Indigenous Early Intervention Alliance (IEIA)

IEIA Philanthropy/Scholarships for Indigenous College Students

Also on this website please find scholarship notices that are given through the Indigenous Early Intervention Alliance (IEIA).  Please forward to anyone interested.  The requirements are very broad and all just require a letter of application – no more or less. 

Recent IEIA Research & News

The IEIA has published several articles over the past year and would enjoy sharing these with anyone interested.  The titles can be found in the attached document entitled (IEIA research). 

Michael Niles, Coordinator of the IEIA and Assistant Professor in the Arizona State University School of Social Work was awarded the 2007-2008 university-wide Young Investigator Award for Defining Edge research.

The IEIA has been managing the Anishanaabe Project (Early childhood project in Minnesota) for the past four years.  This project is being continuously evaluated, including the use of culturally appropriate curriculum in the classroom that will meet learning standards. 

The IEIA has published the “beta version” of a scope and sequence for Indigenous early Childhood Intervention Programs PK-grade 8.  To our knowledge, this is first scope and sequence that has an exclusive focus on Indigenous children ranging from PK-grade 8.
This scope and sequence was made over 14 months and is the result of 37 focus groups (in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Minnesota) and 53 interviews (elders, teachers, parents, children).  19 different tribal communities (from around the USA) are represented in the material.  This is the Beta version and will be refined into detailed modules.  I am not aware of any other Indigenous curriculum that was the result of a “generative” process – that is longitudinal and uses American Indian culture as a foundation.

As always, The IEIA is pursing external funding and conducting research that will help fill-in the gaps now seen in the field of early childhood intervention with Indigenous peoples. 

IEIA Research “ In action”

The IEIA has begun distributing the DVD/CD combo (free!) that has all of the research papers, presentations, and other activities included.  The DVD provides an in-depth slideshow of the IEIA “in action.”  Please forward any request for these to Michael Niles: Michael.Niles@asu.edu. 

The IEIA has visited all tribal communities in Arizona to discuss early childhood intervention programs, policies, and the recently passed, Proposition 203 – First Things First Initiative.

The IEIA is supporting urban American Indian families by helping them attend the Madison School District Preschool Program that begins in Phoenix in August 2008.  We look forward to more in-depth collaborations with other School Districts in urban areas.  

The IEIA has launched the Indigenous Strength Project (ISP).  The ISP is responding to the need in the field of early childhood intervention (ECI), which faces both internal and external challenges.  Externally, the field is confronted with shifting United States policy on early childhood intervention and care.  Internally and more specifically, the field is struggling with how to best create a service system that will meet the culturally conditioned values of Indigenous children and their families.

This project has goals of 1) synthesizing what is known about how cultural strengths relate to Indigenous early intervention and what remains to be explored, 2) coordinating, through program planning, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and external grant proposals, the next steps in developing this research agenda domestically, and 3) engage with international collaborators in Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

Coordinating this effort will be Dr. Michael Niles (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) of Arizona State University and Dr. Lisa G. Byers (Cherokee) of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.

TOYS for Indigenous Children

The IEIA sponsors the E'tokmite'k mine' Shomigwe'n (Potawatomi for “peace and smiles”) 24/7 toy drive for at-risk Indigenous children and their families.  This is one of the largest ongoing toy drives that explicitly targets American Indian children in the United States. Over 400 toys were collected and distributed in 2007 and over 800 are expected in 2008.   Photos of this is on IEIA-UC website (see http://www.urban-indigenous-earlyintervention.com/Indigenous_Early_Intervention_Alliance Urban_Contexts/IEIA_Toy_Drive_2007.html).  PLEASE LET OTHERS KNOW THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE MANY NEW TOYS, CLOTHES, SHOES AND OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN (BIRTHDAYS, GRADUATION, OTHER FAMILY CELEBRATIONS, ETC.).

Thank You!

The IEIA wishes to thank the numerous resource partners that have helped during this past year.  Although we have not contacted all of the resource partners directly, we have used research and related work to make the IEIA better.  For those resource partners we have contacted directly.  Thank you for your continued support.  We anticipate contacting all resource partners in the near future. 

A special thank you to ASU Vice-President Debra Friedman and Director of the School of Social Work, Mary Gillmore.  Your support is invaluable and the IEIA would not be as effective without your constant support.

Thanks also to Edwin Gonzalez-Santin, Tim Perry, and Shannon Pete of the Office of American Indian Projects (OAIP) at ASU.  We are wiser because of your efforts and wisdom.

Finally, Dr. Lisa Byers deserves a special note as she works tirelessly for the benefit of American Indian families, particularly in the areas of American Indian elders and cultural strengths.  The IEIA is enhanced because of your commitment to our people.

We welcome all comments, suggestions, and requests.  Please visit our websites below for more detailed information on the IEIA and the Office of American Indian Projects-OAIP (the IEIA is part of the OAIP), including photos from our most recent holiday toy drive.