Native HeARTs: Digital Storytelling through Indigenous Art

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Indigenous Studies
• Digital Media Arts

Background:

• Health disparities for Native/Indigenous youth are perpetuated by systemic bias and racism.
• Scientific literature and media often invalidate Indigenous knowledge, contributing to health inequities.
• Existing health interventions may not adequately address the root causes of these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a culturally-relevant intervention empowering Indigenous youth to address health disparities.
• To shift narrative power towards decolonial Indigenous philosophies in health and well-being discussions.
• To utilize digital media to promote strengths-based narratives and community resilience.

Main Methods:

• Youth were mentored by Indigenous artists to create digital stories.
• The intervention focused on community wellness, strengths, and resilience.
• Digital storytelling addressed substance abuse and suicide prevention from youth perspectives.

Main Results:

• The intervention targeted root causes of health disparities by transforming communication structures.
• Strengths-based narratives were uplifted through positive images of Indigenous people addressing community issues.
• Community-based narrative power was built through collaborative digital media creation.

Conclusions:

• Digital media offers a powerful platform for decolonizing health narratives.
• Empowering Indigenous youth through storytelling can address systemic health disparities.
• This intervention model fosters community resilience and promotes Indigenous well-being.