1st Edition
All My Relations: Understanding the Experiences of Native Americans with Disabilities
Native Americans suffer disproportionately from many social and health disparities. High rates of poverty, exposure to environmental toxins, and various forms of violence all increase the risk of health problems, including disabilities, yet there is very little published scholarship concerning Native American experiences with disabilities.
In collecting contributions on various aspects of disability in Native American populations in one volume, this book seeks to redress this lack of attention. Writing about regions of the United States, Canada, and Australia, and spanning a diverse range of settings from remote rural areas, to reservations, to college campuses, the authors are attentive to the impact of specific environments on their inhabitants. Taking into account both physical and social environment, and recognizing the importance of cultural context, this book is a good starting point for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of the experience of Native peoples living with disabilities. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation.
Introduction – All My Relations: Understanding the Experiences of Native Americans with Disabilities Hilary N. Weaver and Francis Yuen
1. Disability Through a Native American Lens: Examining Influences of Culture and Colonization Hilary N. Weaver
2. Toward a Culturally Informed Rehabilitation Treatment Model for American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans Molly Tovar, David A. Patterson Silver Wolf, and Julia Stevenson
3. American Indians’ Response to Physical Pain: Functional Limitations and Help-Seeking Behaviors Suzanne L. Cross and Angelique G. Day
4. Mental Disabilities in an Aboriginal Context Lewis Mehl-Madrona and Barbara Mainguy
5. Impact of Disability and Other Physical Health Issues on Academic Outcomes Among American Indian and Alaskan Native College Students: An Exploratory Analysis David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (Adelv Unegv Waya), Carol Vanzile-Tamsen, Jessica Black, Shanondora M. Billiot, and Molly Tovar
6. Understanding the Challenges to Providing Disabilities Services and Rehabilitation in Rural Alaska: Where Do We Go From Here? Jessica C. Black, Nicole Wheeler, Molly Tovar, and Dana Webster-Smith
7. Jordan’s Principle and Indigenous Children with Disabilities in Canada: Jurisdiction, Advocacy, and Research Shelly Johnson
8. Environmental Exposures to Metals in Native Communities and Implications for Child Development: Basis for the Navajo Birth Cohort Study Johnnye Lewis, Melissa Gonzales, Courtney Burnette, Malcolm Benally, Paula Seanez, Christopher Shuey, Helen Nez, Christopher Nez, and Seraphina Nez
Biography
Hilary N. Weaver is a Lakota scholar, Professor, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, at the University at Buffalo, NY, USA. She is President of the American Indian Alaska Native Social Work Educators’ Association, has written numerous publications, and has presented her work regionally, nationally, and internationally, including at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Francis Yuen is a Social Work Professor at California State University, Sacramento, CA, USA. He has published widely and served as the editor for the Journal of Social Work in Disability & Rehabilitation since 2003. He has been a principal investigator, evaluator, and trainer for national and local service organizations.
