"She's the Center of My Life, the One That Keeps My Heart Open": Roles and Expectations of Native American Women

Historically, Native American (NA) mothers have proven essential to the survival of their families and communities, yet scant research has examined their roles today. Current gender roles in NA communities are influenced by historical oppression (both historic and contemporary forms) that acted to reverse matrilineal gender norms in favor of patriarchy. The present study sought to explore norms and expectations for women among two NA tribes located in the southeastern region of the United States. The framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience and Transcendence (FHORT), Hill-Collins's concept of "motherwork," and a framework of reproductive justice were used to frame the study and interpret findings. This critical ethnography included data from field notes, semistructured interviews, and focus groups. Reconstructive analysis, a specific type of thematic qualitative analysis for critical ethnographies, was used to interpret data. Participants from both tribes described themes related to the expectations and roles of mothers. These expectations included themes of (a) mothers as caretakers, (b) mothers as the centers of family and role models, (c) women to prioritize family over economic and educational aspirations, and (d) decolonizing norms for mothers. While historical oppression and patriarchal norms have constrained and regulated expectations for motherhood and the domestic roles of NA women, these findings also highlight how women decolonize these norms and find ways to reclaim their power through their roles as mothers.

Hurricanes and Indigenous Families: Understanding connections with discrimination, social support, and violence on PTSD

The purpose of this article is to use the culturally grounded Framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence (FHORT) to examine (a) the experiences and impacts of hurricanes on Indigenous (i.e., Native American) family members in the Gulf Coast and (b) to identify how experiencing hurricanes and natural disasters, family and community support, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), discrimination and intimate partner violence (IPV) may be related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among two Southeastern tribes. Results were drawn from a convergent mixed-methodology design, which incorporates ethnographic qualitative data and a culturally grounded quantitative follow-up survey. Thematic analysis of qualitative data with 208 participants from a coastal Indigenous community revealed several emergent themes, namely (a) the Impact of Federal Recognition on Hurricane Affected Communities; (b) Rapidly Changing Landscape, Lives, and Communities; and (C) Family and Personal Effects of Hurricane Experiences. Descriptive and hierarchical regression analysis of 127 participants across two Southeastern tribes indicate that many participants frequently thought of losses from hurricanes and disasters and that over one-third of the sample met the criteria for clinically significant PTSD. Regression results affirmed the independent effects of hurricane experiences, ACE, community and family support as they relate to PTSD; yet IPV and discrimination were the strongest predictors of PTSD. Results reveal the extensive repercussions of hurricanes on Indigenous families of the Southeast, which are inseparable from and exacerbated by the insidious historical oppression, including discrimination, already experienced by these groups.