"Until People Are Given the Right to Be Human Again": Voices of American Indian Men on Domestic Violence and Traditional Cultural Values

Abstract

Domestic violence is a serious social problem in contemporary American Indian communities and research is critical to create and evaluate prevention and intervention strategies. This small qualitative study sought to discover the ways in which men from a single reservation community with histories of domestic violence define and perceive domestic violence within the cultural context. The narratives held themes of intergenerational family violence and dysfunction, alcoholism, racism, isolation, deep grief, and remorse. Each of the narratives also revealed themes of healing and hope through connecting with elders, learning spiritual traditions and strengthening cultural identity as a means for achieving sobriety and lives of nonviolence.