The TRC leverage’s multiple communication channels to facilitate research-to-practice and practice-to-research knowledge transfer in support of our mission to grow the field of early childhood research in partnership with AIAN program leaders, community partners, researchers, federal staff, and others focused on promoting the well-being of AIAN children and families. Click on the links below to see some of the publications and resources that have been developed by the TRC and our close partners:
Special Issue: New Directions in Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting: Lessons from the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. Infant Mental Health Journal. Volume 39, Number 3, May-June, 2018, Guest Editors Aleta Meyer and Douglas K. Novins.
Spicer, P. & Sarche, M. (2007). Culture and community in research with American Indian and Alaska Native infants, toddlers, and families. Zero to Three, 27, 55-56.
Sarche, M., & Spicer, P. (2008). Poverty and health disparities for American Indian and Alaska Native children: Current knowledge and future prospects.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1136, 126-136.
Fitzgerald, H. E., Mann, R., Cabrera, N., Sarche, M., & Qin, D. (2009). Development of Infants and Toddlers in Ethnoracial Families. Infant Mental Health Journal, 30, 425-432.
Sarche, M. & Whitesell, N.R. (2012). Child development research in North American Native communities: Looking back and moving forward.
Child Development Perspectives, 6, 42-48.
Spicer, P., LaFramboise, T., Markstrom, C., Niles, M., West, A., Fehringer, K., Grayson, L., & Sarche, M. (2012). Toward an applied developmental science for Native children, families, and communities.
Child Development Perspectives, 6, 49-54.
Whitesell, N.R, Sarche, M.C., Trucksess, C. (2015). The Survey of Well-Being of Young Children Tribal Feasibility Study. Infant Mental Health Journal, 36,
483-505.
Sarche, M., Tafoya, G., Croy, C.D., & Hill, K. (2016). American Indian and Alaska Native boys: Early childhood risk and resilience amidst context and culture. Infant Mental Health Journal, 38, 115-127.
Walls, M.L., Whitesell, N.R., Barlow, A., & Sarche, M. (2019). Research with American Indian and Alaska Native populations: Measurement matters.
Journal of Ethnicity and Substance Abuse, 18(1), 129-149.
Barnes-Najor, J.V., Thompson, N.L., Cameron, A.F., Smith, T.M., Verdugo, M.C., Brown, P.L., & Sarche, M. (2020). Cultural and practice perspectives on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System: Voices from American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start programs.
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 35(1), 162-183
Tsethlikai, M., Sarche, M., Barnes-Najor, J., & Fitzgerald, H. (2020). Addressing inequities in education: Considerations for American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth in the era of COVID-19.
Society for Research in Child Development, Statement of the Evidence.
Sarche, M., Malone, L., Hoard, L., Barnes-Najor, J., Cameron, A., West, J., Barofsky, M., & the AIAN FACES Workgroup (2021). Perspectives of Region XI Head Start federal, research, and program partners in carrying out a national study of American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start children, families, and programs.
American Journal of Community Psychology, 1-15.
Barnes-Najor, J., Senehi, N., Cameron, A., Lee, K.S., Tsethlikai, M., Saucedo, J., Sarche, M. (in press). Psychometric evaluation of the Native Culture and Language in the Classroom Observation: An analysis of data from the American Indian and Alaska
Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey. Journal of Indigenous Early Childhood Education.
Whitesell, N., Howley, C., Asdigian, A., Clifford, C., Senehi, N., & Sarche, M. (2022). Community Perspectives on Developmental Screening of American Indian and Alaska Native Children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 43(4), 558-575.
Asdigian, N., Howley, C., Sarche, M., Clifford, C., Miller, A., & Whitesell, N. (2022). Exploring the feasibility of validating early developmental screening tools for American Indian and Alaska Native children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 43(4), 576-588.
Sarche, M, Dobrec, A., Barnes-Najor, J., Cameron, A., & Calac Verdugo, M. (2020). American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start: Historical and contemporary contexts for understanding Region XI Head Start programs, children, families, and communities. In, J. Benson (Ed), Encyclopedia of infant and early childhood development, 2nd edition. Oxford, UK: Elsevier (pp. 31-44).
