Cross-racial foster home placement among native American psychiatric patients

In Minnesota, about 0.5 percent of the general population are raised outside of their biologic homes. However, it has been estimated that 25 to 30 percent of all Indian children under the age of 18 years are currently living outside of their biologic homes. Clinical experience with adolescent and adult Indian psychiatric patients bears this out: about half of them have been raised in foster or adoptive homes.Seventeen American Indian patients who had been raised in non-Indian foster and adoptive homes were interviewed for five to ten hours each. Data were collected from the patients and social agencies regarding demographic characteristics, social coping, and current clinical problems. In addition, information obtained regarding their out-of-family placement included: age at placement, reason for placement, number of subsequent placements, and interracial and intraracial relationships during placement and subsequently during adulthood.This clinical sample shows a low rate of psychosis and neurosis, but a high rate of alcohol-related disorders, suicide attempts, and behavioral problems. While their education is average, their employment and marital status shows marked social disability. Most have had numerous childhood placements over a long period, all in white homes, and none have subsequently returned to their family-of-origin.These unfortunate human beings have been described by both whites and Indians in Minnesota as "apples": racially "red" or Indian on the outside, but culturally white on the inside. White groups do not accept them as whites because they are distinctively racial Indians, but they do not feel at ease in Indian communities since they were raised with white values and attitudes. While some of these people do indeed make successful adjustments in Indian or white society (or both) the results of this study show that many apparently do not.