We are All the Same Addressing: Stereotypes on Homelessness on the Navajo Nation
Amber Haceesa
Navajo Nation
Embedded Files
Image 1
Haceesa, Amber. Shiprock, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Sharing One Skin
Sharing One Skin
One of the readings named, “Sharing One Skin” says if we are born in a community we are automatically in it. For me this is very crucial because how a community can have many different definitions. We need a community for survival, food, support,and hospitality. The Okanagan language community means “our one skin”. In other readings it also explains how the community plays a big part particularly the Elders because of how much they know about the traditions and languages. “The young people chose not to speak our native Kiowa language,” stated Perry G. Horse. I like to think we are failing to learn our culture because of how colonized our communities are. We are very interacted with the white man path that we sometimes forget who and what we are and how special we are to not only us but our ancestors.
Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA,
Image 2
Haceesa, Amber. Hogback, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Native American Identity
Native American Identity
Native American Identity is based on Native communities being various. It starts with the name itself “Native American” or “American Indian.” For me, I prefer Native American because of the story of how us natives got the name Indian. Our identity was being drawn away from our ancestors due to an uneducated individual that thought he was in India. There is also our language disappearing because younger people want to speak more english than their own native languages. I think the cause is society. We are social animals, we want to bind ourselves with others and communicate
Horse, Perry G. “Native American Identity - Acpa.” Native American Identity, 2005, convention.myacpa.org/houston2018/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Horse_2005.pdf.
Image 3
Images from the streets
Images from the streets
In Images from the streets: art for social change from the Homelessness Photography Project by Cynthia J. Miller, I have learned that we can learn a lot of people by photograph. In the photos we can learn about someone's personal history, shared memories, and a sense of belonging, in what community they were in. In America, we blame the homelessness for not holding them responsible in society, particularly the men. With that responsibility that they have lost they start to feel unworthy, which create complicated feelings and questions about homelessness. The reasoning for that blame and responsibility is because U.S. cities are poverty and the lack of affordable housing.
Miller, Cynthia J. "Images from the streets: art for social change from the Homelessness Photography Project." Social Justice, vol. 33, no. 2, summer 2006, pp. 122+. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A155751146/STOM?u=nm_s_santafeis&sid=ebsco&xid=efc69de2. Accessed 6 Oct. 2021
Image 4
Haceesa, Amber. Santa Fe, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Indian Killer
Indian Killer
In The trans/historicity of trauma in Jeannette Armstrong’s slash and Sherman Alexie’s Indian killer by Nancy Van Styvendale. She explains why the term “Indian Killer” is connected to homelessness. Indian killer is like the reference like “kill the indian, save the man” but the opposite the saying is “kill the white men, save the buffalo.” They describe trauma dealing with the “Indian killer” because of how trauma theories are being developed in novels. Researchers have and are studying the Native communities. They give an explanation of how native communities are "oppressed," "colonization," "subjugated," and "violated" but not “traumatic.” Which gives the Native Americans a little posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) even when we didn’t experience the events.
Styvendale, Nancy Van. "THE TRANS/HISTORICITY OF TRAUMA IN JEANNETTE ARMSTRONG'S SLASH AND SHERMAN ALEXIE'S INDIAN KILLER." Studies in the Novel, vol. 51, no. 1, spring 2019, pp. 149+. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A582097612/STOM?u=nm_s_santafeis&sid=ebsco&xid=39ef3c9c. Accessed 7 Oct. 2021.
Image 5
Tso, Kerlena. Shiprock, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Native American Homelessness Task Force
Native American Homelessness Task Force
In New conference held by Mayor Richard J. Berry. Two Individuals were killed and were homeless. That action really opened people's eyes to the homeless, especially native americans. They start a Native American Homelessness Task Force that will help them get the resources they need, mainly for their traditions and culture so they do not identify. In this task force there are 17 members and 14 key recommendations. For the members they have to have cultural training to be of help and they will regularly interact with the homeless.
Berry, Richard J. “Mayor Richard J. Berry, City of Albuquerque News ...” Mayor Richard J. Berry, City of Albuquerque News Conference 8-28-15, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M_8LNBZuFo.
