Red as an apple: Native American acculturation and counseling with or without reservation

The United States has a long history of advocating policies of both extermi nation and assimilation of Native peoples. This historical context provides an important backdrop for understanding issues of trust/mistrust and the i mpact of acculturation on Native Americans who often find they have to reco ncile 2 cultures. Therefore, counselors must assess a Native American clien t's level of acculturation rather than making assumptions based on the limi ted information offered by appearance or other personal characteristics. Th e Native American Acculturation Scale is presented as an operationalized me ans of formally or informally assessing a Native American client's cultural identity.