Date of Award

Spring 5-2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

EVMS School of Health Professions

Program/Concentration

Art Therapy

Committee Director

Elizabeth Warson

Committee Member

Sadie Barbour

Abstract

The current higher rates of substance use and abuse for Native American adolescents compared to non-Natives is an issue that requires attention. There are a variety of risk factors that lead to this current situation, including discrimination and acculturation pressures. Past treatment options have been limited with American Indians and have not incorporated community involvement. Art therapy has been utilized in substance abuse programs and with American Indian populations; however, art therapy has been limited in taking a community-driven approach. As art therapy and community involvement are seen as culturally relevant, together they may serve as a model for assessing needs in American Indian communities. The purpose of this ethnographic, qualitative study was to learn and then describe the needs of adolescents from Southeastern American Indian communities. This method was community-driven and utilized art making as a medium for conveying thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about the culture of American Indian youth. A 3-hour workshop was held in Clinton, North Carolina, in which participants from the Coharie tribe and Lumbee nation created art in an open studio atmosphere. Data was gathered in the form of audio-recorded interviews and photographs of artwork. This data was analyzed using a software program designed to organize and sort qualitative data, NVivo 8. This program was employed to work with the 12 interviews and 26 photographs from the workshop. These were explored for themes and rated in frequency. The results of observations and the data analysis were discussed. Dominant themes were highlighted in relation to the literature review and cultural relevancy. Themes such as community involvement, connection to nature, and discrimination were highly referenced. Art material selection and images were also analyzed with the NVivo 8 program using descriptions from the photographs. Oil pastels, colored pencil, and clay were utilized most often. Images of nature, dreamcatchers, and medicine wheels were seen most frequently in the artwork. A word frequency query was also conducted to note the most common words. Themes were also compared with the NVivo 8 program and were found to be distinct with subject matter being discussed separately. These findings were discussed with a tribal representative who provided feedback for the results. The results from the study displayed the importance of addressing adolescent needs while reinforcing cultural identity. The participants in the workshop displayed strengths and creativity and expressed themselves verbally and through the artwork. This study utilized community input from its inception to final analysis review. The information gathered in this study may assist participating tribal communities with the development of youth-related programs.

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