Cherokee Nation PFS Project Seven Star - Project Seven Star will serve Native American youth and families within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The primary population of focus will be Native American (NA) youth (0-18) who reside in the fourteen county tribal area, with an emphasis on NA youth being raised by grandparents and kinship providers. The secondary population of focus is NA adults connected to NA youth, such as: Family members, caregivers, elders, and concerned citizens. Grandparents and elders can provide important social support to protect grandchildren from negative health outcomes, particularly in tribal communities where culture is an important protective factor. This is demonstrative of the promise and premise of a multigenerational prevention approach. There is data to support that the loss of land, language, and culture, in addition to discrimination in the form of both macro and micro aggressions, manifest in present day individuals who identify as Native American. This trauma may contribute to an increased likelihood of depression, poly-drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide among Native Americans. It is fundamental for safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments to be created and sustained as a protection of the impacts of substance abuse. Increasingly, definitions of determinants of health are being expanded to include our connections. This includes social inclusion, civic participation, and, significantly, connection to culture. For Native Americans, who experienced generations of forced disconnection and dislocation, the repercussions continue. These data tell us not only that many of our children have started to use and misuse substances, but also that we have an opportunity to prevent the onset and interrupt the progression of misuse. We believe that connecting young people to their culture, and fostering relationships and knowledge sharing across generations, is a key prevention strategy. Project Seven Star will leverage the lessons and successes of the last grant cycle to bolster the transmission of cultural knowledge between our carriers of wisdom and middle and high school students in Cherokee Nation. Native youth deserve support, guidance, and hope as they navigate adolescence. Project Seven Star responds to two significant and connected risk factors- underage alcohol use and cultural disconnection- by teaching, modeling, and fortifying culturally centered practices in service of balance and wellness. The goals of Project Seven Star are to increase awareness about the connections between culture and health, increase the capacity of Cherokee Nation to utilize culture to prevent youth substance use, increase youth resilience through cultural engagement and wisdom sharing, and to increase access to mental health and prevention services for Native American youth in Cherokee Nation. We will pursue these goals by developing and disseminating messages, trainings, and events that highlight the protective functions of culture; enhancing the skills and tools of caregivers, elders, and family members; and connecting youth to appropriate and responsive resources. Using the Strategic Prevention Framework, with a focus on cultural alignment, we anticipate serving a minimum of 100 youth and 50 adults annually, and over 750 people over the lifetime of the grant.
