Native American Dominant Culture Essay

1. The significant traditional values commonly shared by Native Americans that would be in conflict with dominant-culture perspectives and practices involve federal laws, policies and institutions. The dominant culture in the United States has deliberately tried to destroy and eliminate Native American culture. The government forced Native Americans to leave their homes, which denied them their ways of living in harmony and nature with the environment. Native Americans have strong values towards not allowing the weight of civilization and the new technology to take over, which is in conflict with the dominant-culture perspective who focus on new technology. There is also an issue with language, because about 29% of Native Americans do not speak English at home.

Group needs are often seen more important than individual needs, which is different from culture-dominant practice. Also, the Native American tradition of hunting and gathering is different from dominant culture. Cultural roles in a Native American tribe may have some conflict with dominant-culture. Native Americans reveres harmony with nature compared to the dominant culture, who’s view of nature as subjugated to man. Also, Native Americans believe that all creation is created equal, which conflicts with the dominant-culture view of man being created superior over nature and man needs to own, control, change and dominate all aspects of nature. Native Americans also believe in spiritually over materialism and present over future, which are things that are in conflict with dominant-culture. They like to follow old ways versus progression, which is another difference. Based on the fact that Native Americans like to live in the present, they can be often seen as lazy or