Disability through a Native American lens: examining influences of culture and colonization.

Disability is a socially constructed identity. What constitutes a disability and what it means to be a person with a disability can vary across cultures. This article explores meanings of disability within Native American cultures, including how ideas about wellness, balance, roles, and responsibilities influence perceptions of disabilities. This is followed by a review of disability prevalence, discussion of services, and explorations of possible reasons for the disproportionate impact of disabilities in Native American populations. The article concludes with an examination of how the colonial context frames both attitudes about and services for Native Americans with disabilities.

Serving multicultural elders: recommendations for helping professionals.

As demographic patterns shift in the United States, helping professionals are likely to see more clients of color, including those who are first-generation immigrants. Additionally, given the aging of the American population, helping professionals are likely to encounter more elderly clients and their families. It is crucial that helping professionals be prepared to respond to elders from various cultural populations in effective and respectful ways. This article gives an overview of how old age may interact with cultural identity. This information can be useful for professionals in many different settings working with elders from various cultural backgrounds.

Healthy Living in Two Worlds: Testing a Wellness Curriculum for Urban Native Youth.

The Healthy Living in Two Worlds project developed a wellness curriculum for urban, Northeastern Native American youth. The curriculum sought to increase physical activity, decrease or prevent recreational tobacco use, and increase healthy eating practices. The program was delivered in a summer day camp format to 16 Native American youth ages 9-13. These youth have considerable exposure to recreational tobacco use in their households and among their peers but they express an intention to resist pressure to use recreational tobacco products. Some of these youth do not eat regular meals, particularly breakfast and lunch. Program participants appear to be physically active and their activity seems to have increased after the program.

Native Americans and cancer risks: moving toward multifaceted solutions.

Native Americans experience some of the poorest health statistics of any people in the United States, including rising cancer risks. If we are to truly understand and address health concerns among Native Americans, we need multifaceted interventions and policy solutions. Much of the current attention to Native American health issues examines behavioral health patterns and related interventions (that is, smoking rates and programs to moderate them). While such programs are necessary, they are not sufficient. It is imperative that the impact of the environment, including toxic waste exposure, be considered when examining cancer risk and moving toward solutions that reduce that risk for Native Americans. This article examines cancer risk factors related to both health behaviors and the physical environment. By examining these two areas, we can begin to understand the risks and move toward appropriate programmatic and policy solutions.

The colonial context of violence: reflections on violence in the lives of native american women.

This article presents an overview of the ongoing colonial context that perpetuates and supports violence against First Nations women. This context must be recognized and changed as a prerequisite to eliminating or reducing this violence. The article includes a discussion of how gender roles have changed under colonization, the extent of violence, and steps that must be taken to eradicate violence against Native American women.