A culturally responsive practice model for urban Indian child welfare services

This article describes collaboration among a university, a state child welfare agency, and a Native American community organization to develop a culturally driven practice model for urban, Native American child welfare. The approach includes a strategy to build resources to serve Native American clients, a training program for child welfare and court personnel using a culturally responsive curriculum, and an advocacy program that monitors for Indian Child Welfare Act compliance and provides assistance to child welfare workers and the court. The discussion identifies challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of urban Native American communities. The article concludes with principles for culturally responsive practice for urban Native American child welfare practice.     

Urban and Indigenous: The Challenges of being a Native American in the City

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.     

Utilizing spiritual ecograms with Native American families and children to promote cultural competence in family therapy

This study signifies an initial step at giving family therapists an important assessment tool as they seek to increase cultural competence with Native American families and children. To determine the relevancy and consistency of utilizing a spiritual ecogram assessment tool with Native Americans, 50 Native American participants, with extensive experience with this population, reviewed, rated, and gave feedback on its use. Although some limitations were noted, results showed that spiritual ecograms were moderately consistent with Native American culture and, if used properly, can help family therapists develop culturally appropriate interventions with Native American families and children.     

Examining Two Facets of American Indian Identity: Exposure to Other Cultures and the Influence of Historical Trauma

SUMMARY

Specialized content about factors that influence the cultural identity of Native people must be included within the social work knowledge base to increase practitioners' effectiveness with this population. This article explores some of the factors which shape cultural identity for Native people and the implications of Native cultural identity for social work practice. The authors begin by recounting theoretical perspectives on culture, then report the findings of two studies that examine different factors which impact upon identity. The first study examines the impact of exposure to more than one culture on a sense of identity among Native youth in the Northeastern United States. The second study examines historical trauma and unresolved grief among the Lakota. Implications of multicultural exposure and historical unresolved grief for social work practice with Native people are discussed.     

Understanding the dominant discourse of colonialism: A qualitative,single case study of an eighth-grade U.S. History classroom

The purpose of this qualitative, single case study is to investigate how teacher-created curricula addresses key Native American events in early U.S. history and to determine if such curricula provided students with accurate representations of Native American content. To do this, we used discourse analysis to consider the meanings of words and phrases, as well as the underlying assumptions and intentions of the teacher-created curricula and the experiences it claims to represent. Given the presence and use of dominant narratives to preserve power systems, curricula that deconstructs the colonizing narrative and historical representation of Native Americans can encourage the active destruction of such narratives. By analyzing four teacher-created narratives, we found is that even when a teacher creates content with the intent to be more historically accurate, the curricula still reflects a dominant narrative that privileges White settlers over Native Americans. We then provide suggestions for teachers who wish to design more culturally relevant and appropriate curricula on Native American content.     

Reactions by Native American parents to child protection agencies: cultural and community factors.

The oppression suffered by Native Americans has so undermined their culture and ability to parent that child abuse and neglect are frequent problems. Yet the history of oppression often seriously damages the capacity of many Native American parents to accept help from child protective service agencies and staff members. This article explains the particular characteristics and behaviors of some Native American parents, and closes with a summarized guide to understanding these parents and to appropriate behavior on the part of social workers.     

Establishing the Preliminary Validity of Spiritual Eco-Maps with Native Americans

The use of validated instruments is particularly important with populations of color such as Native Americans. Drawing upon the concept of social validity, this mixed method study validates an existing qualitative spiritual assessment instrument—spiritual eco-maps—using a sample of recognized experts in Native American culture (N = 50). The study identifies: (1) the degree of cultural consistency, strengths, and limitations of the spiritual eco-map concept, and (2) how the questions designed to help operationalize the concept might be improved to be more valid, relevant and consistent with Native culture. The results suggest that spiritual eco-maps are relatively consistent with Native American culture as long as they are operationalized appropriately. The paper concludes by providing a more culturally valid question protocol along with suggestions for administering the instrument in a culturally competent manner.     

