page xv-xvii
by Duane Champagne, PhD
page xix-xxvi
by Lester B. Brown
page 5-18
American Indian tribal groups have a variety of customs unfamiliar to us. One particular occurrence is alternative gender styles for females and males. Gender has always been viewed as a spiritual calling and not determined by a persons anatomy. Some American Indians are spiritually directed to live as Not-Men and Not-Women. These individuals lead lives unlike other men and women. Androgyny is an inadequate way to describe this occurrence. Explored in this article are the following issues: Who are these Not-Men and Not-women? How were they viewed by the Colonists? How are these alternative gender styles related to today's lesbian or gay American Indians?
by Little Crow, Judy A. Wright, Lester B. Brown
page 21-28
Providing social service assistance for ethnically diverse clients is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the social work profession. Academic and professional training often do little to prepare the social service professional for working with many minority groups, especially American Indians. This article provides insight into cultural norms concerning gender lifestyle choices among the Santee Dakota and Lakota tribes. This is followed by a discussion on the DSM IV classifications of gender dysphoria and transvestic fetishism, and how these labels may not necessarily apply to gay and lesbian American Indians.
by Mary Ann Jacobs, Lester B. Brown
page 29-40
This article is a study of American Indian lesbians and gays. Using interview content, this study helps practitioners understand these virtually unstudied individuals. Interview data are compared to reports in the literature in a effort to understand how American Indian lesbians and gays are similar to and different from other lesbians and gays. Implications about future research and social work practice with American Indian lesbians and gays are discussed.
by Karina L. Walters
page 43-62
Research on American Indian identity has been, for the most part, poorly conceptualized and its findings contradictory. Indian identity has been shown to relate to positive mental health and cultural continuity and survival. However, the identity of gay and lesbian American Indians has not yet been addressed. Toward the formulation of a preliminary model of urban lesbian and gay American Indian (GAI) identity development, the author delineates acculturation levels, cultural values and conflicts in allegiances that GAIs face in negotiating a positive identity. Implications for clinical practice, research and mental health service delivery are outlined.
by Judy A. Wright, Melodie A. Lopez, Lora L. Zumwalt
page 67-82
This article presents an unusual approach to investigating lifestyles unique to the native American and gay and lesbian community. A review of poetry and literature composed by American Indian authors, both hetero- and homosexual, is presented to familiarize the reader with a number of issues important to human service providers. The blend of social and personal experiences presented in these works provides non-Indians with an insiders view of the Indian perspective on topics such as alcoholism, homelessness and cultural discontinuity.
by Ron Rowell
page 85-94
As the number of Native American people with HIV infection continues to grow, the need to develop services that are tailored to the special needs of rural/reservation and Urban Native Americans grows with it. The experience of AIDS programs in two very different sites, one on the Navajo reservation in Arizona and another in New York City, illustrate both similarities and differences in the needs of clients. Barriers that prevent or discourage access to care for Native American people living with HIV/AIDS exist in both places, but it is in the specifics that tailored solutions are clearly required. Native American AIDS activists have been working hard to meet the needs of Native Americans living with HIV/Aids and their progress is encouraging.
by Elizabeth DePoy, Claire Bolduc
page 97-108
This paper presents an innovative AIDS prevention program that was conducted in a rural American Indian Community. The project consisted of three phases: Needs Assessment and Planning, Implementation, and Follow-Up. Through a collaborative process, project staff and community members and leaders developed and implemented culturally valued and credible sources to promote awareness of the AIDS epidemic and to reduce high-risk behaviour. Following the implementation phase of the project, follow-up activities suggested that the prevention strategies were valued and effective in producing short-term responses. Further areas for improvement and the need for long-term follow-up were revealed.
Transcribed by Angelina Novani
12 June 1997