Sallee, A.L, Lawson, H.A., & Briar-Lawson, K. (Eds.). (2002). Innovative practices with vulnerable children and families. Eddie Bowers Publishing, Inc.

Table 1. Shared Traditional American Indian Values

Value: Autonomy

American Indian people value personal freedom and autonomy.

• Each person is valued as an individual; children are sacred
• Extended families provide extensive, consistent, and loving care of infants and small children, reinforcing their value
• Children are given opportunities to be self-reliant and responsible to the welfare of the tribe early in their lives
• Children learn by observing modeling by other family, clan, and tribal members

Value: Solidarity

American Indian people value family and tribal solidarity and cohesiveness.

• Each person perceives themselves as first a member of a specific tribe (Ojibwe, Yurok, Diné, Haida); secondly, as an American Indian/Alaska Native
• Has considerable pride in clan and tribal lineage and heritage
• Is expected to bring honor and respect to their families, clans, and tribes; individual behavior reflects the whole
• Respects all tribal members: children, youth, adults, and elders
• Is prepared to sacrifice with humility for the collective
• Is generous with one’s talents and material goods

Value: Competence

American Indian people value attainment of knowledge and skills.

• Each person is encouraged to develop unique talents, knowledge and skills that will benefit themselves and the group
• As the people learn from their environments and animals, the knowledge is passed on
• Each skill acquired by young people is positively noted without any “fanfare” – reinforcing personal satisfaction for a job well done
• Self-improvement is valued over comparison with others; thus, competition is discouraged

Value: Spirituality

American Indian people believe in a Supreme Being and the continuity of life.

• Each person strives to maintain a positive balance and harmony with their Supreme Being and all living things
• The people believe that all of the Creator’s works have spirits and are to be treated respectfully
• Many tribes have detailed accounts of their “creation” or “origin” stories
• It is important to show respect and reverence for the land, their homelands, and those areas sacred to them

• Spirituality and religious practices are routinely integrated throughout each day’s activities
• Every thought and action is powerful and affects the past, present, and future of all

Value: Balance

American Indian people value harmony and balance.

• Each person demonstrates appreciation for life by the way in which they positively regard and reinforce their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health
• Each person is appreciated for what they contribute to the well being of the group
• Industry is valued; so is time for leisure, fun, social development, and social interaction
• Appreciating balance and harmony leads to understanding the appropriate times for hunting, harvesting, and utilization of nature’s bounties, and for the appropriate use of all natural resources

Value: Wisdom

As all other values are achieved, wisdom is acquired.

• Much wisdom is transmitted to American Indian people through their elders
• When one lives in harmony with the cultural wisdom, people experience contentment and physical and emotional well being
• The roles of men and women are highly valued and complementary
• When people are secure within themselves and their culture, they are better able to contribute positively to the well being of others, in particular the children

With regards to children, it is generally considered the responsibility of the entire tribe or
community to protect the children by carefully watching, witnessing, and intervening according to
custom when the child is in danger (Sachs, et al., 1999). Individual cultural identity is an extension
of the tribal and family identity, with each child having a unique place in the collective.

In other words, from the Indian perspective, the child does not “belong” to only the parents,
but is a treasured resource for the whole tribe. The extended network of kin, non-kin and clan
comprise the Indian child’s “family.” Therefore, decisions about child safety and well-being are
likely to be based on criteria different from U.S. mainstream child welfare assumptions and include
an expanded set of resources beyond the nuclear family. For Indian people, the termination of
parental rights would equate to the termination of tribal membership because the “parents” are all
those who are invested in the child’s happiness. Likewise, “foster care” is an unknown concept in
most native languages (National Indian Child Welfare Association, 1996).