Partnering with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and rural residing persons to develop a community guided research agenda.
Traditional Ecological Knowledges (TEKs; also known as Native Science) refers to the evolving knowledge acquired by native communities over millennia through their direct contact with the environment. Efforts are urgently needed to ensure American Indian and rural representatives are at the same table as researchers, clinicians, and policymakers when discussing the implications of research on weather and health. These communities are at significant risk for negative health consequences due to extreme weather.
Through the Mni Sota Center for Weather and Health (MCWH), we propose to build capacity for innovative research related to weather factors and health as experienced by the two communities who we posit will make the most profound strides to adapt and/or mitigate the impacts of weather: AIAN and rural communities.
The community engagement core of the Mni Sota Center represents a braiding together of Native and Western science and viewpoints. It is an impactful partnership between the affected communities and allies representing researchers, clinicians, and policymakers as we work together to address the impacts of weather on American Indian and rural health.
Leadership
The community engagement core is co-led by Kyle Hill, PhD and Dana Carroll, PhD, who have strong records of engaging American Indian communities in research.
Aims of the Community Engagement Core:
- Co-develop a research agenda that leverages TEKs and Western environmental health approaches that identifies a) key research questions related to weather and health experienced by AIAN and rural persons that can be prioritized in future research, including the Pilot Projects and Emerging Issues Program and b) data sovereignty guidelines and other recommendations for culturally safe research practices.
- Assist center efforts, including the Research Project (Lead: Berman) and Pilot Projects and Emerging Issues Program, in navigating health-related community engaged research by providing expertise in community engagement from planning to dissemination and culturally safe research practices including data sovereignty.
- Implement a Citizen Science Program that entails digital storytelling (a form of TEKs) with AIAN youth.
- Evaluate the Center’s reach and engagement efforts, including those related to the Center’s Research Project (Lead: Berman), Citizen Science Program, and Pilot Projects and Emerging Issues Program, via a multi-pronged approach informed by the RE-AIM Framework, Goodman Assessment of Community Engagement, and an evaluation framework entailing storytelling.
