Tohono Odham Nation Case Study

This isn’t a specific social issue, but rather an entire community that is of importance to me. I have worked with members of the Tohono O’odham Nation (a Native American Tribe here in Southern Arizona); this community struggles with multiple issues from Diabetes to domestic violence. This community and the issues they struggle with are important to me because I do not feel that they are properly represented by the larger Southwestern community, nor do I feel that their struggles are adequately addressed. Currently, there is only one non-tribal agency on the Nation that can provide services to members still living on the Nation. Other agencies within Tucson may have Native American clients enrolled with them, but these are clients that are living in Tucson or the surrounding areas. Not many agencies are willing to travel out onto the
Recognizing that “dominant and subordinate groups compete for resources” (“Overview of Theories”, 2008, p. 6) can help social workers and the Tohono O’odham community problem solve ways to bring attention to their needs. Social workers and the members of the Tohono O’odham Nation can write letters to their State representatives to bring attention to their struggles, and can increase their networking with agencies outside of the Nation. By networking with agencies outside of the nation, social workers and members of the Tohono O’odham nation can promote “understanding and adaptation” (“Contemporary Social Work Practice”, 2017) of Euro-American expectations and policies that can be a barrier to providing services on the Nation. It is a difficult process, but the Tohono O’odham people fight for necessary services and resources to be brought to them instead of being expected to leave their land, and social workers need to be a part of that