Native & Indigenous communities
Your people have carried language, ceremony and love through generations. That strength belongs to you too.
By the numbers
Many nations, a hard history, and why care matters.
Nations & people
History
Health
Many nations, many ways
There is no single “Native experience.”
There are 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native nations, tribes, villages and pueblos in the United States, each with its own language, traditions and history.
Native people live on reservations and in villages, in small towns and in big cities. Some speak their language every day; others are reconnecting with it. Some grew up in ceremony; some are finding their way back. Every path is valid.
Wellness, as many Native communities describe it
- Balance between mind, body, spirit and community
- Connection to land, water and place
- Relationships with family, clan and relatives
- Responsibility to past and future generations
Historical trauma
Wounds from the past that can echo across generations. Tap any card.
Native communities have survived centuries of loss caused by others: of land, language, family and ways of life. SAMHSA describes historical trauma as a root cause of many of the mental health differences that American Indian and Alaska Native people face today. That pain was caused by what was done to communities, not by anything wrong with the people in them.
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Historical trauma means emotional and psychological wounds that build up across generations after a whole group lives through great harm. Grief that was never allowed to be expressed can be passed down through family patterns, stress and silence.
It can show up as
- A strong desire to protect children and culture
- Distrust of systems that caused harm in the past
- Grief that feels bigger than one person’s own life
- Stress, low mood or substance use in families
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In 2024, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the final report of its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. It identified 417 federal boarding schools across 37 states or then-territories, and confirmed that at least 973 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children died while attending them.
Many families still carry the effects: lost languages, broken family ties, and parenting shaped by what happened in those schools. Talking about it can bring up strong feelings. Go gently.
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For many Native peoples, land and language hold history, ceremony and identity. Losing them can feel like losing relatives. Reclaiming them is part of healing.
Ways people reconnect
- Community language classes, apps or recordings of Elders
- Learning the stories of your nation’s homelands
- Taking part in seasonal and land-based activities
- Visiting home communities when you can
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SAMHSA’s guide for clinicians who serve American Indian and Alaska Native clients says providers should recognize and respond to how historical trauma affects the people they serve.
Resilience & cultural strengths
Survival itself is a story of strength.
Native nations have kept languages, ceremonies, art and family ties alive through enormous hardship. That resilience is real and powerful. Belonging to culture and community is one of the strongest protections for young people and adults alike.
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Elders carry stories, language, teachings and a long view of survival. Time with Elders can give young people a sense of who they are and where they come from.
Ways to connect
- Ask an Elder to share a story or teaching
- Help an Elder with practical tasks and listen as you work
- Record family stories, with permission
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In many Native families, aunties, uncles, cousins and grandparents all help raise children. This web of relatives can be a powerful source of support in hard times.
How family can help
- Checking on one another after a loss
- Sharing meals and responsibilities
- Making sure no one goes through hard times alone
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How community can help
- Community gatherings, powwows, sports and shared meals
- Intergenerational time, where Elders and youth learn from each other
- Volunteering for your community or nation
- Youth programs that teach language, culture and leadership
Culture as healing
Culture, language and tradition as healing for the spirit.
Many Native communities see wellness as balance between mind, body, spirit and community. SAMHSA’s guidance encourages services that bring Native beliefs and heritage into how care is designed and delivered.
SAMHSA also highlights the idea that “culture is prevention”: strength-based, culturally grounded approaches to prevention and healing.
This may include
- Ceremony and spiritual practices, guided by community
- Counseling that respects and includes cultural practices
- Learning or using a Native language
- Talking circles and group healing
- Time with Elders and traditional knowledge keepers
Native youth
Growing up between worlds, with culture as a shield.
Native young people often carry pride in who they are alongside heavy pressures: loss in their families, stereotypes at school, and feeling caught between home and the wider world. Belonging and a strong identity help protect them.
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Native youth may hear jokes, stereotypes or questions like “Are you really Native?” These can hurt and make young people question where they belong.
