Reframing Indigenous Health
Jun 2, 2025
Washington State University Assistant Professor Rachel Wilbur, PhD, MPH, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to support her research project, “Survivance for Indigenous Well-Being: Research and Education,” which seeks to reframe how Indigenous health is perceived and promoted. "Survivance" is a term coined by Anishinaabe literary scholar Gerald Vizenor that blends survival and resistance. Unlike the more commonly used term “resilience,” which often implies a reaction to adversity, survivance emphasizes the active presence, cultural continuity, and inherent strengths of Indigenous communities. Professor Wilbur is also a recipient of WSU’s INSPIRE! Community Engaged Research Seed Grant program for the project “Connecting Generations for Indigenous Well-Being.” This initiative is a collaboration with the Coast Salish Youth Coalition and William Hartmann, an associate professor at the University of Washington. The project focuses on intergenerational knowledge sharing as a means of addressing mental health challenges for American Indian youth and elders, pairing elders and youth from Coast Salish communities. They will engage in traditional practices such as storytelling, basket weaving, and subsistence activities. The goal is to foster positive cultural identity, self-esteem, and community connection—factors that research suggests can reduce substance misuse and suicidality among Native youth.
Washington State University Assistant Professor Rachel Wilbur, PhD, MPH, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to support her research project, “Survivance for Indigenous Well-Being: Research and Education,” which seeks to reframe how Indigenous health is perceived and promoted. "Survivance" is a term coined by Anishinaabe literary scholar Gerald Vizenor that blends survival and resistance. Unlike the more commonly used term “resilience,” which often implies a reaction to adversity, survivance emphasizes the active presence, cultural continuity, and inherent strengths of Indigenous communities. Professor Wilbur is also a recipient of WSU’s INSPIRE! Community Engaged Research Seed Grant program for the project “Connecting Generations for Indigenous Well-Being.” This initiative is a collaboration with the Coast Salish Youth Coalition and William Hartmann, an associate professor at the University of Washington. The project focuses on intergenerational knowledge sharing as a means of addressing mental health challenges for American Indian youth and elders, pairing elders and youth from Coast Salish communities. They will engage in traditional practices such as storytelling, basket weaving, and subsistence activities. The goal is to foster positive cultural identity, self-esteem, and community connection—factors that research suggests can reduce substance misuse and suicidality among Native youth.