Deg Xit'an Athabascan Coversations on Wellness
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DEG XIT’AN ATHABASCAN COVERSATIONS ON WELLNESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING THE RADICAL POSSIBILITIES OF RELATIONSHIPS by LaVerne Marie Demientieff A dissertation submitted to the faculty of The University of Utah in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy College of Social Work The University of Utah August 2017 Copyright © LaVerne Marie Demientieff 2017 All Rights Reserved The University of Utah Graduate School STATEMENT OF DISSERTATION APPROVAL The dissertation of LaVerne Marie Demientieff has been approved by the following supervisory committee members: Christina Gringeri , Chair 4-25-2017 Date Approved Caren Frost , Member 4-25-2017 Date Approved Beth Leonard , Member 4-25-2017 Date Approved Lawrence Henry Liese , Member 4-25-2017 Date Approved Marilyn Luptak , Member 4-25-2017 Date Approved and by Lawrence Henry Liese , Chair/Dean of the Department/College/School of Social Work and by David B. Kieda, Dean of The Graduate School. ABSTRACT It is essential that Indigenous people tell their own stories that describe the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “how” of Indigenous life in order to shape our own destiny. The question posed in this research study is, In what ways do Deg Xit’an, Athabascan people draw from their culturally unique experiences, knowledge, values, and relationships in the context of their lives to create and maintain wellness and wholeness? The Deg Xit’an Athabascan (DXA) people are one of the smallest of the eleven Athabascan language groups located in Southwest Alaska. The importance of asking this question is significant at the individual and collective levels. The question itself is strengths focused. While it does imply that individuals and communities go in and out of balance and that problems exist, it is focused on the broader idea that within an individual and community are unique sets of existing tools and knowledge that can be utilized to maintain or create wellness and/or get back into balance. There are many statistics that highlight some of the many challenges Alaska Native people face today; however, they do not highlight the potential and possibilities of a strong and enduring people. Wellness, as it has been written and discussed by many Indigenous scholars, is shaped by a holistic combination of factors (mind, body, spirit, environment, history, traditions, and relationships) influencing each other in a continuous and dynamic way working toward balance and harmony. This is a qualitative study utilizing an Indigenous research framework. Twenty- two participants took part in four conversational focus groups and two interviews. The study included a mixture of Elders, culture bearers, middle-aged community members, and young adult community members. The themes and subthemes that emerged from the data and that contribute to wellness include: The cultural practices that were modeled by our Elders, traditional values that were embedded within those cultural practices, life’s challenges and how the people adapted and grew strength from those challenges, and community action recommendations from participants on how to preserve our way of life and lead us back to the cultural practices that keep the people well. iv This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Rudy and Alice (Frank/Modiak) Demientieff. To my father, Rudy, the rugged riverboat captain, whose Indigenous knowledge guided us expertly through our journey on the mighty Yukon River and beyond. And to my mother, Alice, the silent strength she radiated inspired her whole family to be as strong; the love and faith she possessed could move mountains and was also a protective force over all her children. Dogidihn for instilling in me the strength of my ancestors, the ability to work hard, the love for our people, and the determination and will to do whatever I choose in life. Love you both. “If you want to keep it, you have to give it away.” Deg Xit’an Elder TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. ix Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 Purpose and Significance of the Study ........................................................3 Overview of Deg Xit’an People ...................................................................7 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW .............................15 Theoretical Framework ..............................................................................15 Literature Review.......................................................................................20 Challenges Are Inevitable; However, There Needs to Be a Focus or Refocus to Strengths ..................................................................24 Wellness Is Multifaceted and Contextual ......................................26 Wellness Is a Way of Life: Understanding the Impact of Culture, History, and Contemporary Issues..................................................30 Relationships Create Energy and Transformations That Produce Possibilities ....................................................................................34 Conclusion .................................................................................................37 3. METHODOLOGY AND METHOD .............................................................................38 Researcher Preparation ..............................................................................40 Research Preparation .................................................................................42 Decolonizing ..............................................................................................47 Ethics in Research ......................................................................................49 Gathering Knowledge ................................................................................52 Making Meaning ........................................................................................56 Giving Back ...............................................................................................59 Conclusion .................................................................................................60 4. RESULTS ......................................................................................................................62 Tea Partner Tradition .............................................................................................65 Conversational Focus Group Themes ....................................................................70 Theme #1: Cultural and Traditional Practices ...........................................70 Theme #2: Traditional Values ...................................................................77 Theme #3: Embracing Challenges by Remembering Who We Are ..........84 Theme #4: Deg Xit’an Beliefs and Action Recommendations ..................92 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................100 5. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................................104 Discussion ............................................................................................................105 Cultural and Traditional Practices ...........................................................105 Traditional Values ....................................................................................107 Embracing Challenges by Remembering Who We Are ..........................108 Deg Xit’an Beliefs and Action Recommendations ..................................109 Implications..........................................................................................................110 Deg Xit’an Community............................................................................110 Social Work Practice................................................................................112 Policy .......................................................................................................116 Personal ....................................................................................................116 Limitations ...........................................................................................................118 Future Research ...................................................................................................119 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................119 Appendices A. HOLY CROSS TRIBE LETTER OF SUPPORT .......................................................121 B. CONSENT COVER LETTER ....................................................................................123 C. RECRUITMENT LETTER #1....................................................................................126 D. RECRUITMENT LETTER #2 ...................................................................................128 E. IRB RENEWAL LETTER #2 .....................................................................................130 F. IRB APPROVAL LETTER #1 ....................................................................................132 G. INFORMAL RESEARCH AGENDA ........................................................................135 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................137