What can help
- Connecting with other Native youth, in person or online
- Learning their nation’s history and heroes
- Adults who listen and stand up for them
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Youth councils, sports, art, language and land-based programs give young people meaningful roles and a sense that their community needs them.
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When a young person dies, a whole community can be shaken. Checking on friends, siblings and classmates matters a lot in the weeks and months after.
Ways to help
- Check on young people who were close to the person
- Keep routines and gatherings going
- Make sure youth know how to reach 988 and trusted adults
Living away from home lands
Native in the city, and staying connected.
Many Native people live in cities and towns away from reservations or home villages, for work, school or family. Being far from relatives, ceremony and land can feel lonely, and city services may not understand Native culture.
The Indian Health Service supports urban Indian organizations that serve American Indian and Alaska Native people who do not live on or near a reservation.
Ways to stay connected
- Find your nearest urban Indian health or cultural center
- Join a Native student group, sports league or community gathering
- Keep in touch with relatives at home, and visit when you can
- Take part in your nation’s online language classes or events
Safety & StrongHearts
Help for domestic and sexual violence, by Native advocates.
StrongHearts Native Helpline is a free, confidential and anonymous helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives affected by domestic and sexual violence. It is open 24/7, and its advocates understand Native culture, families and communities.
How to reach StrongHearts
- Call 1-844-762-8483 (1-844-7NATIVE)
- Chat online at strongheartshelpline.org
- Text START to 1-844-762-8483 (message and data rates may apply)
IHS, tribal & urban Indian health
Health services run by and for Native communities.
The Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Behavioral Health leads national work on mental health, substance use and family violence prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native people. It works with tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian health organizations, and supports culturally based practices.
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Where to look
- Your local IHS, tribal or urban Indian health clinic
- The IHS “Find Health Care” map at ihs.gov/findhealthcare
- Tribal behavioral health or wellness programs
- Tribal community or cultural centers
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- “Do you offer traditional healing or cultural activities alongside counseling?”
- “Have you worked with Native clients before?”
- “Can I bring a family member or Elder?”
- “Who can see my information?”
How community & allies can help
For relatives, friends, teachers and non-Native allies.
For relatives and friends
- Check in, and listen without rushing to fix.
- Invite them to gatherings, meals and ceremony if they want.
- Help them reach care: a ride to the clinic, sitting with them on a call.
- Keep showing up, especially after a loss or on hard anniversaries.
If you are not Native
- Learn whose land you live on and their history today, not only in the past
- Listen to Native voices, and let Native people lead
- Never wear sacred items as costumes or use them as decoration
- Speak up about stereotypes and mascots when you hear them
When and where to get help
Signs it’s time to reach out, and where to start.
Reach out if
- Grief or sadness has lasted weeks and is getting heavier
- It is getting harder to work, go to school or care for family
- You are drinking or using other substances to cope
- You feel hopeless, or like a burden
- You have any thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else
Where to start
- Contact your IHS, tribal or urban Indian health clinic.
- Talk to a trusted Elder, relative or spiritual leader.
- If you face violence at home, contact StrongHearts at 1-844-762-8483.
📝 Worksheets for this guide
Fill these in privately in the app. Your answers stay on your phone.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau (2023). American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2023 (Facts for Features)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Historical and Current Contexts for the Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). TIP 61: Behavioral Health Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives
- U.S. Department of the Interior (2024). Secretary Haaland Announces Major Milestones for Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MMWR (2024). Vital Signs: Suicide Rates and Selected County-Level Factors — United States, 2022
- Indian Health Service (IHS). Division of Behavioral Health
- Indian Health Service (IHS). Office of Urban Indian Health Programs
- Indian Health Service (IHS). Find Health Care
- StrongHearts Native Helpline. StrongHearts Native Helpline
- U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon. Indian Country Resources (StrongHearts Native Helpline listing)
This guide is for education and self-care. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Please talk to a counselor or clinical provider about your health. Reviewed October 2026.
