Structure

• According to researchers Harriet Light and Ruth Martin, American Indian families do not have the same rigid structure found in European-American families. For instance, while the European-American family is typically limited to three generations living in the same home, many American Indian households can include extended relatives and even close friends.
  
  

Misconceptions

• As the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation points out, in many tribes women built homes or farmed while men went hunting or fishing. At the time, Europeans considered hunting and fishing recreational activities, not necessities.
  
  Unlike European children, American Indian children are not harshly punished but rather lavished with kindness and attention. Because of these differences, early colonists often saw American Indians as lazy and overly indulgent with their children, stereotypes that persist to this day.
  
  

Benefits

• As Light and Martin discovered, American Indian families provide many benefits to their members. American Indian families offer strong social support, and children develop courage and optimism, respect for personal relationships, and a strong sense of spiritual well-being.