Re-examining child welfare's response to ICWA: Collaborating with community-based agencies to reduce disparities for American Indian/Alaska Native children

Many state and county child protection systems (CPS) are attempting to reduce the documented disproportionality in out of home placement rates for American Indian/Alaska Native children. This article presents a case example of collaboration between Colorado CPS and an urban American Indian family services agency that was intended to impact this disproportionality. The Denver Indian Family Resource Center created and evaluated a family preservation model that includes both direct services to Native families and CPS-level systemic interventions designed to reduce out-of-home placement. Direct services addressed family stressors and caregiver substance abuse and mental health issues, and incorporated Native cultural values. Systemic interventions focused on collaborative partnerships and provided CPS with practical ways to comply with the Indian Child Welfare Act. Agency data showed an increase in the number of children remaining at home or with extended family. Statewide data showed a decrease in the disparity ratio for placement of Native children compared to White children.     

Of Enlightenment and Alaska Early Moderns

This article examines transformations of status-capital in the modern history of the Alaska Native Alutiiq. I redevelop Pierre Bourdieu's forms of capital and habitus to analyze how Alutiiq elites stay on course during massive changes in their social structure. By drawing attention to citizenship statuses of the nineteenth century Russian and American colonial periods, I explore how local structural inequalities emerge in Alaska, yet with leaders of the same Alaska Native kin groups moving into the new privileged positions as Russian Imperial citizen, then later as American citizen. The study identifies citizenship as a key technology of group identification in Alaska and, in particular, how civilizing processes associated with citizenship create marked objective differences among the Alutiiq. Alaska Native society's articulation with the Russian and, later, American cultural-political orders creates new kinds of local structural inequalities. By possessing the requisite cultural capital to comprehend structural shifts in politics and the economy, Alaska Native elites strategically fit into new legal and ideological regimes of belonging. What develops is an example of the durability of an Alaska Native ruling elite by means of the transformation of prestige.     

Out of harmony: health problems and young Native American men

Studies of the current health status of healthy young Native American men (American Indians and Alaska Natives) are rare compared with the attention researchers have given the many problems that plague the lives of these young men. Native American men are frequently not included in other studies focusing on men, and information on college-aged, healthy young Native American men is generally not readily available. Despite those drawbacks, this article brings together what is written or known about the health status of young Native American men. The emphasis, based on available information, is placed on some of the major health problems confronting this population.     

The Native American Family Circle: Roots of Resiliency

SUMMARY

This paper examines the structure, values, and identity of Native families. It discusses the history and context of Native Americans and offers specific practice principles and interventions for enhancing one's work with Native people.     

Out of Harmony: Health Problems and Young Native American Men

Abstract

Studies of the current health status of healthy young Native American men (American Indians and Alaska Natives) are rare compared with the attention researchers have given the many problems that plague the lives of these young men. Native American men are frequently not included in other studies focusing on men, and information on college-aged, healthy young Native American men is generally not readily available. Despite those drawbacks, this article brings together what is written or known about the health status of young Native American men. The emphasis, based on available information, is placed on some of the major health problems confronting this population.     

Native American Two-Spirit Men

This paper reviews the historical and contemporary literature on sexual conduct and identity among Native American men. Sexual conduct between people of the same gender was institutionalized, that is, considered fully acceptable and normal, in many Native communities. In part, institutionalized same sex intimacy was supported by religous beliefs that acknowledged the existence of people (and gods) who were neither entirely male nor entirely female. Because of this, Native American men today are likely to reject such lables as homosexual, gay, or berdache, in favor of two-spirit men. Culturally sensitive ways of working with such Native American men are discussed.     

Community Relationships and the Course in Social Problems

This article describes the Native American History in a Box curriculum which is designed to introduce elementary and middle-level students to Native American cultures. The curriculum consists of a five day unit addressing the following concepts pertaining to Native American Nations: settlements, tools, sustenance, pottery, and contact with Europeans. In addition, the development of the curriculum, the daily lessons, and the activities are discussed. Each daily lesson includes step-by-step instructions and the required materials. Finally, the authors discuss some of the pragmatic issues that influenced the development and implementation of the curriculum.     

