Forward to Ecological Description of a Multi-Level Community-Based Cultural Intervention: Reflections on Culturally-Situated Participatory Research

摘要

I am honored to have been asked to write a forward for this special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology describing the recent developments in cultural intervention that have come out of one of the most thorough, grounded, and inspiring community-researcher partnerships I am aware of. This work, of course, holds a special place in my heart, as the academic research team was led for many years by my late father, Gerald Mohatt, and represents the fruit of a deep collaboration and commitment between numerous close friends and mentors of mine from both the University and the Alaska Native communities. My personal connection to this work has played a major role in shaping who I am as a community psychologist—my father’s life story and guidance remain my inspiration to serve the communities I work with today. But also, this work has influenced my intellectual development as central scholarly examples taught to me and my fellow students during our doctoral education in rural and indigenous community psychology. Whereas the story of this work and my father’s career begin prior to the development of the term Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), I was taught that CBPR is the only way to do respectful, culturally-grounded research, especially in indigenous communities. Further, my teachers and mentors, with a special nod to my father, taught me that the work presented in this special issue is the standard bearer for how to do "CBPR the right way."