Baslee, K LIBR XXX 1 Survey Research Critique Brown, C.M., Gibbons, J.L. and Smirles, K.E. (2007).

Tribal Teachers Are Important to American Indian Adolescents Tribal Identity Development. American Indian Culture and Research Journal (31:2). 103-111.

Research Summary

In this survey, Brown, Gibbons, and Smirles contacted adolescents affiliated with a Northeastern tribe in the United States to question them about their tribal identity. The mail-in survey yielded 30 respondents ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old. The purpose of their study was to better understand the bicultural (tribal and non-tribal) ethnic identity of adolescents affiliated with this particular tribe. They chose a tribe from the Northeastern United States because of its long history with white settlers. Throughout history this tribe (which was never named) intermarried with white settlers. Because of this, the tribe was never resettled into reservations in the nineteenth century, as many tribes of that time were to make way for American expansion. People who claim affiliation with this tribe are located throughout the country do to voluntary relocation to find jobs. This, the authors argue, can affect adolescent tribal identity. Adolescents, they hypothesize, who live with others from their tribal community are more apt to claim a stronger tribal identity than those who live farther away. The cause of this is because those living out of state do not have the same access to tribal knowledge, customs, and events, as those living in their native land. This sense of community contributes to a more secure and confident identity in adolescents.

Baslee, K LIBR XXX 2 Critique Sample Size Of the 30 respondents, 21 were female and 9 were male. The average age of the respondents was 15.57 years old. 11 lived in the tribes home state. 19 lived out of state. Granted, this tribal community is likely smaller than larger tribes in the United States, given the geographical placement and long history with white settlement. The authors reasoning for selecting this tribe was because of lack of reservation land. Therefore, the tribe has no central headquarters, so-to-speak, and there would be a variety of respondents residing in other parts of the country. Still, this sample size seems relatively small for a study of this size. The authors are trying to prove adolescents who live in their home state are closer connected to their tribal identity while adolescents who live out of state are less likely to identify with their tribal culture. This is a lofty goal with only 30 people in the sample size. No mention was ever made regarding the total population of adolescents in this tribe. This omission gives the reader reason to speculate the sample size is not representative of the entire population.

Survey Questions Very little reference is made to the questions posed in this mail-in survey. Only one question is ever mentioned in the article. The question asked From whom have you learned the most about your tribal background. Most responded that their parents taught them the most about their tribal background. However, many responded that other members outside their immediate family contributed to their tribal knowledge. Answers ranged from Uncles to Cousins as well as unrelated members of the tribal community. Though no figures were given on this observation, the authors conclude tribal teachers are the best resources for adolescents developing a sense of tribal identity. Since more tribal teachers can be found closer to the tribes home

Baslee, K LIBR XXX 3 state, adolescents living in the Northeast identified more with their tribal identities than those living out of state.

Mediation Analysis The authors did indicate there were linked variables within the study that had the potential to alter the statistical results. Namely, these unknown variables are the teachers themselves. A teacher in a tribal area, promoting tribal identity, may not be affiliated with the tribe. Therefore, it is possible that the link between adolescents and tribal identity has nothing to do with location but with the teachers in the adolescents lives. Though this addition of information leaves the hypothesis a little bruised, it adds to the credibility of the authors and their argument by acknowledging the potential loop-hole.

Bias At the beginning of the article, the authors contest that tribal identity and education is under-represented in scholarly research. The authors credentials leave no reason to believe they are affiliated with the tribe in the survey, however Brown is well versed in researching American Indian culture with relation to different age groups. While not necessary, the delicate nature of this study would have been aided by the inclusion of the authors cultural affiliations. There has been a lot of research about American Indian adolescents and their struggle with education, poverty, and alcohol abuse. Any connection the authors have to American Indian culture has the potential to add bias to this study. In an effort to prove cultural identity is a key factor in the growth and progress of these adolescents in youth and beyond, the authors have the potential to overlook some hidden causes for their results if they are too close to the population.

Baslee, K LIBR XXX 4 Results After analyzing the results of the survey, the authors found that while location did impact the degree of tribal identity among adolescents, it did not inhibit adolescents from identifying more with their tribal background than their non-tribal background. Overall, these teens were very aware and proud of their cultural heritage regardless of location. The study also found the number of tribal members in a household did not affect the adolescents cultural identity. Adolescents living with multiple tribal members did not exhibit stronger tribal identity than those living with only one tribal member.

Critique Conclusion

Though there are some unanswered questions involving the sample size and author bias, Brown, Gibbons, and Smirles analyzed the data well. They acknowledged unknown variables and were able to disprove pieces of their original hypothesis after reviewing the data. The statistical analysis was detailed and provided a good base for future study. The addition of mediation analysis was a positive way to identify possible inconsistencies with the data and avoid inconclusive results. While the article may have omitted certain pieces of information, this was a well executed survey study with well researched results.

Additional References Neuman, W.L. (2006). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.