Volume 14 Summer 2003 Issue No. 4

Resource Guide: Cultural Resilience

by Joyce A. Strand, Ph.D., and Robert Peacock, Ed.D.

Resilience has been defined as a creative response to adversity and as an innate human characteristic that enables individuals to overcome negative situations in their lives. In Indian country a new construct for resilience has surfaced called "Cultural Resilience." This theory proposes the use of traditional life-ways to overcome the negative influences of oppression, abuse, poverty, violence, and discrimination.

Research has identified the role that tradition and culture play in overcoming such factors in American Indian families, schools, and communities. This annotated bibliography looks at the literature, identifies the philosophy, and reviews the applications of fostering cultural resilience among American Indians, particularly those at risk.

BOOKS

Bergstrom, A., Cleary, L., & Peacock, T. (2003). The seventh generation: Native youth speak about finding the good path. Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.
This book is a study of 120 high school-age American Indian youth from throughout the United States and Canada. The topics range from personal stories, identity issues, when life gets tough, and making it in school. Unlike other studies, this book expresses the responses in the students' voice. It captures their feelings and opinions, their individual and collective experiences. The Seventh Generation invites readers to share the successes and failures of these students and experience their relationships with their families, peers, teachers, and community. In addition, the book includes a chapter for teachers. Chapter Nine, "Lessons for educators: Teaching, curriculum, and research," is a book in itself with invaluable information for all who intend to work or are working in the field of education. To learn more contact: http://www.ael.org/eric/fora2001.htm#november26

Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: The Continuum Publishing Company.
Published over 30 years ago, this work continues to articulate the Freirean philosophy of freedom. Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed is not an easy book to read or understand. The author challenges the reader by saying: The task of the oppressed is to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well. Freire says resilience from oppression is fostered through the cultural circle, a group that reflects on words and symbols from a common language and culture. These words, metaphors, or proverbs evoke thoughts and feelings or reveal a historical point of view that has meaning to the group members and their way of life. Since the words and symbols come from the same language and culture, the group can reflect on their collective stories and reveal new insights about themselves and their situation. Growth through the cultural circle assists the group members to overcome their status as objects for outside political, economic, or educative manipulation. By stimulating the thinking of people submerged in a culture of silence, this process helps them emerge as conscious makers of their own cultures.

Duran, E., & Duran, B. (1995). Native American postcolonial psychology. Albany, NY: State University of New York.
This book takes on the Western individualistic ideology at the root of most research practiced today and exposes its destructiveness to Native American traditional approaches. In the authors' view, assuming that a tribal worldview can be explained from a "totally foreign" Western worldview is the essence of imperialism. Using Western philosophy to try to understand American Indians is both frustrating and futile. Duran and Duran legitimize Native knowledge and identify the use of traditional healing to work with specific problems such as alcoholism, suicide, and family issues. Finally, the authors reiterate the need to understand the destructiveness of intergenerational trauma and internalized oppression in order to understand the issues facing Native Americans today.

Brendtro, L., Brokenleg, M., & Bockern, S. (1990). Reclaiming youth at risk: Our hope for the future. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.
In just 144 pages, Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Bockern describe ways of building self-esteem to foster resilience. They contend that traditional Native American child-rearing philosophies provide a powerful alternative in educational and youth development. The authors model those cultures where the central purpose of life was the education and empowerment of children. In contrast to the recent down playing of self-esteem, the authors view fostering self-esteem as a primary goal in socializing typical children as well as children at risk. They assert that a child without a sense of self-worth is vulnerable to a host of social, psychological, and learning problems. This book describes four basic components of self-esteem: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. This philosophy is portrayed in a diagram of the medicine wheel and identified as the "central values." Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Bockern say we often fail to really see the child, as at one time we were unable to see the women, the peasant, and other oppressed people. We as a society have arranged for our children to be out of the way as much as possible and not have a voice in society's verdict concerning them. This book is a must read!

