Joseph Gone facts for kids

Joseph Patrick Gone (born 1967) is an important psychologist and social scientist. He teaches at Harvard University. He is also the leader of the Harvard University Native American Program.

Joseph Gone studies how culture, history, and community life affect the well-being of Indigenous Peoples, especially American Indians. He works with Indigenous communities to create better ways to help people with their mental health. His projects often use traditional culture and spiritual practices to help people feel better. He has written over 100 articles for science journals.

He has received many awards for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Early Life and School

Joseph Gone finished high school in Montana in 1985. He then spent two years serving in the U.S. Army. After that, he studied at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for two years.

He later transferred to Harvard College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1992. In 1993, he started his advanced studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He earned his Master's degree in 1996 and his Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology in 2001. His Ph.D. research looked at how a Northern Plains Indian community understood feelings and mental health challenges.

Career Highlights

Joseph Gone started teaching at the University of Chicago in 2000. Soon after, he moved to the University of Michigan. He became a full professor there in 2016.

Since 2018, he has been a professor at Harvard University. He teaches about anthropology and global health. From 2017 to 2018, he led Native American Studies at the University of Michigan. Since 2019, he has been the Faculty Director of the Harvard University Native American Program.

Understanding Mental Health

Joseph Gone's research has greatly helped us understand mental health for Indigenous Peoples. His work explores three main areas: how different cultures understand the mind, how traditional healing and modern practices can work together, and new ways to help people.

How Cultures See the Mind

Gone's research looks at how American Indian communities think about the mind, self, feelings, and well-being. He studies traditional ways of explaining mental health challenges. This helps us understand how different cultures view these important topics.

Blending Healing Traditions

Gone also studies how Indigenous healing traditions can work with Western mental health practices. For example, he looked at a program in a Manitoba Cree community that helped people overcome challenges. His work shows that it can be tricky but important to combine different ways of helping people.

New Ways to Help

Joseph Gone helps create new mental health programs that fit Indigenous cultures. He believes we should start with Indigenous healing traditions. Then, we can find ways to use them in healthcare settings. For instance, he worked with the Blackfeet Nation to create a program that used traditional practices to help people with well-being challenges.

Impact of History

Gone's work also looks at how historical events, like colonialism, have affected the mental health of Indigenous Peoples. He studies how past traumas can impact health today. His research shows that we need to understand a culture's history to truly help with mental health.

He also explores how American Indian traditional healing can be used alongside modern therapy. His work helps create fair and helpful mental health services for American Indian communities.

Personal Life

Joseph Gone is a member of the Aaniiih-Gros Ventre tribal nation in Montana. He is married to Tiya Miles, who is a historian. They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Bozeman, Montana. They have three children.