Talking Circles Research Articles

Truth to Action: Lived Experiences of Indigenous Healthcare Professionals Redressing Indigenous-Specific Racism.

The experience of discrimination through stereotyping, profiling, and bias-informed care not only leads to poor access to healthcare services, but low retention rates of Indigenous health professionals (IHP). As health systems transformation evolves, a significant gap remains in supporting IHP to safely address racism, to be supported culturally to bring their authentic selves and voices to work, and to attend to one's own intellectual, physical, relational, cultural and spiritual wellness within a westernized model of care. The aim of the study was to investigate the experiences of IHP working in mainstream healthcare in order to understand how their work environment impacts the delivery of cultural safe practices. What is reported in this manuscript, as an exercise in truth-telling, is findings about lived experiences of IHP working in one mainstream provincial healthcare region, and not the whole context and outcomes of the study. Using Indigenous research methodologies, we embodied our Indigeneity into every facet of the research process. We facilitated three talking circles with participants grounded in a distinct cultural and ceremonial context following Secwepemc protocols. The collective voices of IHP revealed the following common experiences: confronting genocide; addressing Indigenous-specific racism; uprooting toxicity and inequities; and upholding Indigenous human rights while enhancing accountability of systems transformation. The experience of IHP working in health systems goes beyond mere individual employment obligations, its often about a families and communities advocacy for Indigenous rights, culturally safe working environments and access to dignified and respectful healthcare service. This study highlights the need for IHP to be actively involved in health system transformation to ensure the redesigning and restructuring of healthcare service delivery by and for Indigenous Peoples remains centered on Indigenous health and human rights.

Prioritising children’s participation in research: including children’s voices in updating a national early learning framework

ABSTRACT Involving children as stakeholders and including their voices in updating the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (for children birth to age 5) was a focus of this project design. The design was grounded in participatory approaches with a children’s rights perspective, as the team prioritised seeking children’s views and encouraging their agency on matters that affect them. This three-stage research project across 15 months sought children’s input in each stage. Research methods consisted of everyday playful activities supported by educators in early childhood environments using dialogic drawing, talking circles and discussions using photo elicitation. Educators received information to support their use of these methods. While parents/carers gave ethical consent, children’s assent was obtained. Across the three stages, analysis of children’s drawings, comments and discussions showed the importance of their relationships with educators, their friends and the relationships between their educators and families. These findings demonstrate the importance of educators building reciprocal, respectful relationships with children and their families and between children. Further, these research methods fitted with the foundational pedagogical practices of the educators, with educators commenting on how useful they were and children on how they enjoyed using them.

Building Bridges: Catalyzing Institutional Change at Utah State University via Experiential Learning with Ute and Navajo Students

This article presents the development, implementation, and impact of a cultural competence course initiated by the Mentoring and Encouraging Academic Success (MESAS) Program at Utah State University (USU). The MESAS Program supports American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students through various initiatives, including the Faculty Advocate initiative, talking circles, the Indigenous Knowledge Symposium, and the Native American Living/Learning Community. Under MESAS, the cultural competence course aims to enhance appreciation among faculty, staff, and non-Indigenous students for the contributions of Native American and other underrepresented groups, while addressing institutional barriers to their academic success and social well-being. The course has been adapted for faculty, staff, and graduate students involved in roles such as summer research mentoring and emphasizing the importance of cultural sensitivity in creating a supportive environment for Native American students, particularly those transitioning between campuses. The article also highlights a case study of a USU professor who applied the course's teachings in interactions with students from the Ute Tribe and Navajo Nation, illustrating the practical application of Culturally Responsive Teaching practices and the Funds of Knowledge framework. Overall, the study highlights the course's positive impact on fostering inclusive teaching practices and deepening relationships with Native American students. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on integrating cultural competence in higher education to enhance the experiences of underrepresented student populations.

