[jasper-blondin]

<div id="navid" class="navclass">
  <ul>
    <li>Folder 1
      <ul>
        <li><a href="#">Sub Item 1.1</a></li>
        <li><a href="#">Sub Item 1.2</a></li>
        <li>Folder 2
          <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Item 2.1</a></li>
            <li id="el"><a href="#">Sub Item 2.2</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Item 2.3</a></li>
          </ul>
        </li>
      </ul>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div>

var $el = $("#el");

var positions = [$el.index()];
var values = [$.trim($el.text())];
$("#el").parents("li").each(function() {
    $this = $(this);
    positions.unshift($this.index());
    var html = $this.html();
    var position = html.indexOf("<", 1);
    values.unshift($.trim(html.slice(0, position)));
});

result = "positions: " + positions + "; values: " + values;

alert(result);