Native Americans and Alaska Natives represent a vital, and growing, constituency within rural America. There are 566 federally recognized tribes, as well as many others that claim descent, located throughout the United States. They represent a diverse array of social and cultural practices, economic circumstances, and historical backgrounds. Yet, Native voices are often grouped with all rural residents in portrayals of rural places. Because the challenges and opportunities Native communities and individuals face are often unique, their perceptions on key issues facing rural places deserve more exploration

Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

English

IssueLab

Rural Natives Perceptions of Strengths and Challenges in Their Communities

This brief uses two sources of data to explore how Native Americans view the current socioeconomic and environmental state of their communities and their future within them—the Community and Environment in Rural America (CERA) surveys and focus groups with Native leaders in one rural state. The data help to illustrate how the Native experience is both similar to, and unique from, that of other rural Americans. While the findings reported by author Jessica Ulrich-Schad illustrate that there are significant challenges facing Native people, they also show that strengths and opportunities continue to exist in Indian Country and that Natives remain firmly attached to their Native identities, culture, and natural environment

Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D.

UNH Scholars' Repository