First Nations women face nearly three times the risk of cervical cancer and mortality rates of up to six times higher than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. While cervical cancer is almost completely preventable, Southern Alberta First Nations women seldom access cervical screening services. The purpose of this qualitative focused ethnography was to gain an understanding of the cervical screening needs of un- and under-served First Nations women living off-reserve. Thirteen purposefully selected First Nations women participated in three focus groups utilizing semi-structured interviews. Personal self-worth and cervical screening awareness and relevance are essential to the pursuit of cervical screening. Barriers and incentives for screening and opportunities for acceptability and sustainability are explored. A holistic approach, intersectoral collaboration and cultural safety are described by focus group participants as foundational for optimal service delivery. / xii, 223 leaves ; 29 cm.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction, 2006. / "October 2006." "UMI number: 3232583"--T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-231) Also available online (fee-based).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Directed by Karen Kilcup; submitted to the Dept. of English. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 19, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 252-263).

This paper explores the construction of multicultural identities in the postcolonial world in relation to nonresident Indian women depicted in mainstream cinema. The dissertation traces the distorted representation of Indian women from its colonial and diasporic origins to its contemporary neo-colonial evolution. The analysis of two films, directed by Gurinder Chadha, Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride and Prejudice (2004), speaks back to Indian women‟s agency and ownership of multicultural identities. These film texts were chosen as they are both contemporary examples of Indian class, gender and culture in relation to the postmodern concept of multicultural societies. The films are products of formerly colonised people commenting on issues of class, gender and power as seen in Indian diasporic communities in England and the USA. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

American Indians are distinct in their current geographic isolation and history of exclusionary policies enacted against them. Citizenship and territorial policies from the 1700s through the early 1900s have manifested in the distinctive status of many American Indian communities as sovereign nations, a classification that no other ethnic group in the United States can claim. However, as a result of political and geographic isolation, disparities in heath and economic development have been an ongoing problem within these communities. Among the most distinctive health disparities are in infant mortality and obesity-related complications. This project will focus on South Dakota, a state that was late in its application of assimilationist policies, yet today is home to some of the least healthy reservation communities in the United States. An investigation into the making of reservation healthcare delivery systems and patterns of prenatal care utilization will hopefully reveal patterns of health and economic characteristics that predispose infant mortality. / Master of Science

Submitted in full compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree of Technology: Nursing Department of Postgraduate Nursing Studies, Durban Institute of Technology, 2004. / The aim of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effectiveness of a Nurse-facilitated cognitive group intervention, a Volunteer-led support group intervention and a standard treatment Control group on mild to moderately depressed Indian women at an urban community psychiatric clinic in KwaZulu-Natal in terms of their levels of depression and self-esteem over a three-month period. Since antidepressants alone are ineffective in the treatment of depression, the study evaluated group interventions as adjunctive treatments. The first intervention involved 15 group sessions based on Gordon’s teachings (1988a and 1988b), whilst the second intervention consisted of 15 craft-making group sessions. A purposive sample of 45 depressed women was selected and randomly allocated to the three groups. Sample selection criteria included a Beck Depression Inventory score between 9 and 29, being aged between 25 and 65 years and using antidepressant medication. For ethical reasons, all participants continued with their “standard” antidepressant treatment throughout the study. The Personal Profile Questionnaire (PPQ), the Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BDI) 1978, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) 1965, the Life-Experience Survey (LES) 1977 questionnaire and a question on exercise were used to assess the effectiveness of the group interventions. Pre-test (prior to the introduction of the intervention) and two sequential Post-test scoring (after 6 and 12 weeks of interventions) were undertaken using the above-named instruments. The Kruskal Willis and Friedman’s test were used to detect changes in levels of depression and self-esteem between and within the three groups respectively, at the p = 0.05 levels of significance. The intergroup comparison showed statistically significant improvements in the BDI score of Experimental groups 1 and 2, with p = 0.00. There were no changes in the Control group. The intra-group comparison showed statistical significant improvements during the study within the intervention groups (p = 0.00 in both cases) but not in the Control group. No statistically significant change in the RSE amongst or within the three group was detected. The study has shown that group interventions as an adjunct to antidepressant treatment are beneficial as rehabilitation programmes for depressed women. Furthermore, volunteers and psychiatric nurses with training in using group interventions may be useful in assisting depressed patients to enhance their quality of life. / Lundbeck Pharmaceutical Company

