Counseling American Natives & Eskimo Indians
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The document discusses issues related to counseling American Indian and Alaska Native populations. It covers their history of oppression, current demographics, cultural values, and challenges. Some key points are: - American Indians faced massive population declines in the 18th-19th centuries due to war and disease and were forced onto reservations. - They have high rates of poverty, low education levels, substance abuse, domestic violence, and suicide compared to other groups. - Effective counseling considers their cultural strengths like spirituality, family, and connection to nature. It's important to understand acculturation levels and impacts of historical trauma. - Counselors need culturally-appropriate techniques like using silence and working from a holistic, wellness
Counseling American Natives & Eskimo Indians
- 1. American Indians & Eskimo Indians Multicultural Awareness and Best Practices for Native People
- 2. Are American Indians and Alaskan Natives related or the same?
- 3. Areas Highlighted • • • • • • • • • Historical Trauma and Current Status Education Substance Abuse and Treatment Domestic Violence Suicide Spirituality Women’s Issues Youth Issues What counselors need to know
- 4. History of Oppression: • By the end of 18th century only about 10% of original population remained due to wars and diseases and they lost most of their land • In the 1830’s more than 125,000 Indians were forced from their homes in many different states and tribes to a reservation in Oklahoma
- 5. Five Levels of Cultural Orientation (Acculturation): – Traditional – Marginal – Bicultural – Assimilated – Pantraditional
- 7. Current Information • American Indians (AI) and Alaska Natives (AN) have 565 different tribes • AI and AN population is 2.9 million in 2010, only 0.9% of total population • 34% live on reservations, 57% in metro areas • Only 71% are high school graduates, compared to 80% of US population • Poverty rate double the US average
- 8. Current information • Injury and violence account for 75% of all deaths for AI/AN between ages 1-19 • AN/AI suffer disproportionately from depression and substance abuse
- 9. Educational • High rate of school failure – academic decline starts in 4th grade • Middle school aged children have a significant decline in achievement motivation as academic success does not lead to reward or success. • Only 11% have a bachelors degree compared to 24% of US population
- 10. Substance Abuse • Have highest weekly alcohol consumption of any ethnic group • Alcoholism mortality rate 2x that of US population • In Alaska – 32% of AI/AN women of childbearing age report heavy drinking – leads to disproportionately high % of cases of fetal alcohol syndrome in this population
- 11. Successful Drug Treatment Programs: • Community oriented • Engage the entire community • Include Tribal leaders.
- 12. Domestic Violence • Rate of physical and sexual assault is quite high • AI/AN often sexually abused & assaulted early in life – especially high among lesbian and bisexual women • Many tribes have acknowledged this and developed community based domestic violence interventions using strategies from Indian culture instead of majority culture
- 13. Suicide • High rate of suicide • AI/NA youth have 2x rate of attempted and completed suicide than other youth
- 14. Positive Features • Families and the tribe take care of each other • Raise children as a unit • Tribal connection to nature and spirituality are important elements in this ethnic group • Sharing • Cooperation
- 15. Two- Spirited • Lakota: wíŋkte • Navajo : nádleehé • Mohave: hwame
- 16. Spirituality • There is no one path or practice for American Indians. • It is incorporated into every aspect of their lives. • Community and family ritual is highly important. • Regard all that is living as scared and on an equal level. • Giving is among one of the highest regards for a spiritual life.
- 18. Prayer Ties A Lakota practice of support and prayer.