NCAI Policy Research Center (Around Him, D., Burnette, C., Tafoya, G., Yazzie-Mintz, T., & Sarche, M.) (2016). Tips for Researchers: Strengthening Research that Benefits Native Youth.
Barnes-Najor, J.V., Belleau, A., Smith, T., Verdugo, M., Thompson, N., Brown, P., & Sarche, M. (2016). Cultural and practice perspectives on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System: Voices from American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start programs.
Fleming, C., Moore, L., Sarche, M., Charles, T., McNicholas, D., Rackliff, S., Redbird-Post, M., Sprague, M. (2016) Tribal Grantee Plans from the 2014-2015 Child Care Development Fund: A report by the Child Care Community of Learning
Malone, L., Knas, E., Cavanaugh, M., and West, J. (2016). Early care, education, and home visiting in American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Design Options for assessing early childhood needs. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, OPRE Report # 2016-49.
Malone, L., Knas., E., Bernstein, S., and Read Feinberg, L. (2017). Understanding American Indian and Alaska Native early childhood needs: The potential of existing data. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, OPRE Report #2017-44.
Sarche, M. (2018). Native culture and language at the heart for tribal Head Start programs and parents. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Policy Lab Blog post.
Sarche, M., Fleming, C., Marfani, F., & Ayoub, C. (2019). Healthy children and resilient communities: Tribal LAUNCH approaches and grantee examples of integrating Native culture into Project LAUNCH programming. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Project LAUNCH Issue Brief.
Whitesell, N.R., Asdigian, N.L., Howley, C.T., Sarche, M., & Clifford, C. (2020). Pilot Exploration of Development Screening in Tribal Communities (Tribal PEDS) Final Report.
Sarche, M., Barnes-Najor, J.V., & the TRC Native Language and Culture Community of Learning (2020). Native Language and Cultural Experiences among Children in Region XI Head Start Programs and Classrooms: Findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015. Administration for Children and Families, OPRE Report #2020-01.
Barnes-Najor, J.V., Sarche, M., Abramson-Martin, L., Amaya-Thompson, J., Cameron, A., Godfrey, A., Kaufman, C, Pettircrew, E., Richardson, M., Sauve, M., & Shuey, D. (2019). Native Language and Cultural Experiences in Region XI Children’s Homes and Communities: Findings from the American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2015. Administration for Children and Families, OPRE Report 2019-87.
Wesner, C., Around Him, D., & Sarche, M. (2022). Child development in Indigenous communities: Promoting equity and resilience across a continuum of Tribal early childhood programs and services. Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) Brief, November 2022.
Raj, P., Asdigian, N., Desanto, K., Whitesell, N., Barnes-Najor, J., Sarche, M., Around Him, D., & Wesner, C. (2023). Conceptualizing family economic wellbeing in Indigenous communities and contexts: Key findings from a scoping review. Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) Brief, November 2023.
Wesner, C., Asdigian, N., Barnes-Najor, J., Around Him, D., Whitesell, N., and Community of Learning on Indigenous Early Relational Wellbeing. (2024). Tribal Early Childhood Research Center’s Community of Learning on Indigenous Early Relational Wellbeing. Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC) Brief, June 2024.
Tribal Early Childhood Research Center. (2024). Overview of Our Work and Approach. Aurora, CO: Tribal Early Childhood Research Center.
Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (2024). Virtual Learning Series. Aurora, CO: Tribal Early Childhood Research Center.
The Administration for Children and Families Transforming Tribal Early Child Series, with TRC partners presenting in the following sessions:
The Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation 2021 Innovative Methods Meeting: Enhancing Rigor, Relevance, and Equity in Research and Evaluation through Community Engagement, with TRC partners presenting in the following sessions:
The Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Hearings, with TRC partners presenting in the following sessions:
The TRC, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, and educators working in Indigenous early childhood settings in the U.S. and Canada convened in May 2022 for a series of Virtual Learning Circles on Land-Based Learning:
The TRC, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, and educators working in Indigenous early childhood settings in the U.S. and Canada convened in May 2023 for a series of Virtual Learning Circles on Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Early Childhood:
Joining us for our first learning circle were Jessica Barnes-Najor, Ann Cameron, Danielle Gartner, Lisa Martin, Jessica Saucedo, Rosebud Schneider, Beedoskah Stonefish, and Chelsea Wentworth from Wiba Anung (Early Stars), a partnership between Michigan State University and the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan to support Tribal early childhood education programs in Michigan. Watch the recording with Wiba Anung to learn about the team’s efforts to develop health-focused curricular materials grounded in connections to Indigenous food practices for use in tribal home visiting and Head Start programs.
