Preferred Term: Tribal Name
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Cultural and Family Structure |
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| Demographics | • 1.37% of the total US population |
| Symbols | • Feathers, depicted in many, many ways, are symbols of prayers, marks of honor or sources of ideas |
| Clothing or Amulets | • Do not casually move, examine, or admire medicine bag
• If removal required, allow patient or family to handle it, keep it close to person and replace as soon as possible. |
| Language | • American-English, French, Spanish, Native American Languages |
| Communication | • Do not interrupt speaker
• Long pauses are part of conversation • Tone expresses urgency; when imperative command required, be direct, emphatic, clear, and calm • In making request, explain why it is needed; be personable and polite • Loudness associated with aggression |
| Decision-making | • Autonomy highly valued; do not assume spouse would make important decision
• Includes responsibility to community, family and tribe |
| Family structure | • May be either matriarchal or patriarchal
• Elders respected • Children not encouraged to find help outside family |
| Food practices/ beliefs | • Hospitality and respect may lead patient to sharing hospital food with visiting family and friends as well as consume food brought by visitors
• Nutritional guidance should respect religious choices and incorporate them; May believe that when food is blessed it is no fonger harmful |
| Greetings | • Light touch handshake |
| Nonverbal | • Respect communicated by avoiding eye contact
• Keep respectful distance |
| Spokesperson | • Generally, individuals speak for themselves, family members may speak on behalf of person who is ill
• Give information and let family know providers need to know family’s wishes for care/treatment; let spokesperson emerge from family • Spokesperson may not be decision maker |
