Recognizing American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

By Aleta Meyer, Ph.D., Senior Social Science Research Analyst and Team Lead for American Indian and Alaska Native Research, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation

The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) oversees a number of research projects related to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. OPRE’s approach emphasizes working in partnership with tribal communities, engaging community members in the research, and respecting tribal sovereignty. The following projects are a couple of examples illustrating our collaboration with ACF program offices, tribal members, and researchers.

In December of 2013, we convened a workgroup of Native Head Start program directors, Native researchers, research partners, and federal officials to design the first nationally representative study of Region XI Head Start programs, which serve predominantly AI/AN children and families. Data from this study will be used to identify the needs of children and programs in Region XI, and to help inform policies and practices for addressing these needs.

On April 17-18, 2014, we held a meeting titled “The Way Forward: ACF Research with American Indians and Alaska Natives ” at the National Museum of the American Indian. Over 60 researchers and federal staff who do research with American Indian and Alaska Native communities gathered to learn about the current state of ACF research in tribal communities and to discuss future directions. From Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants to Tribal Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting, participants engaged in a lively discussion regarding how best to build knowledge that can increase understanding and help inform decision-making in tribal communities.

Explore our other work with American Indian and Alaska Native populations to learn more about how we engage tribal communities.