Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design

Committee Chair

Katie Holick

Commitee Members

Erica Woodahl, Sarah Scoular

Keywords

Community advisory board, community-based participatory research, Indigenous research, Blackfeet Nation, community engagement, Indigenous CBPR

Subject Categories

Community-Based Research

Abstract

Community Advisory Boards (CABs) are frequently used within community-based participatory research (CBPR) to promote community engagement, shared decision-making, and cultural responsiveness. Although CABs are widely utilized in Indigenous research partnerships, relatively few studies have evaluated CAB function from the perspectives of Indigenous community members. Our study describes the development of a CAB established through a collaborative partnership between the University of Montana and the Blackfeet Nation and evaluates the quality and impact of the partnership from the perspectives of CAB members. We conducted a mixed-methods partnership self-evaluation with members of a CAB supporting an Indigenous healthcare research initiative. Three of five active CAB members participated in semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Interviews included four Likert-scale items assessing perceptions of CAB functioning and ten open-ended questions exploring partnership development, trust, community influence, reciprocity, and recommendations for future researchers. Quantitative data were summarized descriptively, and qualitative data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with an inductive coding approach. CAB members reported highly positive perceptions of the partnership. Mean Likert-scale scores ranged from 4.67 to 5.00 on a 5-point scale, indicating strong agreement that meetings were productive, addressed community priorities, incorporated member perspectives, and were conducted in a culturally respectful manner. Qualitative analysis identified four themes: (1) “More than the token Indian”: CAB members as bridges between Indigenous and academic knowledge systems; (2) “A two-way street”: reciprocity as a foundational requirement for partnership; (3) “We’re relatives now”: trust built through sustained presence, relationships, and place-based engagement; and (4) “A blank canvas”: the importance of humility and openness when conducting research with Indigenous communities. Participants emphasized authentic community influence, mutual respect, relational accountability, and long-term commitment as critical elements of successful partnerships. Findings suggest that the CAB served as an effective mechanism for fostering trust, collaboration, and meaningful community engagement within an Indigenous research partnership. Results align closely with established CBPR and Indigenous CBPR principles, highlighting the importance of reciprocity, relationship-building, shared decision-making, and community ownership. Ongoing evaluation of Indigenous research partnerships from the perspectives of community members may help identify best practices for strengthening ethical, culturally grounded, and community-driven research collaborations.

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© Copyright 2026 Lauren Dupuis