Cultural Identity

Assigning a label to a culture is less import- ant than seeking information about unique or distinct culturally bound patterns of behavior that have health implications. For example, it is not as important to be able to identify a person as being from Hopi culture versus Navajo culture as it is to ask about daily consumption of meats and fresh vegetables and the ways in which those foods are prepared, and to understand the historical context that has influenced changes in dietary patterns. Culture, as the sharing of similar beliefs, values, and norms, contributes to a sense of unity among the members of the culture. The cultural cohesion and sense of belonging to a cultural group is a powerful force in creating conflicts as well as in creating opportunities. Both the Hopi and the Navajo have strong cultural identities that present an opportunity for health program planners to build that cultural identity into a program. The strong cultural identity can also create conflicts, however, between program planners and people from the Hopi or Navajo nations if the program is perceived as threatening their culture or being inconsistent with their cultural beliefs.