Image 6
Haceesa, Amber. Farmington, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Destitute and vulnerable
Destitute and vulnerable
Destitute and vulnerable: Fear of crime and victimisation among the homeless in urban and rural settings in South Africa by Lufuno Sadiki and Francois Steyn is written about “interpretation of "homelessness" developed by local government agencies tends to minimize the homeless population and only focus on individuals who are publicly visible,” social injustices suffered by homeless people, and the people who are supposed to protect vulnerable groups. In this article, they are explaining that the country's urban and rural landscapes are where homeless people are more local. The morning is associated with being more safe, the afternoon is somewhat not safe and the evening is more dangerous because of fear of being physically attacked, theft of goods, any kind of harassment, and abuse. These crimes are impacted by demographic and neighborhood characteristics and they get targeted because of how vulnerable they are to sociaitly. Police and authorities are not much supported due to the negative relationship between them and the police.
Sadiki, Lufuno, and Francois Steyn. "Destitute and vulnerable: Fear of crime and victimisation among the homeless in urban and rural settings in South Africa." Strategic Review for Southern Africa, vol. 43, no. 1, May 2021, pp. 57+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A675004199/AONE?u=nm_s_santafeis&sid=ebsco&xid=ca9907e6. Accessed 10 Nov. 2021.
Image 7
Haceesa, Amber. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Homeless and helpless
Homeless and helpless
Homeless and helpless: how the United States has failed those with severe and persistent mental illness written by Ashley Gorfido. In her studies, she explains how American have failed the homeless or anyone in general with severe and persistent mental illness or (SPMI). Mental illness accounts for about one-third of the world's disability caused by all adult health problems including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. That is one of the biggest reasons for poverty because “it has been estimated that the economic impact of SPMI in the United States is $148 billion per year and 10% of the annual direct health care costs,” said Gorfido. People with SPMI have no treatment or inadequate treatment for their mental illness. Homeless communities do not get no help being the most visible manifestation of failures in mental health policy and in other areas of public policy. Some failures are due to Social Security Insurance (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) incoming not being received, decent housing, and American not being able to get a job because they have disabilities.
Gorfido, Ashley. "HOMELESS AND HELPLESS: HOW THE UNITED STATES HAS FAILED THOSE WITH SEVERE AND PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS." Journal of Law and Health, vol. 34, no. 1, fall 2020, pp. 106+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A648418849/AONE?u=nm_s_santafeis&sid=ebsco&xid=cf8616c8. Accessed 12 Nov. 2021.
Image 8
Tso, Kerlena. Shiprock, New Mexico. Personal Image.
Homelessness during COVID-19
Homelessness during COVID-19
Homelessness in America: The Search for Solutions During COVID-19 is talked with Jenifer Mckim the senior investigative reporter at the GBH New Center for Investigative Reporting, Howard Koh Harvard V. Feinberg professor of the practice of public health leadership at the Harvard T.it Chan School of Public Health, Jim O’Connell President of the Boston Health Care for the homeless program, Amanda Andere the CEO of funders together to end homelessness, Margot Kushel Professor of medicine in the division of the general internal medicine at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and trauma Center, and Rosanne Haggerty the president and chief officers executive officer of the community solutions. Before the pandemic 580,000 were experiencing homelessness and after millions more potentially could or would have been homeless. While ninety percent of adults were in the shelters, ten percent were in the streets. But forty percent came down with COVID-19. 250,000 eviction have already occurred in some of five states being tracked. Two point seven households can not pay their mortgage. But the pandemic of some 11 million households pay over half their income on housing.
Mckim, Jenifer. “Homelessness in America: The Search for Solutions during COVID-19.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcbVQb5o3Tk.
Image 9
Sagerian, Sandi. “Homelessness Assistance Mat-Su Valley Alaska Help with Food & Clothing.” Wasilla, 2018, https://www.wasillahomeless-committee.org/.