The United States is home to nearly three million Asian Indians. The difference in Asian Indian and American cultures creates a need for Asian Indians to acculturate, upon migration to the U.S. It has been theorized that acculturation becomes harder when the two cultures of contact are dissimilar. Particularly, immigrant women and children have been found to be more vulnerable than men to acculturative stress, where acculturative stress is defined as the psychological impact of adaptation to a new culture. Hence, this study focuses on acculturation of Asian Indian women and specifically on factors influencing their acculturation. Research findings from this study on acculturation of Asian Indian women provide information, useful for public policy makers. They have been utilized to develop a program (used by settlement service providers) designed specifically to facilitate acculturation of Asian Indian women in the U.S. A two-dimensional model developed by J.W. Berry, a prominent researcher in the field of acculturation, is employed to classify the acculturation process of Asian Indian women who were part of this study. Based on Berry’s model, the acculturation process of an immigrant can be described by one of the following four strategies: 1) Assimilation, 2) Integration, 3) Separation, or 4) Marginalization. According to Berry, the Integration strategy is considered the most effective acculturation strategy in terms of long-term health and wellbeing of the individual. This study employed a cross-sectional design, using quantitative methods for data analysis. Data were collected by means of a web-based acculturation survey that was developed as part of the study. Data analysis indicated that a majority of the Asian Indian women adopted the Integration strategy. A conceptual model was developed and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the key acculturation factors that influenced Asian Indian women using the Integration strategy. These identified key factors helped to understand the cultural adaptation of Asian Indian women.

The purpose of this study has been to determine prevalent images of Native American female protagonists in Children's Literature from 1928-88, and to note trends in images during the past 60 years. A content analysis of 60 picture books and chapter books has been completed and presented in a descriptive and interpretative format. The most prevalent image of Native American female protagonists in children's literature is a traditional one. This image is consistent throughout the literature from 1928-88, and appears to be represented by both Native American and non-Native American authors and illustrators. Traditional-transitional images appeared between 1957 and 1967, while contemporary images first appeared in the 1970s. In general, the Native American female protagonists in this population of books are presented as strong and positive characters expressing a wide range of emotions. They are named, identified by tribe, and depicted as having multiple skills and interests. They are active and most often appear in rural and outdoor settings within the context of the extended family. Many protagonists are of Southwestern heritage, often depicted as Navajo or Pueblo girls of ages 4-13. Although female protagonists in this population of books are generally characterized as strong and positive, there are still too few books representing strong female Native American images in the whole of children's literature. This research confirms previous findings that Native American male protagonists outnumber female protagonists approximately 10 to 1. Native American authors and illustrators have created approximately one-third of the books in this population. There are 19 Native American authors and 21 Native American illustrators. The earliest books were published by large press; Native press has increased publication since 1975. This research confirms the need for more books featuring Native American female protagonists; more books depicting protagonists from diverse tribal backgrounds, in contemporary settings, urban environments and literate contexts; more books building on the oral tradition and legends of the Southwestern tribes; more involvement of Native American authors, illustrators and publishers in children's literature; and more mentoring of Native American developing authors.

This study explores evocations of the concept of the "Amazon Woman" and her female tribe, from cross-continental prehistoric sources to contemporary ritual practice within native amerindian belief systems of the rain forests of South America. The designation "Amazon" for the world's largest river has often been considered a grand "mistake" made by sixteenth century explorers; imaginative portrayals of Amazons had invigorated the reports of numerous early travelers, including Marco Polo, Columbus, and Hernan Cortes. This analysis establishes the importance of a reconsideration of the Amazon "mistake," or the idea that Europeans were projecting the fantastical worlds and dramatic personae of classical Greek legends and later romances of chivalry onto the realms of New World daily experience. The deep roots of prehistoric and historic civilizations carry the fragmentary genesis of matristic views of the world--the Mother, deified as Warrior, is a constant sign and symbol interplaying within the semiotics of the Amazon. The amazons of the New World were both ancient sister kin and actual tribal homosocial units who played vital roles in sacred religious beliefs and clan organization. I read the corpus of chronicles on, and studies of, the question of Amazons through a multi-faceted and multidisciplinary lense: archeology, history, anthropology, ethnography, mythology, literary criticism, and the sciences all intertwine to provide a more wholistic view of the subject. The text of the Amazons is clarified here by the consideration of prehistoric fragment upon fragment, reuniting five tribal narratives from the rain forests of South America, which reconstitutes the overall corpus of the Amazon mythos in Latin America. An autobiographical opening juxtaposes the continuum between the personal and cultural microstructures of my own approach to this subject with the macrostructures of the socio-symbolic order generally, and keeps a double focus constantly at play throughout the entire analytical text. Finally, Amazons are defined as evocations of natural phenomena and the diversity of animal and human behaviors as represented in mythical, cultural, and social spheres. This thesis comprises a literary analytical process I define as "ecotextuality": the reading of biotic diversity through its multiple languages, not excluding the "I" of the reader/writer.

American Indian women veterans of World War II are the least known group of World War II military veterans. With an estimated wartime enlistment of eight-hundred, these women have not received the academic attention they deserve and very little information on their lives and military experiences has been available. This project addresses this disparity by focusing on certain key questions. What early life experiences influenced these Native women to enlist in the military? Did their experiences affect their adjustment to military life? What were their duty assignments and stations and how did their military experiences influence their life choices in the years after the war? In other words, did their military experiences contribute to or influence their commitment to their communities and to the greater good for indigenous peoples? Equally as important, how did their feelings about the war change over time? What emphasis did they place on their military service? What common themes emerge among these women and do their experiences reflect or differ from those of their Native male counterparts and of other military women during World War II? These questions are approached through an oral history format utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods and theories of collective memory. This project also explores the issue of Native and tribal identities as they influenced these veterans in their decisions regarding military enlistment and community service.