Urban and Indigenous: The Challenges of being a Native American in the City |
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Authors: | Hilary N Weaver |
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Institution: | 1. School of Social Work , State University of New York at Buffalo , Buffalo , New York , USA hweaver@buffalo.edu |
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Abstract: | The United States is home to more than 4 million Native Americans, the majority of whom live in urban areas. Urban Native Americans often experience significant social, health, and economic problems while having access to substantially fewer Native-specific resources than their reservation-based counterparts. They also face challenges with access to tribal services and political processes, as well as identity-sustaining cultural resources. This article describes the urban nature of many contemporary Native American communities. Examples from various urban Native American communities highlight the challenges faced by urban Native people, as well as creative initiatives developed to serve this population. This paper draws on and synthesizes the literature on contemporary urban Native communities, thus providing needed information for service providers and researchers working in these communities. |
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Keywords: | Community community work community-based research Indigenous Native American and First Nation Communities strong communities urban problems |
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