Alaska
Alaska
Homelessness has been very common to Alaska Natives/Alaska Indians(AN/AI). In the United States AN/AI makes a solid amount of being homeless. However, the percentage of Alaska Native population in the United States is only 1.2%. With that small percentage, 2.7% of the overall U.S. homeless population and 3.9% of the unsheltered U.S. homeless population. The problem is not being homeless but the problem before it. (AN/AI) have an overpopulation issue in their houses which give a high risk factor of being homeless. As well as, having inadequate facilities in their house too like plumbing, kitchen amenities. Studies have shown that in Alaska Natives population have higher rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol related problems than the general population. But on the reservation it is not illegal to be homeless. Seventy percent of the population lives in urban areas because of some factors such as the Indian Removal Act that was passed 1956. The Indian Removal Act gives a lot of Natives many opportunities to increase employment and affordable housing to other destinations. Yet, Urbanization is one of many reasons why Alaskan Natives are in poverty and having less health care. They also had less choice for being culturally accepted and practicing their traditions to become more social and normal to today's society.
Wendt, D. C., PhD., Collins, S. E., PhD., Nelson, L. A., PhD., Serafini, K., PhD., Clifasefi, Seema L,PhD., M.S.W., & Donovan, D. M., PhD. (2017). RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AMONG HOMELESS URBAN AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES WITH SEVERE ALCOHOL PROBLEMS. American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (Online), 24(3), 39-62. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/religious-spiritual-practices-among-homeless/docview/2063293719/se-2
Image 10
Ujifusa, Andrew. “Our Student Homeless Numbers Are Staggering. Schools Can Be a Bridge to a Solution.” Education Week, Education Week, 16 Sept. 2021, https://www.edweek.org/leadership/our-student-homeless-numbers-are-staggering-schools-can-be-a-bridge-to-a-solution/2021/09.
Students
Students
As I am talking about communities I will also be talking about my student communities being homeless. Before the pandemic many students being homeless were increasing and schools did not know how to respond to them. The students need help receiving good health, well being, and education. Some spent the nights with others (74%), in shelters, (12%), in motels/hotels (7%), and in unsheltered contexts, like parks, cars, and public spaces (7%). According to research, some that spend nights with others like family were likely to come out with a better outcome with education. Well the rest, had a harder time due finding because they were unaccompanied and alone. The students that are experiencing homelessness are more likely to be people of color such as Native Americans, African Americans, and Latinx. The trouble they face is low academic expectations, deficit views, and systemic barriers to get support from the school. They would also change school a lot due to being homeless. Other issues are lower attendance, higher rates of dropout, lower rates of graduation, and poorer achievement. But solutions to these problems are the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which is United States federal law that provides federal money for homeless shelter programs. Another one is to communicate with the students and build trust from there, have available resources, and environment housing for the students.
EdResearch for Recovery Project. Available from: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 164 Angell St., 2nd floor, Providence, RI 02906. Tel: 401-863-7990; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://www.annenberginstitute.org/recovery
Image 11
Lester, Marc, 2019, Anchorage Daily News
Oakland
Oakland
The film “The Oakland, California Homeless Problem is Beyond Belief” by Nick Johnson is a great way to see the homeless community and how they are all different and not the same. He was explaining that almost five hundred thousand people he was assuming of course were living in poverty in Oakland due to mostly house costs around the area. In Oakland, They keep them in one area to monitor them and provide support. However, the businesses in the area complain about their business doing badly, residents complain about them stealing from them, Neighbors complain about loud noise and trash. Others say that helping the homeless is backfiring. Their camps if you have seen them look like third world countries, they are under freeways and in abandoned areas. The people that do live on the streets are explained to live there for various reasons. Ohio, one of the people that founded the place 15 years ago because he was homeless himself and living in his vehicle. Then got help from project dignity, is a foundation that aims to restore dignity to victims as soon as possible. He explains that the people he meant at the camp were productive members of society like doctors, lawyers, dentists, secretaries, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, and mechanics. He says that “people do not belong to the street, we do not belong to die here, we deserve a second chance like any other.” Afterwards, he clarifies how society also works. Ohio states that “poor people are the ones that make the rich people rich.”
Johnson, Nick. “The Oakland, California Homeless Problem Is ... - Youtube.com.” The Oakland, California Homeless Problem Is Beyond Belief, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRWmKh13b50.
Page updated
Report abuse