Cajete, G. (1994). Look to the mountain: An ecology of indigenous education. Skyland, NC: Kivaki Press.
Cajete uses the expression attributed to Sitting Bull (take what is good from the White Man) and incorporates it into an innovative theory for Indian education. With roots in Native tradition and culture, Cajete recognizes that modern education can provide the tools essential to the future of Indian communities as long as they are kept within the context of a greater cultural whole. Indian people must determine the future of Indian education. Cajete believes education is also transformational because it is connected to the deepest human drives. From this viewpoint all human beings concern themselves with self-empowerment and with whatever enables them to transform their lives and the conditions in which they live. Cajate ends this work by reviewing social consciousness and indigenous education from a Freirean philosophical viewpoint.

Peacock, T., & Wisuri, M. (2002). The good path: Ojibwe learning and activity book for kids. Afton, MN: Afton Historical Society Press.
The Good Path takes its name from the Ojibwe word "Bimaadizi," which means to live according to a code given to the Anishinaabe people by the Great Spirit. The book follows this code, and each chapter is devoted to one of these traditional values for living on the good path. Although clearly written with children in mind, we recommend this book to parents, teachers, and counselors. The activities at the end of each chapter are excellent. You will find yourself immersed in the dynamic of fostering resilience.

ARTICLES

HeavyRunner, I. (2002). Nurturing resilience in American Indian and Alaska Native children, youth, and communities: What have we learned? IndianEduResearch.Net. Charleton, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. http://www.indianeduresearch.net/weeklongtransc12-9.htm
In this article Iris HeavyRunner describes "cultural resilience" as a message of hope, courage, faith, and persistence. "Persistence is applicable to all people and all issues that call to question someone's life; it is at the core of why someone decides to heal . . ." (p.1). Included in this article is a web site to access the latest on resilience and American Indians and Alaska Natives.

HeavyRunner, I., & Morris, J.B. (1997). Traditional native culture and resilience. Research and Practice, 5(1). (Available from the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, MN).
This article should be read first because it will prime the reader for the following articles and give ideas on where to look for other resources. HeavyRunner and Morris present cultural resilience from a traditional viewpoint, acknowledging the strength that lies in the healing process within the Native culture. The authors remind us that Native people have had the answer to oppression: Living as a family and community in a traditional manner foster resilience. HeavyRunner and Morris reiterate and remind us that all traditional healing is based in spirit. They go on to say that "cultural resilience has been cultivated by focusing on four developmental areas: spirituality, mental well being, emotional well being, and physical well being," principles found in the Medicine Wheel.

WhiteShield, R. (2000). Historical Trauma Response. The Circle: Native American News and Arts. 21(1).
Historical trauma response (HTR) theory is based on the hypothesis that when people were victims of cultural trauma, the aftereffects can be passed down through the generations. Descendants of state-supported genocide victims not only identify with the past but also emotionally re-experience the trauma effects in the present. Some of the symptoms of HTR are elevated suicide rates, depression, self-destructive behavior, and substance abuse. It is just as destructive when the oppressed adopt the ways of the oppressor. Such lateral oppression has led to intimidation, manipulation, abuse, and over-all dysfunctional behavior within tribal families and communities. The author states that the "trauma was passed down until . . . it has become a cycle of despair and desperation." Healing begins at the place where there isn't any wound, our spirituality.

Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56, 227-238.
Cultural resilience is not a special quality or characteristic of certain groups of people. Resilience develops as part of protective adaptation systems in humans. Masten suggests that resilience is an ordinary process. Her research provides valuable information on how resilience comes from individual human resources, parents, relationships, and their communities. See www.education.umn.edu/research/WorkBppl/magic.htm

Benard, B. (1997). Turning it around for all youth: From risk to resilience. ERIC/CUE Digest, No. 126. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 412 309).
In the ERIC/CUE Digest, Benard's analysis of the literature leads us to the conclusion that resilience is the human capacity to transform and change (Lifton, 1994). When educators work on a model where strengths are more important than deficits, the positive beliefs nurture resilience. From the premise that all children have innate resilience, Benard addresses "resilience skills" and how these can be developed through caring relationships, positive and high expectations, opportunities to participate and contribute, teacher support, staff development, school-community supports, and teaching to students' strengths. The informative digest provides guidance for teachers and other professionals in how to develop resilience. The reference list provides other sources about resilience. From the same author, also see (1991) Fostering resiliency in kids: Protective factors in the family, school, and community, Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory and (1993, March) Resilience requires changing hearts and minds, Western Center News, 6(2), 4-5.