Customary Governance and State Legal System in Nepal

Indigenous governance systems are sui generis judicial, administrative, economic, and political systems for exercising authority and upholding the Indigenous governance system of Indigenous peoples. Those institutions help them to realize self-government, autonomy, and self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples inter alia other legal instruments. In Nepal, the 2015 Constitution opened up avenues for the de jure acceptance of the Indigenous customary governance system at the local levels. De facto recognitions were in place for a long time at the local level despite national laws’ reticence and prejudice. This article looks into the convergent and divergent between customary governance and “nation-state” governing procedure and evaluates the long-term effects on self-rule, autonomy, and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples while interfacing with the contemporary state mechanisms. The indigenous worldview and inclusion/exclusion perspective is the theoretical/conceptual lenses for analyzing the phenomenon in this study. Talking circles, key informant interviews, focus group discussions observations, informal conversations, and participation in periodic assemblies of customary institutions were the strategies of data gathering. Despite the nonrecognition of federal laws, local governments in some parts of the country initiated recognizing customary governance. However, such initiatives, instead of allowing them to operate independently and guaranteeing self-determination, self-rule, and autonomy as the indigenous peoples’ movement demanded at the time, tended to subordinate and bring the customary governance system under the control and jurisdiction of the state law. That will be detrimental to the functioning of Indigenous political institutions in the long run.

A commercial tobacco and alcohol use intervention for urban Native American youth

ObjectiveWesternized alcohol and commercial tobacco use prevention approaches for Native Americans have not been effective, or sustainable. The overall objective of this study examined the effect of the culturally based Urban Talking Circle (UTC) intervention versus standard education (SE) program for the prevention of alcohol and commercial tobacco use among urban Native American youth. DesignThe study employed a 2-condition quasi-experimental design and utilized convenience and snowball sampling methods for recruiting 100 urban Native American youth participants in two urban Native American community program locations in Florida. Study participants were randomized by their urban Native American community program location to one of the 2-conditions. These included the standard education (SE) program used within United States school systems (drug abuse resistance education) and the Urban Talking Circle (UTC) intervention, culturally tailored and developed for urban Native American youth from the culturally based Talking Circle Intervention for rural Native American Youth. The Native American Alcohol Measure for Youth (NAAMY) and Native Reliance Questionnaire were utilized to collect participants' data. Participants' data was analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance to determine differences between the scores on all measures at pre/post-intervention for the 2-conditions. ResultsStudy findings indicate that a culturally based intervention was more effective for the reduction of commercial tobacco and alcohol use than a non-culturally based intervention for urban Native American youth. ConclusionThe study findings emphasized that the utilization of the culturally tailored UTC intervention reduced involvement associated with alcohol and commercial tobacco use.

Sustainability of an intervention for the prevention of substance use within Native American communities

The outcomes of this study revealed the importance of recruiting local Native American tribal community members as participants in an Adult Facilitator Trainee Program for a cultural based intervention, Intertribal Talking Circle (ITC), that addresses prevention of substance use among Native American youth. Survey results indicate that Native-Reliance (cultural identity) and self-efficacy increased among the trainees from base-line to 3-months post the training session. Themes emerged from qualitative interviews conducted with the participants that described their readiness to implement and sustain the Talking Circle intervention program within their tribal communities after the research project was completed.

A pilot study of virtual Harm Reduction Talking Circles for American Indian and Alaska Native adults with alcohol use disorder.

Prior research suggests that culturally aligned, accessible and lower-barrier interventions are well-placed to align with the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Taking into account community members' suggestions and the need for physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team developed a protocol for virtual Harm Reduction Talking Circles (HaRTC) to incorporate these points. The aims of this 8-week, single-arm pilot were to initially document feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes associated with attendance at virtual HaRTC, which integrates the accessibility of virtual connection, a lower-barrier harm-reduction approach, and a culturally aligned intervention. Participants (N = 51) were AI/AN people with AUD (current or in remission) across 41 Tribal affiliations and 25 US states. After a baseline interview, participants were invited to attend 8, weekly virtual HaRTC sessions. At the baseline, midpoint and post-test assessments, we collected data on virtual HaRTC acceptability, cultural connectedness, quality of life, and alcohol outcomes. Of the 123 people approached, 63% were interested in and consented to participation. Participants attended an average of 2.1 (SD = 2.02) virtual HaRTC sessions, with 64% of participants attending at least one. On a scale from 1 to 10, participants rated the virtual HaRTC as highly acceptable (M = 9.3, SD = 1.9), effective (M = 8.4, SD = 2.9), culturally aligned (M = 9.2, SD = 1.5), helpful (M = 8.8, SD = 1.9), and conducted in a good way (M = 9.8, SD = 0.5). Although the single-arm study design precludes causal inferences, participants evinced statistically significant decreases in days of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm over the three timepoints. Additionally, both sense of spirituality, which is a factor of cultural connectedness, and health-related quality of life increased over time as a function of the number of HaRTC sessions attended. Virtual HaRTC shows initial feasibility and acceptability as a culturally aligned intervention for AI/AN people with AUD. Future randomized controlled trials will provide a test of the efficacy of this approach.

