CONDUCTING RESEARCH WITH AN URBAN AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY: A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

In 1996, a notable collaboration between tribal and urban Institutions of higher education was established to create systems change to benefit urban American Indian students. This piece describes community-wide participation starting with a symposium in which a guiding vision statement was developed and priorities were established. The needs assessment process included a literature review, three community forum sessions and key informant surveys. It utilized knowledge and resources of the urban American Indian communities of concern, which resulted in their investment in the research. Data collected will be used to implement the project.