THE IMPACTS OF THE CULTURAL IDENTITY PROJECT

PILOT PROGRAM

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We piloted the original 8-week version of the Cultural Identity Project at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the 2020-2021 Academic Year. Two groups of Alaska Native students participated. A total of 44 Alaska Native people, ages 18 to 54, of diverse genders and cultural backgrounds participated. Five Alaska Native Elders who developed the curriculum facilitated the program each semester. 

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The 8-week pilot program incorporated storytelling; hands-on experiential activities; discussion and connection with other Alaska Native people at the university; exploration of cultural identity through personal reflection; and documentation and sharing of cultural identity and strengths via ePortfolio technology. It covered 8 topics:

The Real Human Being - Introduction

Our Relatives - Family Identity

Our Land - Community, Tribal, and Regional Identity

Becoming Aware - History, Historical Trauma and Healing Justice

What You Are Known For - Cultural Gifts and Strengths

Becoming - Life Paths

Vision - Contributions

Story - Ceremony and Celebration

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RESEARCH DESIGN

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We employed what is called a step-wedge design, with one group of students participating in the program in the Fall and the other group of students participating in the program in the Spring. This allowed us to see the impacts of the program over time and compare outcomes across groups. We held the program on Monday afternoons for 3 hours via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Program participants completed measures at four time points over the academic year. These measured their:

Cultural Identity

Cultural Strengths

Sense of Community

Mental Health

Program participants and facilitators were also invited to participate in focus groups about their experiences. We held 10 focus groups to hear about everyone’s experiences in the program so we could make revisions accordingly.

OUTCOMES 

We found that the Cultural Identity Project had significant positive effects on program participants’:

Cultural identity development

Recognition of cultural strengths

Sense of community with other Alaska Native people in the program setting

Mental health

Although program participation was voluntary, on average, students attended 6 of 8 sessions.

This is a high response rate for an optional program.

A program highlight for the participants was that it was developed and facilitated by Elders.

Program participants found their time with the Elders to be insightful and engaging.

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Participants desired to continue the program and were devising mechanisms to continue to engage in activities together. Many desired to see the program be lengthened to cover topics more fully. Elders and program personnel indicated interest in continuing to contribute to the project. 

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THIS FEEDBACK LED TO OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM

Based on the results of the pilot and input from student participants and Elder facilitators, we have developed a 15-week curriculum for the Cultural Identity Project. The curriculum allows for more time allotted to certain topics and deeper reflection on identity.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT RESEARCH ON THIS PROJECT

Buckingham, S. L., Schroeder, T., & Hutchinson, J. (2023). Knowing Who You Are (Becoming): Effects of a university-based Elder-led cultural identity program on Alaska Native students’ identity development, cultural strengths, behavioral health, and sense of community. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

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Buckingham, S. L., Schroeder, T., & Hutchinson, J. (2023). Elder-led cultural identity program as counterspace at a public university: Narratives on sense of community, empowering settings, and empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12673

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Buckingham, S. L., & Hutchinson, J. (2022). “It's like having strong roots. We’re firmly planted.”: Cultural identity development among Alaska Native university students. Transcultural Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634615221122524

Hutchinson, J., & Buckingham, S. L. (2021). The impact of higher education on Alaska Native students’ cultural identities. Journal of American Indian Higher Education, 60(1-2), 211–236. https://doi.org/10.5749/jamerindieduc.60.1-2.0211