Developing Indigenous Leaders

The Northwest Arctic Institute aims to increase village capacity to promote village wellness through community capacity-building and locally-driven activities. The Institute provides selected community members with opportunities to heal, build supportive relationships with mentors and peers, identify their own leadership skills and qualities, and develop plans for supporting wellness and promoting health in their villages. The Institute invites participants to become clearer about their identities as Inupiaq and as community leaders, and to gain skills that enable them to effectively work toward the betterment of their families and communities. This evaluation documents participants’ experiences at the Institute and the differences it made in their lives. Methods: We conducted pre & post Institute interviews with Institute participants (n=30), who are from rural Alaska Native communities. The interviews document participants’ ideas about themselves, the role they play in their family and community, and their involvement in village wellness activities before and after attending the Institute.  Specifically, we wanted to know about any village activities they led or contributed to since attending the Institute, the level of support they offered to others in their community, and the ways they used (or did not utilize) perspectives or relationships developed at the Institute when they returned home. Findings: The presentation describes how the Institute enhanced participants’ understandings about their own capacities, leadership, and relationships. It also identifies ways to improve the Institute’s outcomes so that participants are better able to translate what they gained from attending the Institute into community-based activities focused on wellness.