Positive psychology assessment in American Indians.

Abstract

Our ancestors lived in a spiritual universe. We are still conscious of it but many immigrants from Europe do not experience it because they do not see that all things are imbued with spirit.-Phillip Duran (Tigua Pueblo)Positive psychology focuses on people's strengths, virtues, and well-being. This relatively young discipline has been substantially grounded in the Western tradition, with its individualistic features shared by only a few cultures. For example, one of the key features of positive psychology is a focus on well-being. However, the definition and evaluation of well-being across cultures do not necessarily coincide with Western ones. This is true for American Indian 1 conceptions of well-being. In this chapter, I provide