Tribal Critical Race Theory in Nursing

Purposes/ Aims: American Indian people are often recognized solely as a racial group while their legal/ political status of is ignored. Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) recognizes the unique status of American Indians as both racialized and legal /political groups. TribalCrit addresses colonization and the ways that if affects the experiences of American Indian peoples. The purpose of this paper is to apply TribalCrit to nursing in the context of American Indian communities.                                                                                             

Description of theory: The foundational tenant of TribalCrit is that colonization is endemic in society. Colonization is defined as European-American thought, knowledge, and power structures taking dominance in all ways of life. The manifestation of colonization is the exclusion and marginalization of Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and living. Examples of colonization include the loss of languages and the dismissal of Indigenous knowledge systems. The focus on an exclusively Euro-centric world view has a debilitating effect upon the health and well-being of American Indian communities. Tribal sovereignty, autonomy, self-determination, and self-identification exemplify the legal and political status of American Indian people. TribalCrit embraces the epistemologies and ontologies of Indigenous people in the management of their health and health care.               

Internal consistency: The link between the ill effects of colonization and American Indian communities is specified.  The foundational assumption is that colonization is endemic to society. Colonization is described as the supremacy of European American thought, knowledge, and power structures. Nursing is a discipline with strong roots in European American knowledge structures.  The philosophy of nursing science did not traditionally include Indigenous knowledge systems such as tribal philosophies, beliefs, customs, or traditions. TribalCrit emphasizes the value of the ontologies and epistemologies contributing to the health and well-being of Indigenous people.                                                                                                                     

Linking the theory to nursing practice /research problems: TribalCrit has been used in educational policy and social work education and practice. The application to the domain of nursing includes the acknowledgement of the ill effects of colonization upon American Indian communities. An example of colonization in society is the fixed image of American Indians from the past where tribes were not allowed to manage their own resources and institutions. Nursing practice with an appreciation of tribal sovereignty highlights the strengths of a community and focuses upon tribal philosophies, beliefs, customs, and traditions. Community needs assessments for the conduct of relevant research in American Indian communities. Community Based Participatory Research approaches are consistent with a TribalCrit framework. TribalCrit challenges nursing to consider a world view that is consistent with the care and respect for all people while working toward social change.                                                                           

Conclusion: Nursing practice and research traditionally discuss culture and race. TribalCrit extends the conversation to the negative effects of colonization upon American Indian communities. This theory calls for an approach apart from Euro-centric models and honors the experiences and ways of knowing in American Indian nations.