Counseling Native Americans

1
Counseling Native Americans

• Chap. 3

2
Intro

• Read story on page 33
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v_hJFi7SRH7Q

3
The People

• 2.3 million 1 pop
• Over 500 tribes
• 252 different languages
• High degree of psychological homogeneity across
  tribal groups with a certain degree of shared
  cultural standards/values

4
Who is Native American?

• U.S. bureau of Indian affairs defines a Native
  American as someone who is enrolled or registered
  as a member of a tribe and whose blood quantum
  is ¼ or more genealogically derived from Native
  American ancestry
• U.S. census relies on self-identification
• As counselors it is the persons self-perception
  that is important
• It is not our place to decide

5
Surviving History

• Trauma
• The collective emotional and psychological
  injury both over the life span and across
  generations, resulting from a cataclysmic history
  of genocide
• - Dr. Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart
• Deliberate attempts throughout US history by
  mainstream American institutions such as
  government agencies, schools, and churches to
  destroy the Native American institutions of
  family, clan, and tribal structure, religious
  belief systems and practices, customs and
  traditional way of life (p. 32)

6
Problems Native Americans Face

• Unemployment rates are 3 to 11 times greater
  than general pop.
• Income median income is half of the majority
  pop. 75 earn less than 7,000 per year
• Education 52 finish high school 4 graduate
  college
• Alcoholism Double the rate of the general pop.
  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is 33 times higher than
  non Native people

7
Problems Native Americans Face

• Depression 1 in 6 Native adolescents has
  attempted suicide (4x greater than the general
  pop. avg.)
• Health Higher rates of heart disease and
  diabetes

8
Destructive Forces

• Colonization
• Introduce
• Disease
• Alcohol

• Relocation Assimilation
• Racism/ viewed as 2nd class
• 1924 Recognized as citizens
• Spiritual prohibition
• 1978 American Indian
• Religious Freedom Act
• Efforts to civilize Native people
• forced separation of Indian
• children from the tribal
• communities e.g. religious
• boarding schools in the 1950s

9
Acculturation

• Acculturation - The process of adopting the
  cultural traits or social patterns of the
  dominant group
• why is this concept important to counselors?
• Levels of acculturation
• 1. Traditional May or may not speak English,
  holds traditional values
• 2. Marginal May speak both languages, does not
  completely adopt values of either culture
• 3. Bicultural Accepted by both cultures and
  able to practice values/customs of both
• 4. Assimilated Embraces only mainstream culture
• 5. Pantraditional Assimilated individuals who
  make a conscious choice to return to the old
  ways

10
Core Values

• Community actions are based on how they are
  benefiting the community and its harmonious
  functioning. Individuals are representative of
  their tribal community
• Family extended family is extremely important
  respect for elders (wisdom keepers) in the
  community a child may be raised by multiple
  family members may not just consist of blood
  relatives

11
Core Values

• Spirituality There is a single higher power
  known by many names e.g. Creator, Great Spirit
• Spirit world that exists side by side with the
  physical world
• Human beings made up of spirit, mind, and body
  illness affects all 3 (wellness harmony of all
  3)
• Unwellness each person responsible for own
  wellness
• Natural violation of social or sacred law
• Unnatural witchcraft from those with
  destructive intentions

12
Core Values

• Humor Laughing is a critical part of the
  culture, especially around mealtime. It relieves
  stress and creates an atmosphere of sharing and
  interconnectedness
• Humor is the WD-40 of healing
• Humor should only be used if the client invites
  it
• Can serve to connect the counselor and the client
  on a deeper level

13
Core Values

• Duality
• Examples light and dark, male and female, life
  and death, peace and war
• Understanding and reconciling opposites may be an
  important therapeutic goal
• The importance of the feather does not lie in
  which color is most beautiful, but in discovering
  the purpose of the feather

14
Communication Style

• Greeting Gentle handshake is appropriate. A
  firm handshake may be interpreted as showing
  dominance or power. Better to take the clients
  lead
• Hospitality Traditional emphasis on
  generosity/kindness. May be appropriate to offer
  a snack or a drink
• Silence Quiet time at the beginning of a
  session is appropriate. Silence shows respect,
  understanding, and patience

15
Communication Style

• Eye Contact A tendency to avert eyes as a sign
  of respect
• Intent Building trust by showing acceptance is
  important
• Collaboration Being respectful of individual
  choice is good, but healing is considered to be a
  collaborative process. Give suggestion not
  direction

16
Counseling Implications

• Sociodemographics Reconnect with community
  through volunteer work
• Health Encourage regular check-ups and blood
  tests
• Historical Context Exploring history of
  discrimination and disruption of traditions
• Acculturation Explore personal identity/what it
  means to be Native American in our society

17
Other info.

• Native American Times
• http//www.nativetimes.com/
• Native American Rights Fund
• NARF

18
Movie