Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Oct 18.
Published in final edited form as: Pimatisiwin. 2008 Summer;6(2):47–64.

Table 3.

Cultural Spiritual Orientation Questions and Outcomes

Authors Concept
Commitment to Spiritual Beliefs Cultural Spiritual Orientation
Garroute, et al., 2003 sample of 1,456 tribal members (15–57 years of age) living on or near northern plains reservations in the USA

  • How important are Christian beliefs to you?

  • How important are (tribal spiritual) beliefs to you?

  • There is balance and order in the universe;

  • I am in harmony with all living things;

  • I feel connected with other people in life;

  • I follow the Red Road (i.e., the spiritual path prescribed by tribal tradition);

  • When I need to return to balance, I know what to do;

  • I feel like I am living the right way;

  • I give to others and receive from them in return;

  • I am a person of integrity.
Outcomes No association with suicide attempts as regards either tribal spiritual beliefs or Christian beliefs. Those with a high score of cultural spiritual orientations were half as likely to attempt suicide as those without such an orientation.
Herman-Stahl et al., 2003
A sample of 2,449 adults living on reservations in South Dakota,		 No questions on this concept

  • Language fluency (reading and writing)

  • Ethnic pride

  • Time spent on the reservation

  • Ethnicity of friends

  • Participation in traditional activities

  • Time spent thinking and learning about Native American culture

  • Participation in traditional ceremonies
Outcomes Concept not included. Bicultural individuals were nearly 3 times as likely, and less-American-Indian-oriented individuals were over 4 times as likely to engage in heavy drinking as compared with more-American-Indian-oriented individuals. Bicultural individuals were more than twice as likely as more-American-Indian-oriented individuals to suffer alcohol abuse and/or dependence.