Stewards of the Land and a Present Day Struggle, by Slobodan Nesovic Psy.D

It was not that long ago that American Indians lived freely on this land, breathing 
unpolluted air, eating organic food, and maintaining a balance with nature necessary for 
sustainable existence. After many years of systematic assimilation brought about by the 
American government, a majority of native people lost connection with Mother Earth and 
traditional ways of living. Most of them were literally uprooted and transported to 
unfamiliar locations, a practice that still goes on today, although in more subtle ways. 
Los Angeles County has the largest urban American Indian population in the United 
States. 140,000 Native people live throughout every corner of the county. For the past 
seven months I have been working for the United American Indian Involvement (UAII), 
which is a federally funded agency that has provided services for the American Indian 
and Native Alaskan/Hawaiian populations of LA since 1974. The amount of hardships 
and traumas that many Native people face today is enormous. 

The American Indian population has higher rates of domestic violence/intimate partner 
violence/physical assault than any other ethnic group. There are some harrowing statistics 
regarding sexual assault and rape—it is 2.5 times more likely that American Indian 
or Native Alaskan women will be raped or sexually assaulted. Many scholars say that 
violence against Native women is directly connected to historical victimization and 
internalized/normalized violence (1).

In addition to violence, American Indians have the highest rates of diabetes, alcoholism, 
and are more likely to live in poverty (more than twice as many AI/ANs live in 
poverty than the total US population) (2). They also have a lower life expectancies: life 
expectancy among AI/ANs is 6 years lower than the U.S. average; infant mortality is 
higher than that in the general US population (3).

Considering all of suffering that Native people are going through as a consequence of 
being uprooted from their soil, it is up to all of us, Native or non-Native, to step up, 
share some love and help with whatever means we can to assist those in need. Yes, 
many groups struggle with similar issues, and many Native people are infected with the 
same disease that Europeans brought with them—GREED—however, I believe that the 
American Indian community often gets overlooked and ignored, as if they are not around 
Well, let’s raise awareness that Native people are here to stay and could use some help 
from other groups. Maybe you could visit a local Pow Wow and support local Native 
community members by learning about their culture, dancing, or buying their art. If 
you are a clinician, maybe you could reach out to Native people by offering a pro bono 
clinical hour in your schedule, or maybe, you could help out with running a therapy 
group that will focus on domestic violence or addiction. 

1. www.futureswithoutviolence.org
2. US Census, USDOC. (2005) Statistical Abstracts 2004. www.census.gov/statab/www/
3. Indian Health Service, HHS. (2004) Trends in Indian Health, 2000‐2001.