native american culture …everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it,...
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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
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)