November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich history and important contributions of indigenous peoples. Many of these contributions in the field of psychology have come from members of the Society of Indian Psychologists, who are committed to advocating for the mental health of indigenous peoples, to advancing the scientific understanding of culture and other psychological constructs relevant to indigenous peoples, and to providing outreach and mentorship to indigenous students. Highlighted below are the contributions from some well-known indigenous psychologists.
Carolyn Attneave, PhD
Dr. Carolyn Attneave, a descendant of the Lenni-Lenape tribe in Delaware, is the first indigenous person to earn a doctoral degree in psychology. After graduating from Stanford in 1952, Dr. Attneave moved to Oklahoma, where she provided mental health services to members of seven different indigenous tribes. She firmly supported holistic therapeutic approaches over medical treatments of depression, schizophrenia, and other mental disorders. Moreover, Dr. Attneave is well known for developing network theory, whereby clients work with their personal networks that include family and tribal communities. In 1969, she moved to Boston, where she taught at the Harvard School of Public Health, founded the Society of Indian Psychologists, founded the Boston Indian Council that was one of the largest indigenous centers in the nation, and wrote a nine-volume work on the mental health needs and networks of indigenous peoples. Dr. Attneave then spent the last 15 years of her career as a distinguished professor at the University of Washington, where she served as Director of their American Indian Studies Program.
Annjeanette Belcourt, PhD
Dr. Annjeanette Belcourt is a member of multiple tribes: Blackfeet, Chippewa, Mandan, and Hidatsa. Dr. Belcourt earned her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2006 from the University of Montana, where she is currently the Chair of the Native American Studies program and the Director of the Health Disparities Research Initiatives program in the College of Health. Her research focuses on risk, resiliency, and environmental public health in indigenous communities, specifically investigating topics such as posttraumatic stress disorder, public health interventions, mental health disparities, multiple psychiatric conditions, and cultural adaptations of treatment for indigenous peoples. Dr. Belcourt’s research has been funded by numerous organizations including the National Institute of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program.
Dolores Subia BigFoot, PhD
Dr. Dolores BigFoot, a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma with affiliation to the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana, earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Oklahoma. Dr. BigFoot is a presidential professor at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine, and she directs the Indian Country Child Trauma Center where she investigates how and why evidence-based treatment can help heal trauma, particularly in indigenous children. She has also directed Project Making Medicine, a clinical training program to train mental health providers in the treatment of child maltreatment using culturally based teachings. In 2020, Dr. BigFoot was awarded funding from the National Suicide Prevention Resource Center to provide training and technical assistance throughout the country on suicide prevention efforts. She also serves on the federal Commission on Native Children, whose mission is to make recommendations to improve conditions affecting indigenous children and their families, and she is a past president of the Society of Indian Psychologists.
Joseph P. Gone, PhD
Dr. Joseph P. Gone, a member of the Aaniih-Gros Ventre tribal nation of Montana, earned his doctorate in clinical and community psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001. Although he worked for 16 years at the University of Michigan, he is currently a professor at Harvard University where he is the faculty director of their Native American Program. Dr. Gone has published over 100 research articles that largely examined the cultural influences on mental health and therapeutic interventions for indigenous people. He has additionally been very active in professional service, including his service as a former president of the Society for Indian Psychologists and an editorial board member for eight scientific journals, and a member of the board of directors for the First Nations Behavioral Health Association. Dr. Gone has been recognized with numerous awards that include distinguished career contribution awards from the American Psychological Association (APA), the Society for Clinical Psychology; the Society for Community Research and Action; and the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race.
Marigold Linton, PhD
Dr. Marigold Linton, who is Cahuilla-Cupeño of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, earned her doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1964. Dr. Linton was the first in her tribe to leave the reservation to attend college. She taught and conducted cognitive research as a full professor at both San Diego State University and the University of Utah. In 1986, Dr. Linton became the Director of American Indian Programs at Arizona State University and served Arizona tribes through the Rural Systemic Initiative, enhancing the educational opportunities for young indigenous students. Twelve years later, she became the Director of American Indian Outreach at the University of Kansas, where she was awarded over $13 million in research funds from the National Institutes of Health to enhance the educational opportunities of indigenous students pursuing advanced science degrees at the nearby Haskell Indian Nations University. Moreover, Dr. Linton is the founding member of the National Indian Education Association, as well as the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.
Arthur McDonald, PhD
Dr. Arthur McDonald, a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe, earned his doctorate in psychology from the University of South Dakota in 1966. Dr. McDonald began his career at Montana State University, where he became the Department Head and developed a graduate program in applied psychology. However, driven by the goal of increasing indigenous representation in psychology, he resigned his position and moved to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, where he became Director of Education, founded the Dull Knife Memorial College, and trained indigenous psychology graduate students and interns. Furthermore, Dr. McDonald established the Indians in Psychology program to help fund indigenous graduate students in clinical psychology, and his advocacy led to the passage of the Quentin N. Burdick Indian Health Programs Initiative to help fund indigenous students pursuing degrees in health professions. In recognition of his contributions, he earned many awards from the APA, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from Division 45 in 1992, APA’s Education Directorate in 1996, and APA’s Presidential Citation in 2000.
Logan Wright, PhD
Dr. Logan Wright, a member of the Osage Nation tribe, obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology from Vanderbilt University in 1964. Dr. Wright spent most of his career at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Department of Pediatrics. He encouraged the use of behavioral interventions in pediatric care and helped in developing specific guidelines for the administration of treatment to pediatric populations. Dr. Wright, often referred to as the father of pediatric psychology, published four books and over 100 manuscripts on medical and child psychology. Furthermore, he was a co-founder and the first president of the Society of Pediatric Psychology, and he was the first indigenous person to serve as president of APA. Dr. Wright received multiple prestigious awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Pediatric Psychology, the APA media award, the Distinguished Psychologist Citation from the Oklahoma Psychological Association, and the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Baptist University.