Indigenous families: who do you call family?

Abstract

Although commonly perceived as a typical family type in western society, the nuclear family structure may not resonate with other cultures, including Indigenous populations. This study explored the conceptualization of Indigenous families in Canada. 15 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the perception of Indigenous family may be framed through a personal or institutional perspective. At the personal level, the perception of an Indigenous family was influenced by culture, specifically social ties, language, childrearing practices, and residential location. At the institutional level, the perception of an Indigenous family was defined through demographic or legal terms, and influenced by temporal change, though generally through a non-Indigenous lens. These findings suggest that current (standard) western definitions of the family may not accurately represent Indigenous families; cultural influences need to be taken into consideration. However, institutional definitions of family may serve specific purposes.