Medical ramifications of failing to acknowledge amerindian warfare, violence, social inequality, and cultural enigmas

Abstract

Recognizing and acknowledging the universality of human behaviors, including frailties, in Amerindian populations is an essential step in developing effective, basic healthcare delivery programs. The author discusses tribal warfare, violence, social inequality and cultural enigmas and argues that suppressing scholarly data on unflattering realities of indigenous life and reliance on bowdlerized accounts undermines the accuracy of needs assessment in project development which may, in turn, compromise optimal healthcare delivery.