Research Reports
Reflections on Traditional American Indian Ways, 1998
Threats to Tribal Sovereignty, 1998
Traditional American Indian Leadership: A Comparison with U.S. Governance, 1997
Change Environmental and Social Stressors Where People Live
Participants note that several social and economic factors lead to involvement with the criminal justice system such as alcohol or lack of cultural resources. In this regard, they note several ways to impact the overrepresentation of American Indians. They recommend improving education opportunity, developing and providing employment opportunities, improving living conditions, providing adequate housing, and making resources available that support a sense of community among Indians throughout the state.
“I’m a big believer in that person in the environment theory. You don’t focus on changing the person; I was taught to change the environment that is harming the individual.”
“… more resources to address some of the causes in terms of raising education level, ensuring people have adequate housing and live in safe neighborhoods, that there were plenty of employment opportunities, that those types of things will have a greater impact on the community.”
To keep people out of prison. “Well, if you had better jobs, above minimum wage jobs, better jobs that pay more, that has a lot to do with it. Yeah I think that has a lot to do with it. But if you haven’t got a trade or you’re not educated, that’s all you’re going to get is a minimum wage job. Maybe if they had some kind of program, you know, for younger people to learn a good trade when they’re young, and they see the money they could make, that has a lot to do with. If they start getting a paycheck every week, they have something to look forward to.”
One participant claims assets within the community could have a positive impact on community members thus, as stated previously, solutions are inside the community rather than outside.
“I think one of our strong assets, and where we’ve had some success is a focus on recovery. We’ve always know how to heal, how to teach each other, but we have undergone this imposition of social controls… so they’re coming up with new terms for what we knew inherently, as Indians. Ecological systems theory, all these new ways to look at problems and to help people (Ecological Systems theory of human development focuses on social context and interaction between systems).”
The
Well-Being of American Indian Children in Minnesota: Economic Conditions,
1994
top | Projects
| Research | Publications
| Links | About Us
| Contact Us | Home
© Copyright 2002, American Indian Policy Center. All Rights
Reserved.
1463 Hewitt Avenue • St. Paul, MN 55104 • tel: 651-644-1728
aipc@cpinternet.com
Last updated:
Tuesday November 1, 2005