Stony Brook University

SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... Indigenous Identity at the Poospatuck Reservation: Implications for Culturally Grounded Social Work Practice and Policy A Dissertation Presented by Catherine A. Carballeira to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare Stony Brook University May 2011 Copyright by Catherine Carballeira 2011 Stony Brook University The Graduate School Catherine A. Carballeira We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Joel Blau, DSW, Dissertation Advisor Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Ph.D. Program, School of Social Welfare Angel Campos, Ed.D. Chairperson of Defense Associate Professor and Executive Associate Dean, School of Social Welfare Ruth Brandwein, Ph.D. Professor of Social Policy and former Dean, School of Social Welfare Carolyn G. Peabody, Ph.D. Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean for Eastern LI sites, School of Social Welfare John Strong, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Department of History, Southampton College This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Lawrence Martin Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation Indigenous Identity on the Poospatuck Reservation: Implications for Culturally Grounded Social Work Practice and Policy by Catherine A. Carballeira Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare Stony Brook University 2011 This dissertation is an exploratory, qualitative study of Indigenous perspectives on cultural identity. There is sparse empirical evidence of working effectively with Indigenous People, especially as an “outsider.” The study uses mostly in-depth structured interviews and purposive sampling techniques with blood right members of the Unkechaug Nation at the Poospatuck Reservation. The purpose of the study is to develop important guidance to provide a culturally grounded, relevant and sensitive practice model for educators, social workers and other health professionals who work with members of the Unkechaug Nation. This study is proactive, seeking to understand the ways culturally identified Indigenous People experience and resist the institutional and interpersonal undermining of their culture. It focuses on those individuals who have been able to maintain a strong, Indigenous identity despite the efforts of the dominant society to assimilate them. The study utilizes post-colonial and social constructionist analyses of the data from 15 interviews. It also has an Action research component in that it bolsters the current cultural, language and ethnic renewal program on the Reservation. iii Results of this study indicate that working with Indigenous People on the Poospatuck Reservation is a political act. It is incumbent on social workers, educators and health care professionals to respect and honor their history, customs, beliefs, worldviews and spiritual traditions. “Outsiders” such as social workers, educators and other health professionals, need to recognize that they can be most helpful in working with the members of the Unkechaug Nation as “allied Others,” in their struggle for what the members of the Reservation identify as most significant to them: maintaining their sovereignty, reclamation of lands, and ethical treatment of their children. These efforts need to be addressed “from the wigwam out,” meaning from the standpoint and permission of the Tribe. iv For Tehya, Ashton, Jared, CJ, Christiana and the children of the Unkechaug Nation – May all your dreams come true! v Table of Contents Acknowledgements……………………………………………………….viii Introduction………………………………………………………………… 1 I. Statement of the Problem………………………………… 7 The Purpose of this Study…………………………………. 8 Justification for this Study………………………………… 9 II. Review of the Relevant Literature……………………….. 11 Working Collaboratively with Indigenous People…………. 11 Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory………………... 12 Ethnic and Cultural Identity………………………………... 17 Symbolic Interactionism…………………………………… 22 Freirian Structured Dialogics and Collaborative, Participatory Research…………………………….. 24 Unresolved Historical Trauma and Grief………………….. 25 Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome…………………………… 27 Cultural Competence with Indigenous People…………….. 31 III. Indigenous Social Work Practice Models………………. 33 Is there an Indigenous Social Work Practice Model that is Culturally Appropriate, Relevant and Authentic?..... 33 What would a Culturally Appropriate, Relevant and Authentic Practice Model Look Like?........................................ 37 The Indigenous Social Worker: An Indian Taco?................. 41 Worldviews of Indigenous People………………………… 48 Culturally Relevant, Appropriate and Authentic Social Work in a Local Context on the Poospatuck Reservation…55 IV. The Unkechaug Nation……………………………………69 V. Design and Methodology…………………………………. 75 Why Qualitative Methodology is Best Suited to this Study.. 75 Research Setting………………………………………… 79 Participant Selection……………………………………… 83 Data Sources………………………………………………. 87 Data Gathering…………………………………………….. 88 Data Management Methods……………………………….. 91 Data Analysis……………………………………………… 91 Ethics……………………………………………………… 93 Limitations………………………………………………… 96 Subjectivity and the Researcher’s Lens…………………… 96 VI. Data Analysis………………………………………………… 99 “The World We Have Lost”……………………………….. 99 Defining Moments: “The Indian as Simulation”………….. 109 vi Living in Two Worlds: Assimilation and Annihilation……. 122 Identity is Community: Poospatuck in Celebration…………131 Defenders of the Patrimony…………………………………137 Pay It Forward: The Spiritual is Political………………….. 143 VII. Conclusion……………………………………………………………. 156 References…………………………………………………………………. 170 Appendix 1. Signature of Chief Harry Wallace of the Unkechaug Nation to pursue study Appendix 2. Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CORIHS) application Appendix 3. Consent Form Appendix 4. Interview Guide Appendix 5. Permission from co-writer Veronica Treadwell, MSW to incorporate paper from SUNY Diversity Conference vii Acknowledgements University partnerships such as this are very rare, and the joint endeavor of this collaborative project between the School of Social Welfare and the Unkechaug Nation of which this project is a part, reflects the dedication and commitment of the Dean and the School of Social Welfare in carrying out its mission of social justice and cultural competence. I would like to thank Dean Frances Brisbane for her personal support and encouragement during the past five years, as well as her championing of this joint venture I owe a deep debt of gratitude to the members of my doctoral committee, Drs. Joel Blau, Carolyn Peabody, Angel Campos and Ruth Brandwein. for their expert advice, judicious criticism, careful editing and patience. My outside reader, Dr. John Strong, professor emeritus of Southampton College was a role model in his work as historian and liaison between the Unkechaug Nation and the dominant culture, testifying in court, and serving as a witness and a conscience. At Stony Brook, I would also like to thank Dr. Richard Morgan for helping me navigate the byzantine maze of the CORIHS requirements; Margaret Velez, Kelvin Tune and Mamie Gladden provided a welcoming environment and I am grateful for their kindness. Ted Sneed’s technical prowess was much appreciated. Edie Lundgren has been the “rock” for all the doctoral students in this program. Her sensitivity and kind nature have made it possible for us to navigate this program, and her friendship and support have been invaluable to me. The program will not be the same without her advocacy and empowerment of us all. viii The members of the Unkechaug Nation have treated me as family, and openly extended their kindness and generosity. It has been an undeserved honor to be treated with such benevolence, and I hope that my work provides some measure of my gratitude in reflecting their struggles and their pride in their identity and their history. I would particularly like to express my gratitude to Chief Harry Wallace, Mary Treadwell, Robin Swan, Gil Davis, Adrienne Treadwell MacIntosh, Patricia Treadwell Hardy, Amy Wallace, Warren Treadwell, Robert Lee, Donald Bernard Little Bear Treadwell, Karla Davis, Tamara Pinkney, Sharon Pinkney, Thomasina Mack and Loretta Bell. During the period in which I was writing this, Christiana, daughter of the Unity Project Steering Committee member, Tamara Pinkney was born and celebrated, and Walter Treadwell passed and is mourned. Walter’s raised fist at a meeting of the Tribal Council in which he declared his pride and devotion to the Unkechaug Nation remains a powerful moment in the history of the People. I would like to thank Chief Harry Wallace and the Tribal Council for their permission to carry on this project and for their encouragement and support. The members of the Unity Project, the name given to the collaboration between the Unkechaug Nation and Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare, taught me about the collaborative, participatory process, and I am profoundly appreciative for this learning experience. The members included: Lorna Coppola, Latasha Edwards-Austin, Tania Edwards, Joyce Ferrara, Wendy Hardy, Jaime Harris, Michelle Jackson, Thomasina

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