# Building a Menominee-Centric Trauma Resilience Model

> **NIH NIH S06** · GREAT LAKES INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL, INC. · 2020 · $89,349

## Abstract

American Indians (AI) have persevered through historical trauma and oppression and many 
communities are thriving and promoting resilience. However the modern context for the AI 
presents many challenges for tribal youth who disproportionately experience adverse childhood 
events (ACEs). ACEs include such things as physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect, 
family substance use or abuse, domestic violence in the family, or mental illness in the family. A 
growing body of research has linked child maltreatment and/or exposure to violence to a broad 
range of long-term health problems. In order to nurture resiliency within the community, 
accurate measures of trauma exposure and resiliency are needed. The proposed research 
aims to measure ACEs and resiliency in Native American youth; to understand the factors that 
contribute to resiliency in youth; and to investigate the unique cultural practices that focus efforts 
toward renewal through cultural and community-based intervention models. The social 
ecological model frames our overall research to better understand the complex interplay 
between individual, family and community and strength based factors to overcome adversity. 
Specific Aim 1: To quantify the factors contributing to ACEs in AI youth, and the 
individual and community strengths necessary to advocate for the most effective 
programs that build individual and community resiliency. 
We will use validated scales to conduct a cross-sectional assessment of AI youth (grades 9-12) 
to measure strengths, resilience, adversity and related constructs. This will allow us to identify 
and measure the risk and protective factors most highly associated with ACEs and the 
differences in factors between those with high and low/no ACEs. 
Specific Aim 2: To employ storytelling to contextualize the AI strengths, including 
cultural practices that focus efforts toward renewal through cultural and community- 
based intervention models. 
Storytelling sessions will be conducted with 1) tribal mental/behavioral health and trauma 
assessment providers and 2) tribal leaders and Elders to identify how resiliency is cultivated 
individually, in families, and the community through economic opportunity, mentors and role 
models, organized community programs for families, a school environment that promotes 
prevention, and the family structure and Indigenous ways of knowing. Identifying needs and 
strengths will also allow us to identify, develop and adapt interventions in collaboration with our 
CAB to assist AI youth who suffer from ACEs to help them to thrive in their community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9986830
- **Project number:** 5S06GM127793-03
- **Recipient organization:** GREAT LAKES INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Laura D Cassidy
- **Activity code:** S06 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $89,349
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-06 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9986830

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9986830, Building a Menominee-Centric Trauma Resilience Model (5S06GM127793-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9986830. Licensed CC0.

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