Unique Historical Experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives

PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology: Unique Historical Experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives

The history of Native Americans is interesting since they were used to the barter trade system and had strong cultural traditions. They had a solid religious inclination, and their language had a different dialect from modern Europe's. The communication after their relocation was mostly political, intended for business, and sometimes spiritual. The smallpox diseases and relations between the local and newly established European colonies were full of friction and had to be dealt with carefully. However, the contributions Native Americans have made with their incoming are still evident in modern times. For instance, language, art, cuisine, and even the governing style have created a long-lasting imprint on English culture. Initially, the European and English customs were alien to Native Americans; with time, development kept on taking place with the evolution of language and mannerisms were amalgamated. It should be noted that the names of cities like Iowa, Illinois, Alabama, etc., are named after Native American tribes as they went to certain places and named them as they liked (Pradananusantara, 2011). Similarly, modern pottery, craft made of wool, and jewelry made of turquoise stone is still envied in modern America.

America is always known for its high racial discrimination attitudes toward minorities, to which Alaska natives were also victims. The historical discrimination that gave rise to government policies of education, health, housing, and employment, keeping Alaska natives from getting equal benefits, has impacted their psychological health today (Solomon et al., 2022). In old times, Alaska natives fought vigorously for their homeland but faced discrimination due to this factor. However, modern America has learned heavily from their culture, language, food, etc. their traditions and behaviors are still used in movies and other forms of media. Harvesting, hunting, and preserving have been mainstream cultural activities of Alaska natives that have been adopted by modern Americans now (Redwood et al., 2008).

References

Pradananusantara. (2011, October 19). Native American influences on modern American culture. https://pradananusantara.com/2011/10/19/native-american-influences-on-modern-american-culture/#:~:text=Native%20Americans%20adopted%20some%20of,art%2C%20food%2C%20and%20government.

Redwood, D.G., Ferucci, E.D., Schumacher, Johnson, J.S., Lanier, A.P., Helzer, L.J., Tom-Orme, L., Murtaugh, M.A. & Slattery, M.L. (2008). Traditional foods and physical activity patterns and associations with cultural factors in a diverse Alaska native population. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 67(4), 335-348. https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v67i4.18346