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Native American Cultures

Author: History.com Staff

Website Name: History.com

Year Published: 2009

Title: Native American Cultures

URL

http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures

Health and illness in the American Indian and Alaska Native population (p.208-210).  Spector, R. E. (2009).  Cultural diversity in health and illness.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

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Respect of their cultural beliefs and practices is very important. Health care providers should be open to their cultural beliefs and still be able to provide excellent and ready care. Proper health care leaves a lot to be desired for these native people.  Ignorance and indifference towards the American Indian problems and concerns could very likely put a strain on the relationship.  An even more important problem to the removal of the American Indian issues is the indifference among other people, such as fellow citizens who only have a slight understanding of the problems facing Native Americans today.

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Lack of housing and poor living conditions on today's reservations pose a very real danger to their current health. Lack of electricity, running water, and a proper sewage system are just a few of the problems. Overcrowding in small houses almost unfit to live in  make it difficult to maintain or even practice proper hygiene and contribute to the spread of diseases.  Pollution and contamination in some areas threaten the American Indian's health and life because toxic and radioactive traces are discovered in the drinking water, the soil, the nutrition and the bodies of the American Indians.  Native Americans are suffering of diabetes, alcoholism, tuberculosis and other health conditions and are dying at shocking rates. Healthcare for them from the federal health service in many reservations is overburdened and simply not providing the care that is needed.

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Cultural Dance Ritual to Heal Illness

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Traditional Perceptions of Health and Illness and Healing

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Traditional Perceptions of Health and Illness and Healing

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In their culture, health reflected living in harmony with nature.This means they had to learn to survive even with difficult circumstances. The earth itself played an important roll in their lives. They believed that if the earth was hurt, so was mankind and vice versa. They thought that if you take care of the earth, the earth in turn would take care of you. In their culture, illness was believed to be the result of something wrong that one had done or even will do in the future. Different tribes had different views on illness. Some, for instance, thought that illness or disease came from evil spirits that had been angered. Depending on the type of spirit they thought they were dealing with, they would use charms or rituals to heal the afflicted.

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No other group of people has quite the rich and storied culture as the American Indian. They have a history of struggle, strife, and triumph. At one time, there were hundreds of tribes of Native Americans living in the United States. Each tribe had its own culture and lifestyle, and in each one the women, men, and children all played an important role.

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History of the American Indians