Rutter, M. (1987). Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57(3), 316-331.
Rutter discusses the "concept of mechanisms" (p.316) and how these mechanisms are critical in protecting individuals during times of adversity against psychological risks.

Strand, J. A. & Peacock, T. D. (2002). Nurturing resilience and school success in American Indian and Alaska Native students. EDO-RC-02-11.
This article examines recent literature relative to resilience and fostering resilience among American Indian youth. The authors explain what youth, parents, teachers, and schools can do to foster resilience, especially in connecting Native spirituality and biculturalism in a treatment model. Finally, the authors present findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health along with information that stresses the importance of families, schools, and individuals' personal characteristics in fostering resilience in youth.

OTHER SOURCES

Bopp, J., Bopp, M., Brown, L., & Lane Jr., P. (1989). The sacred tree. Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada: Four Worlds International Institute for Human and Community Development.
The Four Worlds Development Project developed this as a handbook of Native spirituality for indigenous peoples all over the Americas.

Marshall, K. (in press, April 2003). Resilience research and practice: National Resilience Resource Center bridging the gap. In H. C. Waxman, Y. N. Padron, and J. Gray (Eds.). Educational resilience: Student, teacher, and school perspectives. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Marshall provides an overview of the resilience/health realization approach to natural resilience developed and used by the National Resilience Resource Center.

Ortiz, A. & HeavyRunner, I. (2003). Student access, retention, and success: Models of inclusion and support. In M. Benham & W. Stein (Eds.), The Renaissance of American Indian higher education: Capturing the dream (pp.215-240). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ortiz and HeavyRunner explore using traditional cultural supports and practices with students and their families. They show surprisingly improved retention rates at selected tribal colleges.

INTERNET SOURCES

National Resilience Resource Center, University of Minnesota. The National Resilience Resource Center has an "operating philosophy grounded in resilience spanning over five decades across a wide variety of disciplines." This site includes everything you always wanted to know about resilience. http://www.cce.umn.edu/nrrc/research.shtml or email nrrc@cce.umn.edu

White Bison, Inc. is an American Indian owned 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established in 1988 with the vision of bringing 100 Indian communities into healing by the year 2010. The focal point of White Bison is its Wellbriety movement, which is an effort to bring the message of sobriety and physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness to Native communities through the use of traditional healing. www.whitebison.org or email info@whitebison.org

Sanchez-Way, R., & Johnson, S. (2000). Cultural Practices in American Indian Prevention Programs
While this site deals primarily with substance abuse research, the authors have included some resilience information and a very good bibliography for further reference. See NCJ # 185318. www.ncjrs.org or email tellncjrs@ncjrs.org

Summary

This annotated bibliography focused on resources that will provide foundational information to the readers regarding resiliency. It is not an inclusive bibliography but a starting point to further exploration. Specific cultural resilience literature is limited, and the understanding of the development of resilience is a precursor to the understanding of cultural resilience. "Resilience does not come from rare and special qualities but from the everyday magic of ordinary human resources in the minds, brains, and bodies of children, in their families and relationships, and their communities" (Masten, 2001, p. 1).

Robert Peacock (Anishinaabe) has been chairman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior for almost 15 years. He received his bachelor's degree in political science, his master's in educational psychology, and his doctorate in education administration from the University of Minnesota.

Joyce A. Strand is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She earned her doctorate from Kent State University in special education.