My SW Rant

I am in a full social work rant after reading and discussing American Indians and social policy. As our class incorporates cultural competence practices into our repertoire, I face the more personal task of actually being the culture we study. Below is a post I made recently, that I thought I would share and record here. Tell me what you think....

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Did you ever sing "Ten Little Indians" growing up? It wasn't really an offensive nursery rhyme more like a counting song, right? Did you know that there is an original version of that song written by Septimus Winner in 1868 which is very unlike the water down version sung in classrooms across America.

Here's the real version:

Ten little Indians going out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indians sat up very late;
One overslept herself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indians traveling in Devon;
One said he'd stay and then there were seven.
Seven little Indians chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself into halves and then there were six.
Six little Indians playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indians going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indians going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indians walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Indians playing with a gun;
One shot the other and then there was one.
One little Indian left all alone;
She went and hanged herself and then there were none.

Now, after reading the original version of that song, how do you feel about it? Would you let your child sing it? One of the authors in a book I've been reading, "Genocide of the Mind - New Native American Writing" addresses the issue about who she is told she is and who she really is. In response to this rhyme, she alters the words to define her own reality. The book is edited by MariJo Moore and Vine Deloria, Jr. writes the forward. It is a very good book giving much insight into several authors and it is difficult for me to put it down. I really recommend it.

While reading all the material for one of my classes, having the discussions and watching the video, I have thought about important issues for social workers to address in dealing with American Indian families and communities. I still keep coming back to one issue over and over again. It is the issue of self and cultural competency.

I have read from various professional organizations their viewpoints and teachings about cultural competence. Recently, I read the following information and suggestions from the American Medical Student Organization (AMSO), which is an group that has a "half-century history of medical student activism, and is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States". These are our future doctors, people we as social workers may work with in regards to our own clients.

Here are some suggested activities:

Do a self assessment. This allows students to explore issues of prejudice and bias without judgment by others. Consider topics like your family origins; when, how and why your ancestors arrived; ethnic advantages/disadvantages that you may have; and stereotypes of other ethnicities that you may hold. Then get a group together and do a cultural self assessment. Discuss your similarities and differences.

Go into a community that you would like to learn more about. Community leaders, traditional people and clients are the best educators. Learn more about demographics, traditional beliefs, resources, neighborhood centers, traditional practitioners, social beliefs and practices, and rituals and beliefs surrounding individual, family and community. Then, walk through the community. Visit churches, grocery stores and community events and eat a meal in a neighborhood restaurant.

Work with culturally/ethnically organized student groups, social work groups or community groups and ask about specific topics or competency issues unique to that community. Cultural groups have some social issues that are particularly important to them and you might be able to take part in their organized interventions.

I believe to be effective in social work practice in American Indian communities, social workers need to have this competency and a strong understanding of the history.

Here are some goals of cultural competent service:

1. CULTURAL AWARENESS: Appreciating and accepting differences.

2. CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE: Deliberately seeking out various world views and explanatory models of social work practice. Knowledge can help promote understanding between cultures.

3. CULTURAL SKILL: Learning how to culturally assess a client to avoid relying only on written "facts". Explaining an issue from another's perspective, reducing resistance and defensiveness, and acknowledging interactive mistakes that may hinder the desire to communicate are part of this skill.

4. CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS: Meeting and working with people of a different culture will help dispel stereotypes and may contradict academic knowledge. Although it is crucial to gather cultural knowledge, it is an equally important, but sometimes neglected, culturally competent skill to be humble enough to let go of the security of stereotypes and remain open to the individuality of each client.

Remember, it is important to learn and understand and then to educate others. As social workers, we will come into contact with many people from all walks of life. As I said before, placing people in a dependency status, can destroy them. It takes away the ability to take care of themselves, to function in their traditional ways, and to have strong positive emotional sense of well-being. After several generations of being dependents, where does that leave a culture? Definitely not in a good place. As social workers, we face the results that dependency and other policies have created.

Today, this continues to be an issue as Tribes try to be independent beings. That is what sovereignty is about.

Maybe, if we strive diligently, we will not offend our clients, but offer them a chance to find the independence in their own selves.

Stay sweet 'n smile.....................Mz.