title: Unheard Alaska: culturally anchored participatory action research on sobriety with Alaska Natives.
abstract: Alcohol research in Alaska Native communities has a contentious history. This project has attempted to address a critical need for research to guide alcohol abuse prevention and treatment with Alaska Natives using culturally anchored participatory action research. The process of grounding the research methodology in the culture and community is described, along with its contribution to community psychology's understanding of the importance of cultural factors. Tensions between indigenous values and ways of knowing, and Western research methodologies are delineated, along with how these tensions were resolved. Important issues that arose in doing culturally anchored participatory action research are described. These included the development of a community of inquiry, key methodological decisions, the empowerment of participants as coresearchers, and flexibility in research implementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6480, USA. tfgvm@uaf.edu
authors.forename: Gerald V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Mohatt
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hazel
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stachelrodt
authors.forename: Chase
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hensel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fath
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003469:Culture; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans