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Abstract
This thesis will explore the problems inherent in the delivery of services to developmentally disabled individuals in an Iñupiaq community. Based on the experiences of a contemporary Iñupiaq family in trying to access services for their son, I will critically evaluate the efforts of one care-providing agency in Alaska with respect to their success in delivering culturally responsive services. The presented qualitative data was gathered during internship and employment experiences with this agency. In part I argue that, in pre-contact Alaska, an extensive range of supports existed for individuals who experienced a "developmental disability", but due to sustained contact with non-Native groups, many of these cultural institutions were replaced by Western biomedical understandings of disability and its appropriate treatment and management. I conclude by offering suggestions for improvement of current service delivery practices in Alaska, including a model for culturally responsive community engagement and person-centered planning and program implementation.
