Descendants of the people who lived in what is now the United States prior to European settler colonization are Indigenous, or Native, to this region. Indigenous people—who do not identify with another race—account for about 1.3% of the population in the country(1). There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the States(2), but numerous tribes go unrecognized by the government, despite efforts to secure recognition; this results in a barrier to federal services and resources(3). The lasting effects of colonization—as well as the separation of families and erasure of culture by government-operated boarding schools—are described as Indigenous historical trauma: a root cause of major physical and mental health conditions(4). Indigenous adults experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorder, and suicide at disproportionately higher rates than individuals who identify with other racial groups(5). Despite this, Indigenous people have been underrepresented in psychological research(6).  

Psychology is in a position to reduce barriers Indigenous peoples face in the pursuit of mental health treatment, including living in rural and isolated locations, having less health insurance coverage, and a lack of cultural competency displayed by practitioners(7). There are around 260 Indigenous psychologists across North America(8), so it is critical to create more opportunities for Indigenous students to get involved with and impact the mental health field (e.g., through programs like STEP). Culturally responsive and integrated care (i.e., incorporation of culturally relevant health beliefs and practices with mental health care) have been found to be helpful in the process of healing and prevention within Indigenous populations(9). As a lab, we are committed to including Indigenous peoples in our research, as well as challenging the discrimination they have and continue to face. 

Land recognition: Georgia State University in “Atlanta” is on the land of the Mvskoke (Muscogee [Creek]) Nation(10).

Our Commitment to Action

• Representative Recruitment: We will recruit Indigenous-identifying participants in research studies at rates proportionate to local population estimates (0.3%)(1). 
• Inclusive/Bias-Free Language: We will identify and name specific tribes and/or nations when possible. We understand that ‘Indigenous peoples’ is a very broad, monolithic term, and that First Nations and Indigenous peoples have distinct outlooks and experiences that deserve to be contextualized through their origin, background, location, and individual tribal customs and cultural practices.  
• Land Acknowledgement: We will acknowledge that Atlanta is on the land of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation when indicating where a given study in our lab took place in future publications. 
• Singular Referent: APA guidelines caution against using majority groups as a reference point for findings from minority groups(11). Accordingly, we will avoid using white samples as a comparison demographic for Indigenous statistics unless explicitly supported by a theoretical and data-driven rationale.