- 19. Women’s Acculturation • AI women continue to experience the acculturation process in the 21st century. • Traditional responsibilities and education • Culturally, gender roles among AI women have evolved
- 20. Acculturation Assessment • Cultural values aid counselors in helping the client to define and examine their cultural and personal strengths • These may help with identity formation, including spiritual/religious and sexual identities • It is suggested that for AI clients who are not familiar with counseling, the acculturation assessment should be bidirectional
- 21. AI Women Tribal and clan membership and values Counselors should inquire about the AI women’s value for their great responsibilities such as their fight for cultural survival with holding families and tribes together and ownership of all their property
- 22. Acculturation Information collected might include: • Personal and tribal definitions of traditional and nontraditional activities, beliefs, and values • Beliefs regarding family roles and religion • Level of traditionalism, acculturation, or assimilation • Clients’ reactions to and experiences with mainstream society • Preferences for daily language use, meals, clothing, and music and reading selections • Overall cultural identity, which may include numerous identities--race/ethnicity, gender, religious and spiritual
- 23. Physical and Mental Health • Counselors must consider the stressors and responsibilities of AI women, coupled with their hesitancy to seek services • AI women experience health irregularities that did not exist prior to their colonization • Depression affects 79% of AI women who use HIS mental health services and suicide rates are four times the rates amount all other U.S. women
- 24. Effective Counseling Techniques and Communication Styles Needed for AI Women • Counselors may consider working from a holistic, wellnessbased framework. • Bibliotherapy and narrative therapies. • Communication styles of AI female clients should be observed closely by the counselor. • Using silence in counseling
- 25. Native American Youth • Issues concerning the influences of culture in assessments of Native American students. • What’s not being done?
- 26. Academic Performance What is available presents a disturbing analysis of the academic performance level of Native American (as well as of African and Hispanic American) students in comparison to the majority of middleclass White students.
- 27. Academics… How accurately do the instruments used for assessing academic performance reflect the true knowledge base of the Native American student?
- 28. Academics… Are there extenuating circumstances that must be taken into account when using standardized assessment tools that may have been developed for a select group of students?
- 29. Cultural Aspect of Assessment is Important • Formal tribal approval • Stability of the student population and teaching force • Accuracy and adequacy of assessment tools used • Challenges in interpreting the data.
- 30. Considerations Unknown to a large extent are the influences of culture, environment, and other factors on a student’s ability to do well on standardized tests.
- 31. In Conclusion: • Vygotsky tells us the following: The primitive child is a child who has not undergone a cultural development or one who has attained a relatively low level of that development. Children’s primitiveness, i.e., their delay in cultural development, is primarily due to the fact that for some external or internal cause they have not mastered the cultural means of behavior, especially language.
- 33. Stressing Model TRENDS: TRENDS: 2004-2005 20072008 2004-2005 2007-2008 31.7% 28.0% 42.8% 47.5% BINGE ALCOHOL ALCOHOL USE USE ILLICIT 11.1% BINGEDRUG USE 31.7% ALCOHOL USE ILLICIT 11.1% DRUG USE 28.0% 10.3% 10.3%
- 34. As Counselors We Need to: – Be alert for problems like abuse and suicide – Help kids determine whether it is cultural values or unreceptive environment contributing to problems – Develop concrete goals – Family interventions may need to include more than nuclear family – Generate possible solutions with client – may need to include cultural elements that focus on mind, body and spirit
- 35. As Counselors We Need to: – Explore ethnic identity – traditional or mainstream – Understand the history of oppression and learn about their tribe – Evaluate using client centered listening style initially then determine when to use more structure and questions – Look at individual, family, extended family, friends and tribal community if necessary – Address basic needs first: food, shelter, child care, employment
- 36. Discussion Questions • Does the fact that only Black and Chicano youth are the only minorities with cultural sociological research bother you in any way? Why? • This article suggests using a holistic, wellnessbased counseling approach, are there any other counseling approaches that would seem appropriate for this cultural group? • Does anyone know where the phrase “Indian Giver” came from? • Why are the American Indians and Alaska Natives stressed? Can you identify some stressors of the American Indians and the Alaskan Natives? How can these circumstances change? • Some American Indians want to abolish Columbus Day and instead have a holiday that honors indigenous people. It bothers these young Indians that people believe that Christopher Columbus discovered America when there already were indigenous people living there. What would you think if we changed that day to honor the indigenous people? Would it replace Columbus Day or be an additional holiday?
