Measures
Indigenous Early Relational Wellbeing Practices (IERWP)
Visual Response Scale
Both measures use a visual response scale:
| Response Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Fertile Soil | Our children haven’t connected to this practice |
| Gathering Seeds | We want to connect our children to this practice |
| Planting Seeds | Our children are beginning to connect to this practice |
| Growing Strong Roots | Our children are connected to this practice |
| Sharing Seeds | Our children are involved in helping others connect to this practice |
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Place-based Options
In the development of this visual response scale, we worked with Chiffon Lark, Indigenous artist, illustrator, and children’s book author, to develop place-based options for programs to choose from. Each option reflects diverse regions and ecosystems using the ‘seeds of connectedness’ metaphor. Below are the current versions of the IERWP – ECP, all of which can be tailored or mixed and matched.
- Arctic Tundra
- Great Lakes
- Great Plains / Prairie
- Hawaii / Pacifica
- Northeastern Woodlands
- Pacific Coast
- Pacific Northwest
- Southeastern Wetlands
- Southwestern Desert
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Family (IERWP – Family)
The measure of Indigenous Early Relational Wellbeing Practices – Family (IERWP – Family) was developed by the TRC for families with young Indigenous children prenatal to age 5. The measure was developed to help understand practices that support early relational wellbeing and young children’s connections to family, multiple generations, community, and the environment.
The IERWP – Family measure includes 82 items across seven subscales, which capture different dimensions of Indigenous early relational wellbeing. Family members are asked to consider each practice and how their child(ren) is(are) connected to the practice. The measure uses a strengths-based visual response scale grounded in a ‘seeds of connectedness’ metaphor. This imagery helps family members to reflect on where their child is on their journey in connection to each practice.
Subscales
Practices are organized into 7 groups (or subscales):
- Cultural foods (7 items)
- Land and environment (11 items)
- Everyday activities (12 items)
- Family and community (6 items)
- Birth and early child care (12 items)
- Cultural identity and spirituality (19 items)
- Cultural knowledge (16 items)
Early Childhood Practice (IERWP – ECP)
The IERWP – ECP measure assesses 70 relational practices that may be used by early childhood educators to support the early relational wellbeing of children age 0-5 enrolled in Tribal early childhood education and care programs. The measure asks early childhood educators to describe how children are exposed to each practice in their care setting.
Subscales
Practices are organized into 6 groups (or subscales):
- Connections to Cultural Foods & Practices (8 items)
- Connections to Land & Environment (11 items)
- Connections Through Everyday Activities (12 items)
- Connections with Family & Community (6 items)
- Connections Through Cultural Identity & Spirituality (17 items)
- Connections Through Cultural Knowledge (16 items)