ADA Live! A Look at the Mental Health Needs of Indigenous People in America

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 – 1:00 pm EDT

Indigenous people – Native Americans or Alaska Natives – make up nearly two percent of the U. S. population, and many have more than one ethnic identity. Indigenous people experience greater health problems with lower life expectancy, higher rates of substance abuse, and a suicide rate 2.5 times greater than the rest of the United States. Economic barriers and poor access to medical care, and cultural differences result in a higher prevalence of mental health conditions for Indigenous people.

In this episode of ADA Live!, we welcome Dr. Hilary Weaver, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Professor, University at Buffalo. Dr. Weaver is Lakota Sioux by birth, and she was adopted by the Haudenosaunee (Seneca) nation. She will be interviewed by Olivia Gawehnidi Porter, a Haudenosaunee woman, student, and advocate for better mental health care in Indigenous nations. Their discussion will feature Dr. Weaver’s work understanding Indigenous teachings, how she is destigmatizing or removing the negative view that is often a part of Western ideas about disabilities, using traditional teachings of compassion and acceptance, and the importance of accepting people who are different.

Hilary Weaver, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Professor, University at Buffalo School of Social Work

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The School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo
The School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo is a vibrant and diverse community of scholars, educators, practitioners and life-long learners —unified by their vision of a better society achieved through the generation and transmission of knowledge, promotion of social justice and service to humanity. Students work with faculty on nationally and internationally focused research, and some students do their field placements overseas. Faculty research addresses many critical topics, including substance abuse, trauma, aging, health access, mental health, chronic disease, child welfare, sexuality and cross-cultural practice. Their research center, the Buffalo Center for Social Research, highlights some of this work, as do faculty’s publications. For more information about the important work of the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo, please visit: http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/