Archives JISD Volume 2 Issue 1, February 2012
The Journal of Indigenous Social Development is now managed by the University of Manitoba. You will still be able to access past issues on this site but for updated submission guidelines and for contact information, please visit the new site.
Relationship Building for a Healthy Future: Indigenous Youth Pathways for Resiliency and Recovery
Rodney C. Haring, Bonnie Freeman, Alfred L. Guiffrida, & Michael L. Dennis
This study investigated why Indigenous youth (Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, American Indians, First Nations, and Alaska Natives) decided to abstain from substance abuse behaviors. The authors used both qualitative methods (grounded theory) and quantitative methods (exploratory factor analysis) to develop a story line of the rationale participants used to abstain from substance abuse behaviors and to provide a voice from participants to enhance future Indigenous-relevant curriculum and social work related intervention development. This project was based on the guiding principles set forth by a tribally relevant research code. Aggregate data from Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) intakes were used. Results included the importance of maintaining relationships as a driving factor in the quit process. Youths also stated that maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having strong self-will not being an addict were resiliency factors in the path to recovery. Finally, Indigenous youth used their perceptions of future planning (school and career) and past experiences with the legal system as a means of support. The developing theory, grounded in the perceptions and experiences of the Indigenous youth involved, was given the name relationship building for a healthy future and better life control.
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The Plight of Ainu, Indigenous People of Japan
Mitsuharu Vincent Okada
After over a hundred years of forced assimilation and discriminatory policies, in 2008, the Japanese government finally recognized Ainu as an indigenous people of Japan. These policies eroded the identity and sense of worth of Ainu people, confiscated their homelands, and caused considerable suffering over several generations. The passage of such policies were unknown to the Japanese public who remained ignorant of Ainu cultural values and traditional ways of living, thereby devaluing and relegating them to an invisible status. This article describes the systematic introduction of policies, which endangered the survival of Ainu as a people and continuance of their culture. The effects of these oppressive policies are examined as well as the need for indigenous research, which advocates for social justice.
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Critical Indigenous Pedagogy of Place: A Framework to Indigenize a Youth Food Justice Movement
Alma M.O. Trinidad
Native Hawaiian youth and young adults face an array of issues that limit their understanding of their social context and sense of agency. Additionally, American schooling limits their understanding of their cultural roots. Despite the sociopolitical climate, Native Hawaiian communities are taking an active role in indigenizing their work. In this article, I propose a conceptual framework, Critical Indigenous Pedagogy of Place (CIPP), and argue how it promotes a sense of agency and critical understanding of the social context through the use of Indigenous epistemology and values. I suggest that CIPP is an effective process and method in indigenizing a community food movement. Macro social work research and practice implications are discussed.
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