Mental health intervention development for indigenous youth: Essential elements and guiding principles

There is a need for intervention studies to address mental health issues with Indigenous youth. The purpose of this work is to: 1) consider calming approaches introduced by Native-American adolescents who described in writing how they manage day-to-day stress; and 2) identify culturally relevant constructs (elements and principles) for development of mental health promotion interventions for use with Indigenous youth. Central ideas shared by Native-American adolescents were merged with existing literature to identify essential elements and guiding principles for intervention development. Three essential elements (talking circles; mindfulness practice; tailored educational content) with associated guiding principles are recommended for intervention development.

How Bright Is the Restorative Rainbow? The Experiences of Sexual/Affectual Minority Youth Within a Restorative School District

The widespread adoption of restorative practices in U.S. schools to address educational inequities has been significant. However, the existing literature on restorative practices lacks research regarding the impact of this approach on sexual/affectual minority students. In our study, we explore the experiences of sexual/affectual minority students in Grades 3–12 compared to heterosexual students within a school district implementing restorative practices. Our findings indicate that sexual/affectual minority students face more discrimination and feeling left out, and less sense of belonging in school, feeling supported by adults, and feeling valued in comparison to their heterosexual peers. They are also less likely to feel heard or safe during talking circles. The article reports on these findings and concludes by discussing the implications and recommendations for school counseling practice and future research.

Recommendations for Modernizing a Culturally Grounded Substance Use Prevention Program for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth use alcohol and drugs at a higher rate with earlier onset than the overall youth population in the United States. Youth interventions are needed to support the prevention and reduction of substance misuse-related issues. Connecting AI/AN children to their heritage through culturally grounded prevention programs has been shown to be more effective than programs designed for the general population. The objective of this formative evaluation was to provide community-informed updates for an existing culturally grounded substance use prevention program, The Beauty Way. This study was conducted in partnership with an AI/AN-serving community organization using key informant interviews and talking circles with community members and parents. Participants revealed the challenges and obstacles AI/AN youth face, the impact of cultural values, and activities which engage youth to prevent problematic substance use. Recommendations include the importance of 1) incorporating current challenges to behavioral health such as social media and vaping, 2) including cultural values and activities including land-based learning, and 3) creating a robust facilitator guide and hiring culturally sensitive program staff. These results generated recommendations to strengthen the cultural focus and application of The Beauty Way for AI/AN youth.

Skookum Health

This article presents findings of a collaborative, community-based project that established partnerships between researchers at Simon Fraser University and Indigenous community members and organizations in Surrey, British Columbia. In Metro Vancouver, Surrey saw the biggest increase in its Indigenous population, which grew 77 per cent between 2006 and 2016 to 13,460. This was a timely project given that community research partners were interested in focusing on health issues and that traditional health and social service models geared towards Indigenous populations tend to focus on on-reserve populations. Research objectives included: 1) to identify the health needs and priorities of Indigenous peoples in Surrey; 2) to determine what methodologies should be used when researching culture and health; and 3) to explore how existing data connected to Surrey’s Indigenous population can be accessed to better align research priorities with the health status of Indigenous peoples in Surrey. Data was gathered through two community talking circles (n=30) and one-to-one interviews with health and social service providers (n=12). Findings from the project included: the importance of culturally safe care and support in health and social service systems; the need for training and education among health and social service providers on the history and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples; and the importance of having access to Elder-led cultural teachings and land-based activities that support health and wellbeing of families and communities.

