Historical narratives: Abraham Maslow and Blackfoot interpretations.

Abstract

is one of the most celebrated and well-known psychologists of the 20th century. His work in psychology still influences scholarly studies in education and business administration in the United States, as well in other countries around the world. Perhaps the best known of his contributions is that of his hierarchy of needs and his model of selfactualization. This paper explores one of the many lectures given at several colleges by Heavy Head and Narcisse Blood as a projective piece that reveals underlying current concerns of the Blackfoot Indian Tribe. The major theme of the lecture is the collective loss of cultural identity and the tribe's current perception of place within the Western world. An attempt will be made to delineate themes and symbolic representations embedded within the words of the lecturers, further aiding in the understanding of why certain misattributions have occurred. A survey of Maslow's personal correspondence and professional works will be used to correct possibly erroneous attributions, to explore the origins of the development of his theories, and to explain his field work with the Blackfoot. The end result should not draw criticism upon the ways in which the members of the Blackfoot Tribe tell the story of Abraham Maslow because it is not an ideation of correctness that is the concern of this paper. The Blackfoot use stories as autobiographical accounts or as early memories to enable the Western world to understand the struggles they face as a marginalized group.

Indigenous Knowledge and Techno-Scientific Modernity: “Hierarchical Integration” Reconsidered

“…(cited in Johnson, 2018) Maslow's apparent expropriation of Indigenous knowledge herefor his own purposes and without crediting his sources-seems to correspond to that ''typical extractive relationship between Western academics and Indigenous knowledge'' ( Johnson, 2018, para. 8; see also Feigenbaum and Smith, 2019).…”

The Piikani Well-being Project: Indigenous-led metrics and mapping to improve human and agricultural system health within the Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet Nation

“…When the book, "A Theory of Human Motivation" emerged in 1947 a "Hierarchy of Needs," represented as a triangle, with "physiological needs" at the bottom, then moving upwardly to "Safety," "Love and belonging, "Esteem," and finally "Self-actualization" at the top. We now understand these as fundamental concepts of Blackfoot people meeting their needs in the community, concepts that were liberally borrowed from the Niitsitapi but altered to refine mainstream and individualistic motivational theory (Feigenbaum and Smith, 2019).…”

Transcending the Limitations of Abraham Maslow

“…Maslow was known to value social justice (Bland & DeRobertis, 2020;Hoffman, 1999), which is evident by his dedication to fostering a society that nourishes all people equally, as well as his belief that social scientists "must examine [their] own prejudices and preconceptions before going in to work with any society or a subcultural group" (Maslow, 1969, p. 730). However, Maslow's views on sexual diversity and mental illness-as well as a longstanding debate over perceptions regarding whether Maslow appropriated the Blackfoot Tribe's wisdom and culture for his theories without giving due credit (Feigenbaum & Smith, 2020)-signal that there may not be congruency between Maslow's intentions and actions. Social justice is not unidimensional, and Maslow's beliefs of the importance of a common good for all do still ring true, but social justice importantly aims to ensure "that all groups are given opportunities for full and equal participation" (Bhatia, 2018, p. 244).…”