Despite decades of oppression, violence, relocation, and forced assimilation, Native American and Alaska Native individuals and families continue to be resilient and thrive. Their resilience does not occur in isolation: the Tribal culture, community, and environment are connected. Native Americans draw strength from traditional ways of living, places, relationships, and collective successes. Their resilience is built up through culture, spirituality, shared values, and a strong sense of identity, accountability, and responsibility. Resilience, healing, and wellness play important roles in Native American communities, and recognizing this is necessary for child welfare professionals working with American Indian children and families. On this page, find resources on the resilience of American Indians and information about how culture serves as a protective factor to heal, strengthen, and preserve this community.
Center for Native Child and Family Resilience
Children’s Bureau
Collects and publishes Tribal practice models, intervention strategies, and services offered as a child abuse prevention effort.
Culture Is Prevention
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2018)
Focuses on the protective factors and strength Tribal communities find through their culture. Historical trauma, cultural protective factors, and evidence-based factors are covered in this webinar.
Healing & Wellness
Tribal Information Exchange of the Capacity Building Center for Tribes
Offers information on the Lakota Worldview, which describes the four stages of life and accompanying ceremonies recognized in the Lakota community. The ceremonies contribute to a balanced life.
Identifying Protective Factors to Promote Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Adolescents: A Literature Review
Henson, Sabo, Trujillo, & Teufel-Shone (2017)
Journal of Primary Prevention, 38(1–2)
Presents a literature review to identify protective factors associated with positive health outcomes among American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents. The study identified nine categories of protective factors that were positively associated with health and social outcomes: current or future aspirations, personal wellness, positive self-image, self-efficacy, nonfamilial connectedness, family connectedness, positive opportunities, positive social norms, and cultural connectedness.
InBrief: Resilience Series
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2021)
Illustrates why resilience is important and how it develops through a series of three videos.
Measuring Cultural Factors Associated with Substance Misuse and Mental Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Populations (PDF - 1,770 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2018)
Provides information on what measures prevention professionals can use to evaluate programs that include cultural elements.
Protective Factors and the Science Behind Resilience
Capacity Building Center for Tribes (2020)
Explores the science behind resilience and the protective factors that support resilience for children, families, and Tribal communities.
Report: HTLA Class 5 Recommendations on Culture as a Protective Factor to Prevent Trafficking Among All Indigenous Youth
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (2020)
Discusses how culture can serve as a protective factor in preventing trafficking among Indigenous youth.
Tribal Home Visiting: Cultural Traditions Offer Protective Force
Gaynair & Friedman (2018)
Urban Institute
Discusses Tribal home visiting programs and how they have a positive effect on child and family development.