Editor's Notes
- #3: According to the CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, American Indians and Alaska Natives are people having roots in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. The American Indian and Alaska Native population includes people who marked the “American Indian or Alaska Native” checkbox or reported entries such as Navajo, Blackfeet, Inupiat, Yup’ik, or Central American Indian groups or South American Indian groups. There are 565 Federally-recognized tribes External Web Site Icon plus an unknown number of tribes that are not Federally-recognized. Each tribe has its own culture, beliefs, and practices.
- #4: MaryThese are the areas we plan on covering in this presentation.
- #5: CJ:Counselor will need to understand past history of oppressionWhen the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867, it did not simply grow by 663,000 square miles; it also accepted responsibility for the people living within its new borders. But America has not fulfilled its responsibilities.
- #6: CJ:Traditional – speak little English and practice traditional tribal customs and methods of worshipMarginal – bilingual but has lost touch with his/her cultural heritage yet is not fully accepted in mainstream societyBicultural – conversant with both sets of values and can communicate in a variety of contextsAssimilated – embraces only mainstream culture’s values, behaviors and expectationsPantraditional – exposed to and adopted mainstream values but is making a conscious effort to return to the “old ways”
- #7: CJ:Sharing – honor and respect and gained by sharing and givingCooperation – Indians work hard to prevent discord and disharmony and believe family takes precedence over the individualSpirituality – spirit, mind and body are all connected. Positive emotions can be curative. Sweat lodge and vision quest are often used to restore connections between mind, body and spirit.Non-verbal Communication – learning occurs from listening instead of talking
- #8: CJ- over 565 tribesLess than 1% of the total populationOver half living in metro areasAs we will learn a little later in this presentation Education is really an issue as is poverty
- #9: CJ
- #10: Angie:These educational gaps are perceived to continue the cycle of povertyMany Indians feel “pushed out” of school and don’t trust the teachers who are “white” that historically controlled themPositive changes could occur in schools if public schools could:Recognize the sociocultural history of Indians and related perceptions of schools as a potentially hostile environmentIncrease efforts to accommodate some of the social and cultural differences of AI students, including adapting curriculum to reflect students backgroundAddress perceived lack of reward for academic achievementBridge the 2 worlds of AI/AN and White cultures
- #11: Angie:Substance abuse is the greatest problem faced by AI/AnStart at an early age – leads to high rates of use among adolescenceDrinking initially was part of cultural practice of sharing, giving and togetherness but heavy use is associated with low self-efficacy and feelings of powerlessness. Substance abuse also related to low self-esteem, cultural identity conflicts, childhood maltreatment, social pressure to use substances, hopelessness about life and a breakdown in the family
- #12: Angie:One tribal community reduced alcoholism rate from 95% to 5% in 10 years by created a community in which alcoholism was not tolerated while revitalizing traditional culture
- #13: Angie:AI women suffer 3.5 times rate of violence than national average, which may be low because many don’t report itHard to bring out during counseling if there is abuse because many women remain silent due to cultural barriers, high level of distrust of White dominated agencies, fear of familial alienation and historical failure of state and tribal agencies to prosecute domestic crimes
- #14: Angie:thought to be contributed to alcohol abuse, poverty, boredom and family breakdown.If living on a reservation or identify with a tribe, community activities try to reduce suicide ideation and promote resilience in the youth
- #15: Angie:Cooperation: The tribal government and other resources are rebuilding the communities. This is a start and this ethnic group has proven that it is stronger enough to survive.
