Also important, she said, is that psychologists grasp the Indian commitment to family and community advancement, as opposed to the individual advancement that prevails in majority culture. Indians believe in strengthening their communities, not their egos, she said. McClanahan also advised psychologists to keep their questions respectful when interviewing and evaluating American Indians for the courts. Probing questions can be viewed as rude, said McClanahan. Don't press people for details about tribal practices, she advised.
Rituals often are sacred.
Consult with others who know the culture because there isn't always literature available about specific cultural expectations and practices. Examine discrepancies between accepted cultural practices and the behavior at hand. Look at the continuum of cultural behaviors, determining which relate to socioeconomic issues such as poverty and substance abuse. Establish whether or not the alleged abusive behavior is truly harmful to others. Determine the person's level of acculturation to U.S. culture because people with low cultural assimilation may not realize that some of their behaviors aren't considered normal and acceptable here.