Complex Intersections: Reproductive Justice and Native American Women

This article presents an overview of reproductive justice as a theoretical and activist paradigm developed in response to reproductive oppression in the United States, and focuses on the reproductive justice needs of Native American women, as well as the responses developed by Native American women and their allies to these needs. I make explicit the links between reproductive justice, environmental justice and human rights for Native American communities, and articulate the ways in which reproductive healthcare for Native American women as it is provided by the Indian Health Service (IHS) acts as a fulcrum for these links. Ultimately, the failure of the IHS to meet the reproductive healthcare needs of Native American women reflects the failure of the federal government to meet its obligations to Tribal nations; further, these failures produce structures of reproductive oppression in Native communities which scholars and activists seek to redress utilizing the rubric of women’s reproductive health.     

"My spirit in my heart": identity experiences and challenges among American Indian two-spirit women

Many Native women embrace the term two-spirit to capture their sexuality and gender expression. By analyzing the narratives of five two-spirit women who are Native activists, we explored contemporary understandings of the concept and what it means for Native communities. The incorporation of the identity within indigenous worldviews, its manifestation in terms of (be)coming out, and the triple stressors of heterosexism, racism, and sexism emerged as key themes.     

Treading Upon Separate Paths: Native American Ideology and Marxist Analysis*

Sociologists have paid much attention to the phenomenon of ideology. In particular, there have been numerous efforts to develop theories of ideology formation from a Marxist perspective. However, one finds that such efforts almost without exception deal with shared beliefs which are characteristic of western, industrial societies. Ideologies of so-called primitive societies, such as Native American tribes, remain largely neglected by Marxist analysis. This can be explained in large measure by the fact that Marxist analysis, with its emphasis on relations of production, is ill-equipped to deal with Native American beliefs. Relations of production are an appropriate focal point for explaining the ideology of the European, industrial tradition. They are not useful in accounting for Native American ideology, which must be viewed as landbased rather than production-based. Awareness of this difference leads to an appreciation of the influence of land and nature upon Native American thought.     

Providing psychiatric-mental health care for Native Americans: lessons learned by a non-Native American PMHNP

Providing culturally sensitive psychiatric-mental health nursing care to Native Americans requires a unique set of understandings. Traditional tribal customs and beliefs, historical events of the past 500 years, and acculturation and enculturation have affected Native Americans' health and well-being. In 2004, I had the opportunity to practice as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner with a Native American tribe in the southwestern United States. This article describes the lessons I learned while practicing on the reservation and suggests ways other non-Native American practitioners can best serve this population.     

On and Off the Reservation: A Discussion of the Social,Physical, and Mental Health Indicators of Suicide in the Native American Community

This article reviews explanations for the heightened rates of suicide among the US Native American population. Particular attention is afforded to the social, historical, physical, and mental health stressors that may contribute to such high rates. A great deal of scientific research has centered on determining and analyzing the many socio‐demographic indicators of suicide. Studies at the intersection of race/ethnicity and suicide have drawn attention to the fact that certain groups have higher suicide rates than others. At the pinnacle of groups most susceptible to suicide are Native Americans, followed closely by White non‐Hispanics, and then all other racial/ethnic groups ( Sederer 1994 ). As of 2008, Native Americans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide as Blacks, Hispanics, or Asian‐Americans. The analysis begins with an exploration of potential explanations behind the alarming rates of suicide within the Native American community, followed by critiques of the various theories.     

Questions of assertion,diversity, and spirituality: Simultaneously becoming a minority and a sociologist

The article describes the author’s entry into a second career as both a minority and a sociologist. At age 40, after retiring from a career in the military service, due to value and culture conflict experienced over a twenty-five year span, the author decided to return to the Native American values, religion, and, in part, culture, as taught to him by his traditional grandfather. He describes the conversion and draws analogies to three major theoretical dimensions of Native American victimization raised by Dadrian (1976). Culture conflict issues were confounded by personal conflicts concerning the very nature of assertion and competition, cultural diversity, and spirituality. The author describes his difficulty in dealng with such conflicts and, as an initial move to adapt to these stresses, purposes an extension of Merton’s (1938) five adaptations to stress. His research interests include police organizational behavior and Native American suicide patterns. He is on the Minority Committee for Native American Victimization.