- #16: CJ"Two-spirited" or "two-spirit" usually indicates a person whose body simultaneously manifests both a masculine and a feminine spirit. Not for gender and sexuality alone- Mother/ warrior or a two totem person ( badger/ red hawk) Burrus, Virginia & Keller, Catherine (2006). Toward a theology of eros: transfiguring passion at the limits of discipline Transdisciplinary theological colloquia. Fordham University Press. ISBN 0-8232-2636-0,ISBN 978-0-8232-2636-8. p. 73.Jump up^ Conner, Sparks, and Sparks, eds. (1997) Cassell's Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit: Covering Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lore.Jump up^ Lang, Sabine, Men as women, women as men: changing gender in Native American cultures'.'Jump up^ "Inventory of Aboriginal Services, Issues and Initiatives in Vancouver: Two Spirit – LGTB". Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- #17: CJSeparate pipes for ceremony and family. We all sit the same distance from the fire.Sweat lodge. Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference "Two-spirited" or "two-spirit" usually indicates a person whose body simultaneously manifests both a masculine and a feminine spirit. Not for gender and sexuality alone- Mother/ warrior or a two totem person ( badger/ red hawk)
- #19: Talk about sweat lodge
- #20: Shannel:AI women differ greatly in their female identities and their levels of acceptance of and commitment to tribal values, beliefs, and practices (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006)Traditional responsibilities and education- Counselors must consider that only about 1% of AI females have obtained higher education and formal training, and they often experience barriers that interfere with or hinder their success in professional careers; , it may also be an intentional decisionfor traditional AI women who do not want to leave their reservations and families.Culturally, gender roles among AI women have evolved; it cannot be assumed that AI women live out mainstream, stereotypical female roles . AI women consider themselves psychologically androgynous, taking on both feminine and masculine gender traits from their respective tribal and familial ideas of “female” and “male”.
- #21: Counselors must consider their political, social, and cultural histories as well as their personal, gender, familial, and cultural values and beliefs as well as their individual acculturation levels (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006). Counselors are encouraged to self-disclose about themselves and initiate conversations about counseling and how the process is likely to unfold (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006). Throughout this process, it is very important for the counselor to establish trust with the AI women for accurate assessments of acculturation (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006).
- #22: Values such as humility, cooperation, silence, respect for elders, and opinion reservations are highly emphasized and should be considered by counselors (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006). Counselors must approach AI female clients as individuals first then integrate acquired knowledge of AI persons and women with what the client shares about her personal and tribal values and beliefs (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006). Counselors must be cautious when prescribing their own internalized gender constructs and stereotypes, which have been influenced by media and history (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006). This is particularly critical with female clients who are members of traditionally matrilineal tribal systems (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006).
- #24: Shannel:Health irregularities: rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse
- #25: Shannel:Counselors may consider working from a holistic, wellness-based framework -allow AI women to determine how she can redefine or rediscover her harmony and balance in the collectivist nature that traditional AI women live by; although for an AI individual who identifies themselves as more culturally traditional, this interactions may be more traumatic and may affect their wellness. Bibliotherapy and narrative therapies- can be used when there is a need to weave Western counseling techniques with elements of the AI culture, beliefs, and philosophy. Using narratives such as legends, stories, and metaphors to convey complex concepts will help an AI women process and share their lives. Allowing AI women to tell their life stories orally, in their time frame, is of utmost importance, especially if a woman is struggling with depression and loneliness Communication styles of AI female clients should be observed closely by the counselor. - AI women often communicate their level of acculturation or assimilation through their nonverbal body language as well as through verbal language that clarifies their worlds and lives; the more acculturated/assimilated the AI woman is, the more she may demonstrate mainstream communication such as a direct eye contact; however, more traditional AI women may use less direct eye contact or eye contact that is displayed as short glancesAlso, using silence in counseling is appropriate during this time to build trust and rapport, this acknowledgement, allows for peaceful, culturally appropriate, and non-rushed counseling sessions It is likely that these individuals have a great deal of power in their respective tribes, for as women they represent “life”; however, in counseling they will likely present as unassuming clients so that they honor their counselor’s ways (Rayle, Chee, & Sand, 2006).
- #26: Emily:Lack of cultural aspects recognized in the information from national data sources on the achievement of Native American students.In a review of the research literature regarding the education of Native American students (American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian) in 2001, there is a significant lack of quantitative research on the subject. In expanding a review of the research literature but narrowing the focus to the influences of culture on assessment of Native American students, there is even less information of a quantitative nature.
- #27: Information is very limited. What is available presents a disturbing analysis of the academic performance level of Native AmericanToday, 142 years after becoming subjects of the United States and 50 years after becoming its citizens, students from Alaska’s Native communities still lag behind those from other ethnic backgroundsOn average, Native students score more than two grade levels below their white and Asian-American peers in both reading and mathematics (National Conference of Native American State Legislators 12-13), and their test scores have remained stagnant while other students’ have improved (McCarty 15-17).
