1. Carmella Kahn-Thornbrugh Agnes Attakai Kerstin Resinschmidt Shannon Whitewater Tara Chico Nolando Neswood Kathryn Foster Nicolette Teufel-Shone URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN ELDERS RESILIENCY: SOURCES OF STRENGTH FOR BUILDING A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR TODAY’S YOUTH

2. Background Role of American Indian (AI) elders Keepers and transmitters of knowledge (Wexler, 2011) Endured many adversities (Grandbois & Sanders, 2009) Life stories hold life lessons and foundational knowledge to better understand resilience Youth in today’s society Disconnect between elders and youth (Wexler, 2011) Urban AI youth face greater challenges connecting with elders (Stumblingbear-Riddle, 2012) Previous research acknowledges that ties to culture and other variables (i.e. social support) may be protective and lead to resilient outcomes for positive youth development (LaFromboise et al., 2006; Wexler, 2011)

3. Protective intergenerational strategies Spirituality Tribal identity Elders Ceremonies and rituals Humor Oral tradition Family Support networks (HeavyRunner and Morris, 1997) What protective strategies can elders offer to enhance resiliency among urban American Indian youth?

4. Methods: Literature review 1.Medical and Social science databases were surveyed (1) Peer-reviewed English based articles (2) Published from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2013 (3) AIAN and Hawaiian elders as the target population (4) Non-clinical based (5) Key words and terms for American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Resilience

5. Key words and terms used in literature review

6. Methods:

7. Methods: Pilot research project 2.Documenting and Promoting Resilience in Urban American Indians (Co-PIs: Agnes Attakai, Kerstin Reinschmidt) CBPR approach; partnership with Tucson Indian Center Defining resilience from the perspective of urban American Indian elders. Qualitative methods: focus groups and individual interviews with 13 urban American Indian elders Utilized thematic analysis Digital stories and a curriculum for a youth program

8. Results: Literature review Protective factors Resilience Understanding elders resilience Intergenerational relationships Family/community/collective connectedness Culture Storytelling, activities, sense of belonging, sense-making Spirituality Higher power, God

9. Results: Pilot Research Project Revealed protective factors for youth related to culture, youth activities, education, spirituality, connecting elders with youth

10. Resilience factors: Culture

11. Resilience factors: Activities

12. Resilience factors: Education

13. Discussion Literature search and qualitative data from elder’s narratives helped identify key resiliency factors uniquely specific for urban AI youth Strengths in knowing history and roots Adults and elders views on culture were different from youth Adults & elders: Culture is a collective experience; draw from intergenerational strengths/ practice; get strength from those who came before; feeling grounded Youth: Culture was related to specific activities/skills; culture is slipping away; had cultural strengths but didn’t know it Oppressive policies have disrupted the relationship between youth and their Elders

14. Recommendations Strategies for enhancing resilience among youth intergenerational communication (stories about historical trauma and elder resilience) Teach youth how culture can be a sustaining force and how it is linked to strengths (personal to collective) to overcome challenges Appropriate methods: Storytelling and narratives are culturally relevant methods that can be combined in CBPR approaches Future research: Increase funding and opportunities for public health research to explore how culture fosters resilience among urban American Indians Tribal opportunities—self-determination policies (include elders in schools)

15. Thank you Carmella Kahn-Thornbrugh ckahn@email.arizona.edu This work was supported by the Center for American Indian Resilience (CAIR) a NIH-NIMHD P20 Exploratory Center of Excellence (1P20MD006872) awarded to Northern Arizona University with subcontracts to University of Arizona and Dine College

16. References Gandbois, D. M., & Sanders, G. F. (2009). The resilience of Native American elders. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 30, 569-580. HeavyRunner, I., & Morris, J. S. (1997). Traditional Native culture and resilience. CAREI Research/Practice Newsletter, 5(1). LaFromboise, T. D., Hoyt, D. R., Oliver, L., & Whitbeck, L. B. (2006). Family, community, and school influences on resilience among American Indian adolescents in the upper midwest. Journal of Community Psychology, 34(2), 193- 209. Stumblingbear-Riddle, G., & Romans, J. S. C. (2012). Resilience among urban American Indian adolescents: Exploration into the role of culture, self-esteem, subjective well-being, and social support. American Indian and Alaska Mental Health Research, 19(2), 1-19. Wexler, L. (2011). Intergenerational dialogue exchange and action: Introducing a community-based participatory approach to connect youth, adults and elders in an Alaskan Native community. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(3), 248-264.