Our understanding is that:
- Tribes know the consequences of trauma in their community, therefore they are intensifying their commitment to community, family and individual wellness
- 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
- Potential risk continues to exist amongst well-intentioned but culturally uninformed researchers and universities
- Tribes exist as sovereign nations therefore carry the responsibility to determine the type of research that serves tribal members
- Any products or outcomes of research (e.g., data, intellectual property, etc.) are owned by the tribe
- Trauma intervention is necessary for and effective with Native American children
Our position is that:
- Tribes have the insight and understanding of their specific community needs that will guide appropriate response to trauma
- As the National Native Children’s Trauma Center, we must come under the guidance of tribes to provide and perform the skill and labor necessary for trauma training, treatment, research, evaluation and adaptation
- We have access to specific trauma interventions that have shown good results in treating depression, anxiety, child traumatic stress, suicidality and substance abuse in or with Native American children
- Unique tribal values and ways of knowing are integral to the adaptations of widely-used interventions for their own people
- Institutional and government sponsors must honor tribal sovereign rights to data ownership
- Tribes have the absolute right to protect practices that may be applied as traditional interventions
Our commitment is to:
- Respond to tribes’ identified community needs for trauma interventions
- Follow the guidance of the tribe in establishing a collaborative process for implementing, adapting and evaluating trauma interventions
- Continue safeguarding tribal ownership of data that is collected from institutional and government sponsored programs and research
- Maintain communication beyond funded projects with regard to project progress, new findings and best practices in Indian Country
Funding for this project (1 U79 SMO58145-01) was made possible (in part) by SM-06-005 cooperative agreement from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). The views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.