Intertribal Talking Circle for the prevention of alcohol and drug use among Native American youth.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a culturally based intervention, the Intertribal Talking Circle program, compared to a standard alcohol and drug abuse education, the Be A Winner program. Community-based participatory research was used to implement a two-condition, quasi-experimental study. The sample included 540 Native American youth ages 10-12 years old from three tribal areas in the United States. Data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12-months post-intervention for both the intervention and control groups using demographic, cultural identity, alcohol use, and drug use questionnaires. Regression models evaluated participants' improvement in decreasing alcohol and drug use and increasing cultural identity. Findings revealed that alcohol and drug use decreased more significantly among youth who participated in the Intertribal Talking Circle (ITC) intervention program than youth who participated in a standard alcohol and drug abuse education Be A Winner (BAW) program. Cultural identity also increased more significantly among participants who completed the Talking Circle intervention program. Native American youth ages 10-12 years old respond positively to a culturally based intervention for the reduction of alcohol and drug use. The findings highlight the importance of cultural values and identity and their significance in preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use among Native American youth.

Mamu: trans indigenous and two-spirit youth coming together to define their needs and to take action

Youth who are both trans and Indigenous, whether or not they identify as Two-Spirit experience multiple forms of structural violence at the intersection of gender and Indigeneity. Whether these young people live on or off reserve, the studies have highlighted specific challenges experienced in particular in connection with self-identification, conditions of significant poverty, violence, and lack of access to health care. health. This paper presents the results of an action research project using Talking Circles co-facilitated by an Elder and two Two-Spirit young people. Developed in collaboration with a local community organization the Talking Circles took place over a period of 21 meetings held between September 2021 and April 2022, in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) and online. The participants of the Talking Circles discussed their most pressing issues, the underlying causes of these issues, and possible solutions to address them. This paper examines the themes uncovered during the projects as well as three main issues that emerged from the discussions: the lack of access to safe spaces, the lack of representation and the lack of education. The article also discusses their resilience and how they take action to change the world around them.

Circulos de Conversación [Talking Circles] and Art-Based Methods: An Insurgent Data Collection Methodology

This paper seeks to contribute to the carving [of] spaces that enable researchers to acompañar [walk with/accompany] a process of those that hold both ancient and cosmic knowledge carried across generations through oral traditions. Thus, it presents a pathway to a qualitative research methodology used to gather Indigenous Women’s experiences of inclusion/exclusion in a country in South America. More specifically, the goal of this paper is to discuss art-based methods and círculos de conversación [talking circles] as data gathering while following principles of reciprocity, solidarity, mutual respect and complementarity. Implications such as researchers needing to reposition in relation to occidental ethical principles that necessitate us to be neutral are discussed last.

A non-hierarchical syncretic framework to assess environmental contaminants by interdisciplinary integration of geoscience methods and culturally-centred Indigenous knowledge exchange approaches

Different soil and water pollution sources around an undisclosed First Nation (The FN) in Northern Ontario (Canada) are linked by community health documents and oral histories to a cluster of blood cancer. The site's environmental hydrogeochemical records available are difficult to follow, whereas geophysical data reveals possible pathways of contaminants displayed as 3D maps of subsoil contrasting geoelectrical properties. Through an Indigenous Integrated Knowledge Translation (IIKT) strategy, we have co-constructed with The FN an interdisciplinary framework of non-hierarchical syncretic exchange between geoscience-based environmental engineering praxes and Indigenous Knowledge. The IIKT is articulated through Talking Circles of flexible multidirectional exchanges between The FN and the research team, to address community-identified needs and maintain qualitative and contextual value in the investigative agenda. The Talking Circles have guided our efforts to collect, handle, integrate, and understand hydrogeochemical and geophysical data. Thus, we build a culturally-appropriate knowledge base for self-sufficient environmental monitoring capacities with the community to ensure informed decisions about the land. The sustainability of the proposed framework relies on the non-invasiveness and low cost of the environmental/engineering tools used, the transparency of the community-driven results obtained, and its scalability to other Indigenous communities.

