Native American Psychosocial Identity

Native American Psychosocial Identity: Worldviews and Community Structures explores the psychosocial identities of Native Americans - American Indians, Canadian First Nations, and Native Hawaiians from an interdisciplinary perspective. Written by Native American studies scholars, the book discusses the impact of the genocide perpetuated on Native Americans, including wars, disease, slavery, loss of land, weakening of tribal governance, damage to family systems, and suppression of cultural forms such as language and religion.

There is discussion of the Native American reverence for Nature, Spirit, tradition, and communal relationships, and how embracing traditional Native American values has led to a revitalization of reservations and Urban Native American communities. Vignettes describe the vital role of medicine people in Native communities. Models for conducting culturally congruent interventions are offered. Dedicated chapters address how Natives see and are seen by others inside and outside of the Native community based on their enrollment status, as well as how enrollment criteria have become a challenge with the increase of marriage between Native Americans and non-Native Americans. U.S. Census data from 2020 describe a racially mixed Native American community that resides mostly in urban settings.

Native American Psychosocial Identity is ideal for courses and scholars in Native American Studies, cross cultural psychology, anthropology, sociology, counseling, and social work.