Native American Studies
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/51
The Department of Native American Studies was established to provide and advance quality education for and about American Indians of Montana, the region, and the nation. In fulfilling this mission, the Department is committed to meet the changing needs of Montana's Indian tribes and all Montana citizens through excellence in teaching, research, and service. In its academic program, the department provides concentrated study through an undergraduate minor, the first online graduate certificate in Native American Studies offered, and a Master of Arts degree in Native American Studies. Students in any major can also gain a multicultural perspective through NAS offerings in the University's core curriculum. The Department, through its research and other creative efforts, actively pursues interdisciplinary scholarship in the field of Native American Studies.
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Item Contribution of wild foods to diet, food security, and cultural values amidst climate change(2019-11) Smith, Erin; Ahmed, Selena; Running Crane, MaryAnn; Eggers, Margaret J.; Pierre, Mike; Flagg, Kenneth A.; Byker Shanks, CarmenWild foods are recognized to contribute to diet and food security through enhancing the availability of local, diverse, and nonmarket food sources. We investigated the contribution of wild foods to diet, food security, and cultural identity in a Native American[1] community in the context of climate change. Structured interviews were conducted with low-income residents of the Flathead Indian Reservation[2] in Northwestern Montana who participate in the federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, also known by participants as ‘Commodities.’ Responses to structured questions were analyzed for frequency, and open-ended responses were coded and analyzed to identify prevalent themes. Our analysis indicated that half of participants were food insecure. Approximately 28% of participants engaged in at least one wild food procurement activity, including hunting, fishing, and harvesting. On average, participants who engaged in one or more wild food procurement activities were more food secure than those who did not. Results highlight the multidimensional valuation of wild foods by participants including taste, freshness, nutritional quality, being a traditional community practice, and providing a sense of self-sufficiency. Climate change is perceived by participants to be adversely impacting wild food systems due to increased variability in seasonality and precipitation and increased incidences of wild fire. Findings point to the need for community-based strategies to strengthen wild food knowledge toward enhancing food sovereignty in Native American communities, in the context of climate change. [1] The term ‘Native American’ was determined to be the preferred term for referencing the Native American community in this study, based on consultation from our community advisory board. [2] The term ‘Flathead Indian Reservation’ was determined to be the preferred term for referencing the location in which this study was held, based on consultation from our community advisory board.Item Coliform Contamination in private well water on the Crow Reservation(2018-10) Powell, MichaelaEmery Three Irons is a master’s level graduate student in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences (LRES) at Montana State University (MSU). Advised by Scott Powell, Ph.D., who is an Associate Professor in the Department of LRES at MSU, Emery is working on his master’s thesis which explores coliform contamination in private well water on the Crow Reservation. He has requested the assistance of the Statistical Consulting and Research Services in deciding on an appropriate analysis for the data he collected.Item Combining both Qualitative and Qualitative Measures(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Hall, Terydon; Ollinger, ScottThis project investigates serum levels of cortisol within a federally recognized tribe. Cortisol, a steroid hormone, is produced and released via adrenal gland function. Relevant to this study, cortisol can be detrimental to humans, as it directly suppresses immune function and thereby increases disease susceptibility. Historically, incidence of chronic disease is markedly higher within Native American populations, than other ethnicities. This mixed-methods study, combining both quantitative and qualitative measures, seeks to determine whether this federally recognized tribe experiences prolonged high-stress events via serum sample and analysis. A further goal of this investigation is to ascertain whether or not stress levels are related to increased infection vulnerability and chronic disease, via a participant self-report survey.Item A Mixed-Methods Community Investigation of Trauma and Depression Incidence within an Indigenous Population(Montana State Univeristy, 2017-04) Spottes Horse, Dannette; Wagner, LanaAmerican Indians experience some of the highest health disparities in the nation per ethnicity, to include lower life expectancy and disproportionate stress, poverty, discrimination in the delivery of health services, poor social conditions, and cultural differences. Increased frequency and intensity of prolonged stress has been related to susceptibility of infection and autoimmune and chronic disease. This inquiry seeks to define the relationship between stress biomarkers, infection, and disease. A primary piece of this investigation is the potential connection between salivary cortisol, trauma, and negative health experiences. This was measured by both quantitative blood and saliva samples compared with the qualitative self-report survey called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) with the aim of exposing the increased occurrence of chronic disease and infection frequency as well as adverse life conditions community participants were experiencing. Enzyme-linked immunenosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to establish salivary cortisol levels in 110 recruited participants, determining if they exhibited elevated levels of stress. This research further explored additional stress biomarkers such as c-reactive protein and immunoglobin A (IgA). The purpose of this work is to provide information to educate individuals in the management of stress to improve quality of life. We found that there was significant correlation between trauma and depression, though no correlational significance between salivary cortisol, C-reactive protein, nor immunoglobin-A with trauma.Item Teachers' beliefs regarding effective teaching strategies for American Indian students in mathematics(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2008) Vallines Mira, Raquel; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Maurice J. BurkeExtensive research has been conducted on teaching strategies that are effective for American Indians in mathematics. Despite the variety of cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors influencing student learning within and among American Indian communities, common characteristics of learning styles and effective teaching practices have been identified. Though the wording in each definition varies, research based on a variety of theoretical frameworks and using a variety of methodologies and instruments suggests that among American Indian students, there is a tendency to learn better when the following three strategies are used: contextualization, modeling and demonstration, and joint productive activity. Despite the general agreement in education research that the beliefs that teachers hold about mathematics teaching and learning greatly impact their instructional decisions in the classroom, few, if any, of those studies have examined teachers' beliefs regarding effective strategies for American Indians in mathematics. The main purpose of this study was to add the voices of four teachers to the research community conversation about effective teaching strategies for American Indians in mathematics. Two elementary and two high school teachers from two schools in Montana were selected for this study for their experience with and commitment to the mathematics education of American Indian students. Two are American Indians and two are White. Using a combination of classroom observations and a modification of videoclip interviews, the beliefs of the four teachers were identified with particular focus on the three teaching strategies mentioned above. The study shows that teachers' definitions of research-based strategies often differ from those intended by the research. Teachers' views about these strategies seemed to be idiosyncratic to individual teachers and appeared to be shaped by multiple lenses. In this study, some of those lenses emerged including, among others, school structures and teachers' cultural backgrounds. In light of the results of the study, future efforts for constructive bi-directional communication between the research community and practitioners are recommended.