Poverty in Spirit

Ross's eloquent phrase, "a poverty of spirit," is a poignant concept, which drives home the concept that spiritual currency is just as important as financial money. According to a 2005 article in the Journal of American Psychiatry, the most common lifetime diagnoses for American Indians are posttraumatic stress disorders, alcohol dependence, and major depressive episodes. But natives also face other issues of access and cultural appropriateness to conventional therapies.

For instance, an Anglo-based counseling framework can be foreign and confusing, especially when the vocabulary and teachings go against traditional beliefs. This culture gap can be bridged in community-specific services to decrease the generalization of indigenous issues.

In terms of expense, more than half of all Native Americans use public insurance to pay for inpatient mental health treatment, compared to 34% of Caucasians, according to U.S. government figures. While First Peoples in Canada do not always face such health care system challenges, nearly all communities report a lack of trained therapists and caregivers for those seeking help.

Ross is especially alarmed at mental health trends among youth, believing that "it is important for kids to grow up feeling rooted and belonging." She sees more young native people appropriating hip-hop vocabulary and non-native habits, moving further away from native roots and into more instances of self-cutting and use of methamphetamines.