title: Partnering with American Indian communities in health using methods of strategic collaboration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) sponsored six regional workshops in 2010 on community engagement and community-engaged research. One of the six workshops was a collaborative effort between the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Health Board (GPTCHB)-Northern Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center and the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC-COPH).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To create a meaningful and dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas and co-learning between researchers from urban, tribal and nontribal communities and to build the groundwork for development of sustainable partnerships between researchers and American Indian (AI) communities to eliminate health disparities.
  
  
  METHODS
  To enhance meaningful community engagement, we utilized methods of Strategic Collaboration using the Appreciative Inquiry, 4D Change Process Model and designed several interactive group activities including Collaborative Learning and Understanding Exercises (CLUE) and the Research Café.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The key themes that emerged from the interactive sessions stressed the importance of building relationships and trust; mutual use and sharing of data; and acquiring knowledge, skills, and abilities to enable sustainable research partnerships with AI communitiesConclusions: Innovative, dynamic, and strategic collaborative methods of Appreciative Inquiry and the World Café can served to engage people in a constructive dialogue to create a shared vision and plan for more meaningful research partnerships based on principles of equity and social justice, essential for the elimination of health disparities. These collaborative methods can be replicated and adapted in diverse communities, locally, nationally, and globally.
authors.forename: Shireen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rajaram
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giroux
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: Athena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D009329:Nebraska; D011634:Public Health; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities