As with most cultures, the Native American culture has its own set of values (different tribes have their own specific and independent set of standards which can vary greatly in certain aspects ). American middle -class and American Indian cultural values differ in major areas . How individuals in these two groups view man's relationship with nature, relations with people and time are actually opposite. According to Giordano, McGoldrick and Pearce (1982), Mid

I would say that like most people, Native Americans want to feel respected, valued and represented by the society that they live in. If you take one look at current popular culture you really won't get the feeling they are. '"The most painful myth is that we don't exist anymore," says Rudy Martins, "You never see any contemporary images of Native Americans in the media. Our kids have no role models. Either we're savages in movies or romantic figures from history or drunks on reservations" (Tarshis, 1991).

Aside from history specific traumas, Native American peoples have faced discrimination in a variety of forms over the years. One example is the condescending ways in which the dominant culture can speak towards Native Americans as though they are a novelty and not a person. This type of discrimination seems to have evolved from the attitudes of the European settlers who came in first contact with them. Stereotypes of Native Americans include common ideas and images that are/were represented in the media in the past decades.

Well -meaning non-Indians may unknowingly make comments meant to break the ice or establish a rapport with American Indian clients, only have these comments highlight the mainstream cultural stereotypes. Above all, the therapist should not assume some affinity based on novels, movies, a vacation trip, or an interest in silver jewelry. These are among the most offensive, commonly made errors when non-Indians first encounter an American Indian person or family (Giordano, 1982, p. 57).

Language barriers are often an issue when individuals from ethnic/racial minority groups seek human services and/or social work services. According to information collected in the 1990 national census, 23 percent of Native Americans speak a language other than English and 38.6 percent of those that do speak English do not speak English "very well". For a Native American who does not speak and understand English clearly, it may be quite difficult to attempt to access available resources. Aside from that, even when the said individual is receiving services, there may be confusion about various implications and formalities due to language barriers. If these language barriers are not accommodated efficiently, the client is apt to cease attempts at getting assistance because they may feel misunderstood, under-represented, not cared about or alienated.

It is imperative that social workers

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Approximate Word count = 1639
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)