Indigenous American mental health: Historical context and cultural beliefs

Historical context

In the United States, Indigenous peoples are often referred to as American Indians, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Alaska Natives. But many prefer to identify with their tribal nation or community.

Before the European colonization of North America, Indigenous peoples inhabited these lands for tens of thousands of years. They cultivated immense knowledge of medicine, wellness, and agriculture. Communities of Indigenous descent have made massive contributions to modern U.S. culture:

• The Iroquois League of Nations influenced the current form of democratic government.
• The Plains Indian tribes’ use of Hand Talk is the origin of present-day American Sign Language.
• There have also been various contributions from traditional Native American values. These include: respect for the Earth, fellow humans, and elders, as well as values of generosity and bravery.

Native tribes and lands that exist within the U.S. are federally recognized sovereign nations. This means that these tribes have the right to govern themselves and create their own laws and customs. But they have been deeply impacted by U.S. policies that dehumanize their communities.

This began with violent land takeover and genocide. Indigenous communities were robbed of territories, lives, language, traditions, and ancestral knowledge. Communities were also forced onto reservations. The reservations were often overpopulated. They resided on less monetarily valuable land. This meant people had little access to basic resources such as clean drinking water and indoor plumbing.

The U.S. government has historically failed to follow through on many treaty promises. It has also underfunded programs for communities of Indigenous descent. This has led to severe poverty on many reservations.

There have also been attempts to wipe out Indigenous cultures through forced assimilation. This included the removal of children from their homes. Children were then placed in boarding schools or foster care. Most of these places banned any expression of their native culture. They also stripped children as young as four of their names, language, and cultural norms. These boarding schools have been found to be sites of mass graves. They hold the bodies of Indigenous children who died from neglect, abuse, and illness. Today, the majority of native communities are closely related to someone who was impacted by these policies as recent as the late 1970s.

Indigenous American communities still face inequities. This includes a high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women. This also includes significant loss from the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of access to treatment. These groups face unique mental health challenges because of this historical trauma and continued oppression.