Stephanie Fryberg

Stephanie at Native American Student Advocacy Institute

Stephanie Fryberg is an American Indian psychologist who received her Master's and Doctorate degrees from Stanford University, where in 2011 she was inducted into the Multicultural Hall of Fame. In the same year, she testified before Senate on Stole Identities: The impact of racist stereotypes on Indigenous people. She previously taught psychology at the University of Arizona, and at the Tulalip Community at Marysville School.^[1] She currently teaches American Indian Studies and Psychology at the University of Washington, and is a member of the Tulalip Tribe. Her research focuses on race, class, and culture in relation to ones psychological development and mental health. On her reservation, she translated Carol Dweck's growth mindset; taking a less individualistic approach, and thus improving the education of the students who received her translation.^[2]

Studies

In 2013, Stephanie Fryberg did a study on survivors of the 2010 Chile earthquake and Hurricane Katrina to find out how survivors deal with the trauma, specifically by attributing the disasters to religious factors. Those who were the most negatively impacted by the disasters were found to be most likely to attribute it to religion or being a punishment from God. Even when levels of education and race were taken into account, the findings held true. Traumatic experiences, such as the survivor having seen dead bodies contributed more to the experience being attributed to religion than one's reaction to the trauma. The study gained insight to those who attribute natural disasters to religion.^[3]

That year, another study was published in which Fryberg investigated how academic underperformance among Native American students can be attributed to the standardized model of education more fit for white students that emphasizes assertive and independence, in opposition to the Native American culture of interdependency and intergroup connections. The study investigated one hundred fifteen Naskapi students from Quebec. Prior to the experiment, information was obtained on the assertiveness of the students, extent to which they identify with white and Native culture, and the students grades. The findings showed that the stronger the students connection with their culture, whether it be white or Native, the higher their grades. Low assertiveness when it came to cultural identification lead to lower grades. Having a strengthened identity in terms of culture and racial identification can help Aboriginal students perform better academically. The study showed that an Aboriginal students low academic performance can be attributed to how they are nurtured in school, and it is not inherent.^[4]

In 2012, Fryberg investigated the connection between anthropology and cognitive science through the lens of cultural psychology. Cultural psychology assumes that cognitive processes can be influenced by ones sociocultural upbringing. The study finds that this helps people understand humans functioning in different contexts, and that cultural psychology connects one's cognitive functions to their cultural upbringing allowing humans to be understood on a more diverse individualistic level; through class, race, and gender disparities. This study somewhat relates to the previous study due to its considerations on how one's cultural upbringings can impact school performance. It also establishes how one should not approach cultural practices with a bias perspective, as just because a cultural practice is different does not mean it is subordinate. This study emphasizes the importance of cultural context and acknowledgement of diversity in many situations such as education.^[5]

In 2008, through a series of four studies Fryberg aimed to investigate the impact of the stereotypes portrayed by Native American mascots on Native American children's self-identity and self-conception. The first study showed that Native American High School students had positive connotations with Pocahontas, Chief Wahoo, Chief Illinweck, and other widely known Native American characters. However, the second study's results found that showing Native American High School students these images decreased their self-esteem. The third study on Native American High school students showed a decrease in Native American student's perceived community worth. The fourth study involved Native American college students, and the images of Native American figures shown to college students decreased the number of ways in which they envisioned themselves achieving in the future. Fryberg's study concluded that Native American mascot imagery is harmful to Native American students because it portrays them in limited and simplistic ways, resulting in Native American students also seeing themselves more simplistically.^[6] In 2011, Fryberg testified before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the effects of stereotypical mascots on Native American students.^[7]

References