Loss of Desire to Retain Language

• Language is a key component of culture.Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Linguistic anthropologists have long stressed the crucial link between a cultural history and the language constructed around it. Without a culture to put things in context, language naturally falls apart. There appears to be a shared history of American Indian linguistic oppression, with almost all communities being forced to learn the tongue of their dominator.
  
  

Proneness to Integration in Younger Population

• Young American Indians, as with most other people lacking distinct cultural values and norms, are more willing to conform to the mainstream Western society. Integration, while a very good thing in some regards, can definitely lead to a lack of individual identity in large societies. Many American countries, like the United States, have specific governmental agencies that focus on native integration into the larger sociopolitical and cultural stage.
  
  

Psychological Resistance in Older Populations

• Even though Native American cultures have suffered dramatic losses, they are admired by many Westerners.Bec Parsons/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  Although many American Indians see Westernization as somewhat inevitable, a knee-jerk reaction to cultural imperialism is quite common. For example, it's not rare to see schools and institutions specifically dedicated to cultural preservation among native populations. Native Americans often use rituals to affirm their ethnic and individual identity in a modernizing world. They use these practices to transmit their culture to new generations. American Indians perpetuate culture by modeling practicies and ideals to their children.
  
  

Closeness to Family

• Family has always been historically tight-knit, but it becomes even stronger among culturally dominated peoples.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  When it's hard to relate to those around one's self, family becomes the de facto psychological anchor. The definition of family also depends on which specific American Indian culture we are referring to, with some including distant cousins as apart of the close-knit group. Historical pains of past familial disruption have caused many natives to feel close to their family as well. In general, American Indians place a high emphasis on care giving to relatives, which is exacerbated when there is no cultural identity left except the family unit.