Parenting, Native Americans and

The study of parenting among Native American families is imperative from an applied developmental science point of view in order to understand parenting processes and child development in light of the unique issues faced by these families in the United States and Canada. Pragmatically, as Native American children increase in numbers, research in parenting and child development among these populations is necessary to inform public policy, practice, and effective intervention. According to the 2000 census, 1.5% of the total U.S. population (4,119,301) reported being American Indian (includes those self-identified as American Indian or Alaska Native) alone or in combination with one or more other races (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). Moreover, in comparison to the total U.S. population, which grew 13% from 1990 to 2000, the American Indian population increased by 26%. The pattern is the same in Canada. In 2001, a total of 976,300 people identified themselves as aboriginal (includes those self-identified as North American Indian, Métis, or Inuit). This total in 2001 was 22% higher than the 1996 figure of 799,000. In contrast, the total nonaboriginal population grew only 3.4% between 1996 and 2001 (Statistics Canada, 2001).

In addition, Native Americans are younger, on average, than their European American counterparts. Considering the above demographics, there is a dearth of research available on Native American parenting.

When discussing Native American cultures, frequently, the assumption is that these peoples are a homogeneous group. However, Native American cultures comprise more than 400 distinct tribal groups and communities, with diverse cultural backgrounds (Forehand & Kotchick, 1996). Thus, generalizations across tribes must be made cautiously; however, traditional Native American values provide some threads of unity with which to understand parenting behavior. These general themes will be discussed in the first section on traditional Native American child-rearing beliefs. Next, some of the unique issues faced by these families in North America and current psychological research on Native American parenting will be presented. Finally, the entry concludes with implications for policy and practice.