Native American Culture …Everything on the earth has a purpose,

every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence. Morning Dove (Christine

Quintasket) (1888-1936) Salish

ONELet your culture live

and let live

Give us your stories

and songs of ago

We’ll swirl and dance

in the radiance

With hearts and souls

painted rainbow

Let your history learn

and let tell

The tales and trials of

peoples proud

Love and live free in

hope and harmony

The voices of many made one

and raised loud.

Daniel R. Collins

What is Native American Culture? There are more than 550 federally

registered Native American tribes which includes Native Alaskan villages.

Native Americans once roamed and hunted on two billion acres of the American landscape, but today own less than 2 percent of the land they once inhabited.

What is Native American Culture? Century and a half of oppression and cultural assimilation Native American values:

Language PreservationHarmony with Nature Giving, sharingTime, always with usCulture/TraditionsGroup, Clan or Tribal emphasis

Family Family is an integral part of life

“Tribe” is considered family

Marriage: Carefully arranged according to:

compatibility rank dowry kinship taboo

Family Marriage (continued)

monogamy with some exceptions Matriarchal

Divorce: Partner is “put away” by means of a terse declaration

Women: Domestic and agricultural work Childrearing Mothers hold political power primarily in family decisions~ has

implications for health-care provider to have consent of the correct “gate-keeper” in the family.

Family Men

Hunting~formerly, this was a primary role of males in the tribe In community, decisions are made by chief, or heads of clan Maternal uncles are called “father” by their nieces/nephews

Children: Treated as adults at an early age~ based on social premise that no

person has the right to speak for another. Health care provider may perceive this as a permissive and undisciplined approach to raising children.

Ready to marry at the onset of puberty Children follow their mothers to learn from her Allowed free will over themselves

Rituals The Native Americans are very

ritualistic people Elders~highly respected, cared for

Death:

Corpse~ body must be as “whole as possible. E.g. amputations~ limbs are given to the family for later burial with the body.

Taboo~ health-care provider should not talk about fatal disease directly with clients. Always use the 3rd person

Rituals Taboos

Touching others’ belongings~ if a client wears a “medicine bag” around his/her neck, ask

him to move it when performing a physical assessment.

Killing any creature unless the entire creature was needed for survival

Denying the beliefs and practices of the tribeSpeaking on behalf of someone else

Communication Dominant language~varies with each

tribe Greeting~ often a hand-shake, but may

be light, more of a passing of hands. Touch~generally unacceptable among

Navajo. Ask permission when completing physical assessment

Personal Space~ tends to be a greater distance than between Euro-Americans

Communication (cont’d) Direct Eye Contact~ considered rude in the

Navajo tribe. May be acceptable in other tribes. Pointing~ rude to point with fingers. Native

Americans tend to shift their lips in the desired direction.

“Dead-pan Expression”~ quiet affect maybe interpreted as flat affect in cultures where laughter and loudness are acceptable.

Volume of voices~ It is Indian practice to speak in low tone of voice. Need to listen attentively and not ask “huh?” or

Nutrition Common foods

Corn Mutton, chicken Other foods

Food preparation~ often fried, high fat content

Meaning of food~ often part of celebrations, the center of all dances and many healing and religious ceremonies

Food and health

Time Sequence of importance

Present Here and now

Past Very important

Future Not future oriented Language does not have a

future tense Little planning is done for the

future

Time Individual has no control over time

It is something that is always with the individual

Little importance or meaning Events do not focus on a specific time, whenever the

group(s) arrive is the start time Rhythm of life brings age as a reward Nursing Tip

Appointments may not always be kept due to this rationale

Education Lower than those of similar

populations 55.3% have completed high

school Most under represented of all

minority groups in colleges and universities Competitiveness is generally

discouraged Culture views Traditional educational values

Comparison of middle school goals with Navajo cultural goals(Ages 9-15)

Middle School Goals Navajo Cultural Goals

Increased adult guidance & parental involvement

Attenuation of adult guidance & parental involvement

Protection from premature adulthood & sexuality

Practice in & mastery of gender appropriate skills

Avoidance or minimization of gender differences

Formal recognition of gender difference

Blurring of gender difference in work roles

Acquisition of gender appropriate work skills & roles

Reduction of competition & public comparisons

Avoidance of competition & public comparisons

Integrating instruction across disciplines & content areas

Learning the interdependence of all human beings & animals with the physical & social environment

Occupations Lack in the health care field Nursing is perceived as an

undesirable profession Cleansing ceremony to work in

a hospital Many choose careers as social

workers, laborers, artists, or weavers

Unemployment is still high on many reservations

During the years 1992-1998, the IHS age-adjusted death rates for the following cause were considerably higher than

those of the entire U.S. population:

Alcoholism—578% greater Reservations may be “dry” but

persons use alternative sources of alcohol e.g. cough medicine, Lysol cleaner, any alcohol-based product.

Tuberculosis—475% greater Diabetes mellitus—231% greater Accidents—212% greater

(Spector, R. 2004, p. 196)

Religion Predominant in many

tribes Start of the day:

Prayer Meditation Corn pollen Run in the direction of the

sun

Spirituality Source of strength Cannot be separated from the

healing process in ceremonies that are holistic

Illness results from: Not being in harmony with nature The spirits of evil persons

Witch Violation of taboos

Healing ceremonies restore mental, physical, & spiritual balance

Health Traditional American Indian belief~

It reflects living in “total harmony with nature and having the ability to survive under exceedingly difficult circumstances” (Spector, 2004, p.189)

Traditional and current health care behavior Healing Ceremonies~

Sweat Lodge Health Care decisions are made individually Prayer is important to prevent disease

Implications for health care providers Important that health professionals deal with

symptom via traditional methods

Sweat Lodge in Northern Cheyenne Tribe Lame Deer, Montana

Health

Health care practicesSeat belt and helmet seldom usedTeaching about optimal selection, preparation, and

quantities of native foods to encourage good healthHerbs are used in the treatment of many illnesses to

cleanse the body of ill spirits or poisonsTraditional Navajo beliefs influence biomedical health

care decisions

Health

Indian Health Service (IHS) provides free health care to those who can prove at least ¼ ancestryThe focus of acute care is curative and is based on

promoting harmony with Mother EarthThe use of traditional healing practices is explained to

physicians practicing on the reservationsThere are no pharmacies on the Navajo reservationClinics serve people on a “first come, first serve basis”

Health Barriers to health care

Distance Cultural responses to health and illness

Obtaining adequate pain control is of concern for Navajos who receive care within the context of Western medicine

Mental illness is perceived as resulting from witches Alcoholism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome very prevalent Disease is associated with the religious aspect of society as

supernatural powers are associated with the causing and curing of disease. Evil spirits may invade the body and the shaman or medicine man must diagnose the illness and determine the “cure”. (Spector, 2004, p. 189)

Resources on the WEB Resources on

Native American Spirituality, Religion, and Medicine

Index of Native American Resources on the Internet – WWW Virtual Library on American Indians