Innovations Concerning Diversity Training and Organizational Development Interventions for Police Officers Using Reflection and Talking Circles

Abstract The paper explores a management consulting and organizational development intervention focused on employing new and innovative approaches to diversity training for police and law enforcement organizations through real-world interventions that explore human stories, connections, and dialogues as tools for understanding and change. The outcome of this approach is a more dynamic, productive, and constructive way to have more impactful and transformative organizational development and employee discussions, interventions, and training on diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence in law enforcement and all complex organizations. The intent of this discussion is not to reconstitute academic theory, but to influence the world of practice in a way that supports social change, because when applied, community-based research is important and relevant.

Wellness Tour for Tribal Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Uniting Sacred Space with Western Medicine to Prevent Substance Use

Substance use disorders (SUD) and overdose deaths worsened further during the Covid-19 pandemic in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. The Native Dad’s Network (NDN) delivered the Wellness Tour, offering cultural activities and SUD prevention education, from March 2021 to June 2022, to 11 AIAN tribal communities across California. The in-person program created a “sacred space” through culturally congruent song, dance, and prayer. SUD education included: a lecture about opioids and SUD; group talking circles; an educational skit led by adolescents; and training in naloxone and fentanyl testing strip use along with supplies. After the day-long program, 341 participants agreed strongly on a 5-point Likert type question that it improved their quality of life (mean = 4.7). Among 243 respondents, agreement was strong (mean = 4.8) to two Likert-type questions about cultural relevance and confidence in using naloxone. This AIAN-led program adopted safe practices during the pandemic to deliver culturally congruent SUD prevention education to severely affected AIAN communities.

Inspiring Empowerment, Leadership, and Advocacy of Indigenous Women Through a Native American Sorority

As the first inquiry of a Historically Native American Fraternity and Sorority (HNAFS), the purpose of this research study was to provide greater understanding of the impact of a Native American sisterhood. The genealogical connections (literature review) examined the recent work written about HNAFS and narrowed down the influence of HNAFS on Indigenous women scholars. Indigenous feminism guided the study as it describes how Native/Indigenous women define feminism for them and their communities, which added deeper understanding and meaning to the major findings. This study utilized talking circles as an Indigenous research tool to center sisters’ stories collectively. Major findings for this article highlight how the Native American sisterhood empowered Native women, developed them as leaders, and provided opportunities for advocacy work. Recommendations and future directions for HNAFS and higher education professionals are provided.

From a Crisis Response to Feminist Talking Circles: Reconsidering Collaborative Feedback Practices in the Digital Humanities

Digital humanities (DH) scholars have examined how feminist methodologies promote inclusive practices to value all stages of the development process. DH scholars can learn from feminist educators, however, about how to extend ‘cultures of care’ in DH learning spaces around feedback processes. Centring these feminist tenets, the Technology and Digital Humanities Lab at Newcomb Institute models strategies for how mentors in DH labs and classrooms can use digital tools to adapt during and beyond crises to intentionally build cultures of care and set up supportive spaces for giving and receiving feedback. During the COVID-19 pandemic interns use Zoom to conduct their weekly meetings. While others had a negative connotation with Zoom meetings, we found that the intentional use of the platform’s sharing features created opportunities to unify our community, permitting more discussion across peers when showing their work. Over time we tailored our Zoom use to create a hybrid feminist solidarity circle to meet DH students’ learning needs. We argue through adapting our use of digital tools like Zoom, primarily introduced as a crisis response, we better entrenched our feminist tenets of equitable collaboration by creating a process that encouraged students to seek feedback more openly and on their terms.

Conceptualising the education and care workforce from the perspective of children and young people

Children are significant stakeholders within education and care settings. Their views can be invaluable in thinking about what matters to conceptualising, assessing and improving quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) settings. As stakeholders, children’s views are rarely listened to by Australian policy makers to assess what constitutes quality and how the quality can be improved. In the process of updating two nationally approved Australian Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia 2.0 and My Time Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia 2.0, children’s responses provided meaningful insights into their perceptions of the practices of the educators. The children’s perspectives were gathered in a combination of research methodologies of talking circles, dialogic drawing, and visual elicitation. Their responses about experiences in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) contexts were analysed to provide a deeper understanding about the characteristics of their experiences in the settings. The research process delivered information about children’s perspectives about pedagogical principles and practices that describe the Australian children’s education and care workforce and environments. The process of gathering the children’s perspectives is not without limitations, however the information is invaluable in considering the assessment and improvement of quality in children’s services.