Asserting Identity: An Examination of American Indian and Alaskan Native Professionals’ Experiences with Identity and Context

Abstract

The enduring impacts of colonization on American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) people are evident in the significant physical and mental health disparities that they face. Efforts advanced by AI/AN professionals within these communities have led to improvements, but challenges remain in addressing said disparities in manners that are contextually- and culturally- situated. It is thereby important to understand the experiences, meaning making, and perceptions of AI/AN professionals who are engaging in this work. Guided by constructive grounded theory, the researcher interviewed 10 AI/AN professionals who are employed in urban agencies that promote the health and well-being Native people. Using this methodology, the ways in which culture, community, and career shape personal and professional identities vis-a-vis one’s career were explored. These findings show an emerging understanding of the importance of peers, education, and community in shaping – and providing context for – each individual’s self-determined identity, and how this reciprocally influences work in AI/AN communities. These findings support the need to address and evolve our grasp of culture and character within the context of one’s profession and the community she/he/they serve. By extending our current understanding of these intersections and by creating structures that support culture and identity, this research offers an emerging theory to improve future professionals’ preparation in their support of AI/AN communities.