Counseling the Inupiat Eskimo

Current research indicates that in order to counsel a group of people different from the mainstream, it is important to understand their unique worldview. This book defines the worldview of personal well-being for the Inupiat Eskimo in order to establish guidelines for counseling strategies. Strategies are based on the wisdom of village elders, who define personal well-being in order to help others develop counseling practices that can bridge contemporary problems with the traditions and customs of the Inupiat culture.

The Inupiat define well-being by sharing Inupiat words and their meanings in relation to well-being. In their worldview, the way one thinks and acts can have an effect on well-being and on the environment. A reciprocal relationship is formed through proper thinking and conduct, especially in the act of sharing. From the elders’ perspective, good parenting and community support guides children to form a positive view of the self and their relationship to the community. The elders share this rich information to help counselors implement some of the old age strategies that helped create healthy families and lifestyles. The Inupiat share positive activities that have helped them build well-being and activities that distract from it through the use of traditional stories and experiences. As the Inupiat share stories about traditional healing practices and attributes of the healer, they reveal strategies and personal attributes that can help outside counselors understand those things that are important to them. Counselors and academics interested in the Inupiat or in general strategies for working with Native American peoples will find this book useful.