Jeannette Armstrong’s literary work explains the connections to the earth we share and how the global economy is tearing us from our full humanity. Armstrong explains “the four capacities of self”, the physical self, the emotional self, the thinking-intellectual self, and the spiritual self. The physical self is one part of a whole that depends entirely on the parts of us that live beyond our skin. In which we are only somewhat aware of because of our senses. The Okanagans are taught that the body is earth itself. The emotional self is that which connects us to those other parts that are larger than ourselves. The emotional self is an essential role to being whole, or human. The bond created by this emotional capacity is a priority for individual wellness and wholeness. The third capacity is the thinking-intellectual self which goes hand in hand with the heart-self. It’s best described as “directed by the ignited spark”. The last capacity is the spirit self. Translated it means “without substance while moving continuously outward”. The Okanagan say this spirit self is our true self, and refer to it as the living source of our life. With all these capacities we are able to create a bond with the land and those around us. But there is something that is tearing us apart from our bonds. She explains how the separation is accelerated by the concept that the wilderness needs to be “tamed” by development and expansion.

Perry G. Horse’s article, “Native American Identity”, covers all the factors that create the identity of a Native American. Starting off with ethnic nomenclature. She questions which title is true: American Indian, Indian, or Native American; or is it simply a matter of preference on which one chooses to identify with? The next factor is racial attitudes. She explains how the concept of white privilege “sets the stage for a better understanding of our need for American Indian identity”(Horse, 63), how white privilege is “synonymous with dominance in a racially stratified society that is based on oppression”(Horse, 63). The legal and political status is what truly sets Native Americans apart from the rest of citizens in this country. Under tribal sovereignty, the tribe has the final say on who is and isn’t part of that tribe. Ultimately one's identity as a Native American is truly a personal decision. However the pragmatic standard for “Indianness”, is the political distinction that tribes enjoy as sovereign nations.

An important predictor of youth well-being and resilience is the presence of nurturing adults in a youth’s life. Parents are ideally situated to fulfill this role but often face challenges and stressors that impede their ability to provide adequate support and guidance. American Indian parents may face stressors such as inter-generational transmission of trauma and loss of traditional parenting practices. Enculturation- Throughout the intervention there wasn't much of a change in parents’ enculturation. But an increased understanding of, interest in, and connection to their tribal culture was accomplished. Parenting Practices - Changes in parenting practices were frequently discussed. Parent-Child communication- most parents described increased communication with their children. Some focused on increased contact and interaction with their children, and several said that the quality of the communication with their children was also better. Family—Parents also frequently reported that their families had become closer emotionally and spent more time together as a result of their involvement in the intervention. Community Involvement/Collective Action - Action—Another result of the program that was evident in parents’ interviews was their increased involvement in their community, both in terms of interaction with other community members and participation in community groups and activities. The overarching goal of this study was to promote mental health and well-being of American Indian youth through fostering positive change at multiple levels: youth, parent, family, and community.

This article describes the creation of a new scale of cultural connectedness to link to health outcomes for First Nations(FN) youth. The term cultural connectedness is used to describe the degree to which a FN youth is integrated within their FN culture. In many communities, high rates of mental health issues have been identified among FN, American Indian, and Native American youth. Those issues include, depression, low-self esteem, suicide, suicide-related behaviors, antisocial behavior, panic disorder, substance abuse and conduct abuse. Cultural connectedness has been shown to protect against the mental health symptoms and risks associated with historical loss and perceived discrimination by directly counteracting its negative impact on Native American youth. Cultural identity, traditional activities, and traditional spirituality appeared to serve as a protective mechanism against mental health problems among Native American peoples.

This article has a lot of information that can be used to back my topic, which is great. As an American Indian I’ve experienced a lot of these impacts. I’ve seen substance abuse, inadequate parenting, and relationship dysfunction within my community. The loss of those healthy parenting practices has definitely been passed down through generations but we have the power to stop the cycle.

The effects that boarding schools had on Native Americans has affected generations of now and then. The assimilation of Native Americans has led to many effects such as loss of language, land, heritage, and traditional values. Parenting practices and family and community connections have changed as well.

Well, this shows the type of problem I wanted to address. The mental stressors that affect Native Americans everywhere. The proof is there. I think we need to think as Native peoples are we doing all we can to support our American Indian Youth? What else can we do? Again cultural connectedness seems to be one of those things that support our American Indian Youth.

I completely agree with the statement about talking about “it”. Coming from a male perspective, we have an image that we have to uphold. That image doesn’t involve validating our emotions. I was taught as a kid, a man isn’t supposed to cry, and when something did upset you they told you to man up. This came from people in my own home. So it always felt like I had to bottle up my emotions, like I had no one to turn to. Without a healthy father figure in my life, I as well didn’t know the right steps to take. As a whole Native Americans everywhere have gone through some type of trauma in their life. Whether it be witnessing or participating in alcohol and/or substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, violence, discrimination, and racism. Not to mention the loss of culture, language, and social connections in a community through acculturation. It’s good to know that some efforts have been made to help prevent this cycle. But again I believe our focus should be on rebuilding community bonds, the thing that holds us together. We need to break those social barriers that hold us back.