American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit multiple health disparities, including high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, violence and delinquency, and mental health problems. Approximately 70% of AI/AN youth reside in urban areas, where negative outcomes on behavioral health and well-being are often high. Identity development…

The presence of urban Indian communities and American Indian tribal nations in and near metropolitan areas creates tremendous potential for expanding campus-community collaborations regarding teaching, research, and service. However, many challenges must be addressed, including acknowledging the colonial context of relations between indigenous and…

A survey of 101 American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) parents in Los Angeles was conducted to explore perceptions of child neglect among urban AIAN parents and factors associated with perceptions. Participants rated substance abuse by parents as the most serious type of neglect. Providing material necessities and providing adequate structure were…

This article reports on the findings from two studies conducted in the Los Angeles urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) community. The research investigated the relationship between the American Indian and Alaska Native cultural values and the social problems that challenge the urban Native community in the greater Los Angeles and Orange…

Describes circumstances that set the stage for the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island by American Indians, including federal relocation of thousands of reservation Indians to urban areas, national civil rights and antiwar movements, and growth of urban Indian and Indian college student organizations. Briefly traces events of the occupation. Lists…

Describes the operations of Southern California Indian Centers, Inc., a nonprofit provider of social services and job training to American Indians in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Discusses funding sources in an era of federal cuts and retrenchment, agency structure and administrative practices, staffing, volunteerism and the dedication factor,…

The Community Mobilization Project was a 3-year, grassroots strategic planning process by American Indians in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of Bureau of Indian Affairs policies that relocated reservation Indians to the Bay Area in the 1950s-70s, over 40,000 American Indians now live in the 10-county area. However, the Indian population…

This article examines foster care and adoption, health, and education of poor Indian children. The paper first explains the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, gives a historical overview of injustices done to American Indians, and reviews recent court rulings and federal and state action in regard to the Indian Child Welfare Act. The paper then has…

Educational and employment programs implemented by the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the 1950s and 1960s relocated thousands of American Indians to urban areas with the assurance of a better life. Focuses on the current status of the American Indian population in the San Francisco Bay area including Indian organizations, tribal group…

A study explored the human services delivery system for American Indian children in Los Angeles County (California). Telephone interviews were conducted with 29 Indian organizations, 19 members of the American Indian community, and 14 government agencies that provide services for children. Topics discussed included Indian child welfare, education,…

An investigation of long term effects of boarding school education was conducted among Navajo women who had attended boarding school on the reservation during the 1950's. Subjects were 23 Navajo mothers and, for 17 mothers, their preschool children; all lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. A series of open-ended interviews obtained information on…