About the Research Webpage
“I think we’ve come to a day and age where it’s different. We need to do research in order to find out more things and why” ~Sophie Chase, Southcentral Foundation Board of Directors.
Southcentral Foundation created this webpage for the Alaska Native customer-owner population living in our service area. This population includes Alaska Native and American Indian people in Anchorage, the Matanuska Valley and the Rural Anchorage Service Unit. We will talk about how people are protected in research (“human subjects protection”) and how Southcentral Foundation reviews research. This site is different than others because it was created for Alaska Native people by Alaska Native people.
Southcentral Foundation
Southcentral Foundation’s vision is “A Native community that enjoys physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness.” Health research can help us achieve this total wellness. Our mission statement is “Working together with the Native Community to achieve wellness through health and related services.”
We want to make sure the Native community is a partner in all parts of the research process. While Southcentral Foundation’s focus may be our customer-owner population, the topic of research relates to all people. Health research can help everyone when it is planned and carried out well.
A Record of Success
Southcentral Foundation has been involved in research for about 10 years. We have strong support from our Board of Directors and have had many successful projects like Traditions of the Heart. We will continue to use the community-based participatory research(CBPR) model as a guide.
Research in Our Community
Southcentral Foundation is interested in health research for three reasons.
First, we want to make sure there is a partnership between the researcher(s) and the study group or population. This new approach makes sure what Alaska Native people say it is important to paid attention to and that culture is considered in research projects.
Second, we believe health is needed for quality public health. New information from research can be used to give better education about health, prevent disease (for example, colorectal screening) and improve care people receive.
Third, research can help Alaska Native people learn and develop new skills. Other indigenous peoples, such as the Maori of New Zealand, have become leaders in research and this has motivated Southcentral Foundation to do more. Through capacity-building, we can do health research while training Alaska Native people. To learn more about indigenous health research efforts, please visit:
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Services Center
–American Indian and Alaska Native Programs
Colorado State University - The Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research
University of Hawai`i at Manoa - Department of Native Hawaiian Health
Black Hills Center for American Indian Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
– Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples
The University of Auckland
– Faculty of Arts (Research)