Our team supports the collection and use of population- specific data, aiming to find culturally relevant health solutions that are both effective and resonate within our unique communities. We prioritize appropriate dissemination of results, so all our communities have access to the information that is most relevant and useful to their efforts to improve their health and wellbeing.
The Evaluation Program supports the work of all AICAF teams and programs, providing insight on how to improve our efforts and better serve tribal communities. It establishes and monitors program outputs, outcomes, benchmarks, and success stories. The evaluation team accomplishes this through the use of logic models, evaluation plans, and reports that are shared with our communities.
The Tribal Tobacco Use Project (TTUP) is a tribal-specific statewide survey of commercial and traditional tobacco use among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people throughout Minnesota. The American Indian Cancer Foundation’s (AICAF) first TTUP study was conducted in 2013. Findings from this survey revealed there was a staggering 59% smoking rate among AI/AN people across Minnesota. Seven tribes and two urban communities participated in the original TTUP study.
In 2018, AICAF developed a follow-up study called TTUP II. Data collection has been completed and analysis is underway. Each participating tribal community owns its individual data – each also receives a report, key findings, presentation and technical assistance on using the data. AICAF only reports on state-level (non-tribal- specific) findings. State aggregate key findings will be released once the required approvals are received.
Topics on the most recent survey include:
AICAF is partnered with Essentia Health, a health system serving patients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, to pilot a cultural awareness program for patient-facing staff members system-wide. The program consists of broad education on AI/AN history, political sovereignty, social determinants of health, cultural worldviews, and clinical best practices in serving AI/AN patients. Additionally, the program includes data specific to Essentia Health and the unique histories and cultures of the area Tribal communities. Research shows notable differences in cancer incidence and mortality rates for AI/AN populations based on region, with Indigenous people in the Northern Plains experiencing the second highest cancer rate at 1.26x compared to the white population. Participants will be surveyed to understand the program’s effectiveness and determine next research priorities.
This project is one part of a long-term partnership between AICAF and Essentia Health, with goals to develop stronger relationships with area Tribal communities, better understand healthcare employees’ experiences serving the AI/AN population, and identify–and ultimately mitigate–barriers to healthcare in the Northern Plains region.
AICAF’s Evaluation Program supports the work of all AICAF teams and programs, providing insight on how to improve our efforts and better serve our communities and relatives. It establishes and monitors campaign outputs, outcomes, benchmarks, and success stories. The Evaluation Team accomplishes this through Indigenous and Western frameworks.
Like research studies, the field of evaluation has been persistently problematic for many Native communities. Indigenous people suffer from a long history of intrusive studies by outside entities that exploit communities’ cultures and return nothing of benefit.
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (FDL) has received funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP). AICAF supports the evaluation component of this grant through process and outcome evaluation, documentation, and continuous collection of data on outcome indicators and key performance measures. AICAF’s Evaluation Specialist also works with the Core Evaluation Team of the Wiidookaage Coalition to further guide and enhance annual evaluation plans.
AICAF also uses an Indigenous Evaluation Framework to tell the story of the Cultural Awareness in Healthcare partnership with Essentia Health. This project is piloting a cultural awareness training and seeks to improve partnerships between Essentia Health and area Tribal communities. As the project evolves, the Evaluation Specialist and Research Specialist regularly lead collaborative efforts to reflect on and document the project’s vision, guiding values, successes, challenges, and impacts. This information is used to inform future project steps and to communicate the partnership’s potential to positively influence institutional relationships and community health to potential funders and community partners.
As AICAF works to build upon its Indigenous Evaluation Strategies, provided is a list of additional references to help provide further insight.
For more information on Research & Evaluation, or to get involved in our program, please contact research@aicaf.org