- #28: The information on entering kindergarten students from the ECLS and on academic scores from NAEP data sources clearly shows that Native American students (as well as other minority students) do not do as well as White students in assessments of academic progress.The accuracy of this information is important to the Native American community as Native educators and tribal leaders struggle with ways to improve schools and schooling for their students. The information is also critical for federal and state policy makers and for educators responsible for influencing programs and funding options for Native America. The lack of information regarding the education of Native American students severely limits our ability to understand the problems faced by Native students as they move through the educational systems that serve various tribal groups and communities.
- #29: Cultural aspects of the community are ingrained in the philosophy, principles, and objectives of the program and assessment process. A conclusion of the authors of this study was that standard academic methods of assessment are not reliable for this population of students because they do not account for the cultural and contextual setting of a program. According to Smith (1999), past and contemporary researchers fail to take into account the fact that indigenous peoples have critical questions they need to find answers for, and that they are at a disadvantage when individuals outside the indigenous community form the questions and methods of collecting information, set the methodology, determine the answers sought, and shape the analyses.
- #30: When planning a research project that attempts to isolate casual factors there are several hurdles to overcome: For any modern research activity dealing with a particular tribal entity formal tribal approval is needed. Such approval may be difficult to obtain because of past experiences with researchers and the value of that research to the tribe. There is a problem of stability of the student population and teaching force at any given site; Indian students have a history of constantly moving on and off reservations, as their parents migrate for a number of economic, social, or cultural reasons. One of the most difficult areas to evaluate, because of the limits regarding adequate information, is the accuracy and adequacy of assessment tools used to gather information on academic progress and what some of the challenges might be in interpreting the data. For example, are there extenuating factors surrounding the assessment tools used in examining the achievement levels of different Native tribal groups as compared to Hispanic, African American, and White American groups? Do the cultural backgrounds and experiences of the different groups of students result in alternative perspectives regarding questions, answers, and context of the tests currently used to assess progress or levels of competence among minority students, or in this case, Native American students?
- #31: The evidence that is available tells us that these factors must be accounted for in reaching a fair assessment of a student’s academic abilities and cognitive development, that these variables do influence outcomes.A general concern voice is that most testing conducted on the Native American student community did not take into account the languages, value sets, customs, spiritual convictions, and childrearing practices of Native America.
- #32: If culture: influences an individual’s view of the world;determine how one approaches a problem and attempts to solve it, influences the way a person thinks and approaches lifeThen clearly issues of culture, language, cognition, community, and socialization are central to learning. Therefore, each of these factors must be adjusted for in the context of learning, in our social development, in our theories of education, and in our assessment and research, especially when considering the education of Native America.
- #33: Mary: In a few minutes I’ll show you a chart that reflects a shift in the American Indians and Alaska Natives health. It reviews rates of substance abuse. Although health outcomes among Als are improving, big differences compared with other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Many health-related problems are directly linked to high rates of substance use and abuse. The author made a point to call the chart a “Eurocentric model” meaning it is a survey conduct by Europeans/whites. I want the class to think about & at the end of our presentation, if time permits, we have questions for the class; & I’d a like to hear your response to why it was important to entitle the chart/model Eurocentric.
- #34: Mary:This chart shows a slight shift in substance abuse among American Indian/Alaska Native adults (ages 18 & older). We’ll look at the alcohol use, binge alcohol use, and illicit drug use from the years: 2004 -2005 & 2007–2008; again the slight shift from these years. The red represents years: 2004 -2005 & blue represents years: 2007-2008. Before we look at the chart; let me define binge drinking: Binge is drinking alcohol w/the intentions of becoming intoxicated by drinking a lot alcohol over a short period of time. Binge on alcohol use can last hours, days and for some people weeks. According to the experts, this is now major public health issue.
- #35: Mary:
- #36: Mary
- #37: All of us