In our second learning circle, we were joined by Bernard Suina, Jennifer John, and Trisha Moquino from the Keres Children’s Learning Center. The KCLC team is engaged in Indigenous food sovereignty work from early childhood through adolescence in their Keres language and cultural immersion Montessori program. Watch the recording with Keres Children’s Learning Center to learn about their community, how they are working with the land to self-sustain what they plant, grow, and harvest and the connection of this work with child, family, and community health, development, and well-being.
In our third learning circle, Jewell Arcoren and Fawn YoungBear-Tibbetts from the Wicoie Nandagikendan Sacred Foods Program in Minneapolis joined us. Watch the recording with Wicoie Nandagikendan to learn how they are growing food, engaging families, connecting with the broader community, and finding creative solutions to support a vibrant Indigenous food sovereignty movement in the city.
The TRC hosted educators from across the country working to ensure tribal early childhood programs are places of Indigenous language and culture revitalization and vibrancy. We invite you to listen and learn how Indigenous language and culture are supported in tribal early childhood program settings and contribute to the health, wellbeing and thriving of Native children, families, and communities!
Joining us for our first learning circle was zᎤᏓᏩᏗᏍᎬ, Howard Paden, Executive Director of the Department of the Cherokee Language, who shared the work of his community to revitalize their language. This learning circle was hosted by Mike Richardson, Director of the National American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Collaboration Office. Watch the recording about Cherokee language revitalization. Use the passcode uq0x#^HF to access the recording.
Joining us for our second learning circle was Nitana Hicks Greendeer, Head of School for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who shared how Wampanoag culture could be understood through Wôpanâak language and about her community’s journey to Wôpanâak language revitalization. This learning circle was hosted by Lana Garcia, Director of the Walatowa Language Immersion Head Start program at the Pueblo of Jemez. Watch the recording about Wôpanâak language revitalization. Use the passcode Ng@FkzS9 to access the recording.
Joining us for our third learning circle was Dr. Walter Kahumoku III, associate faculty at the University of Hawaii (Manoa) College of Education, who shared about the kinds of educational learning experiences that set Kānaka children on lifelong paths for Indigenous ways of communicating, being, behaving, and knowing. This learning circle was be hosted by Dr. Chris Sims, Associate Professor in the Department of Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico. Watch the recording about Indigenous ways of communicating and Kānaka children. Use passcode XYAM9#V9 to access the recording.
Wesner, C., Asdigian, N., Barnes-Najor, J., Whitesell, N.R., and Tribal Early Childhood Research Center Community of Learning on Indigenous Early Relational Wellbeing. (2024, June 24). Co-creating a measure of Indigenous early relational wellbeing practices using group concept mapping [Poster Presentation]. Administration for Children and Families' National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, VA.
Wesner, C., Asdigian, N., Around Him, D., Lee, K., Abrahamson-Richards, T., Raj, P., Sarche, M., Whitesell, N.R., (2024, May 30). Patterns of Family Economic Wellbeing Among American Indian and Alaska Native Families with Young Children [Poster Presentation]. Administration for Children and Families' Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency. Washington, DC.
Sarche, M., Ayoub, C., Tribal Early Childhood Research Center Community of Learning on Tribal ECE Workforce Needs and Priorities (2024, June 26). Understanding Indigenous Early Care and Education System and Workforce Challenges and Strengths: Priorities and Recommendations to Address Equity, [Poster Presentation]. Administration for Children and Families' National Research Conference on Early Childhood. Arlington, VA.
