervention outcomes and showed interest in connecting AI/AN patients to these services. This module's positive reception indicates that it can serve as an important educational tool for learners involved in AI/AN-focused clinical care. Learners were able to explain how traditional healing practices are important in promoting AI/AN health.