Genogram example · Cultural
Indigenous Family System
Quick answer
At a glance
| This example | |
|---|---|
| Generations | 3 |
| Family members | 11 (5 male, 6 female) |
| Birth years | 1938 to 2001 |
| Deceased | 1 |
| Index person | Nicole Nez |
| Emotional relationships | Close and Distant |
| Conditions marked | Anxiety Conditions, Depressive Disorders, Diabetes and Trauma/PTSD |
| Category | Cultural |
| Tags | Cultural, Family Structure, Educational |
About this genogram
A three-generation Navajo (Diné) family genogram illustrating the extended kinship network, matrilineal clan system, and the lasting effects of historical trauma including boarding school experiences. Demonstrates the central role of the grandmother as matriarch, the resilience of cultural traditions alongside intergenerational trauma, and the tension between reservation life and urban relocation.
Family analysis
Overview
This 3-generation genogram maps 11 family members with birth years spanning from 1938 to 2001, comprising 5 males and 6 females (1 deceased). The genogram tracks 5 medical/psychological condition categories and 3 emotional relationship types across 7 documented dyads. The index patient is Nicole Nez (b. 1990), social worker (indian health service).
Cultural context
This culturally-informed genogram captures family dynamics across 3 generations, representing Navajo/Diné heritage. Occupational roles across generations — Alice as weaver, traditional healer (herbalist), Samuel as rancher, uranium mine worker, Mary as community health representative, Raymond as unemployed (formerly construction) — illustrate the family's socioeconomic trajectory.
Emotional relationships
Emotional relationship mapping reveals 4 close relationships, 2 distant relationships, 1 cutoff_repaired relationship. Specific patterns include a close relationship between Alice and Nicole, a close relationship between Alice and Sarah, a close relationship between Alice and Mary.
Health conditions
Medical and psychological conditions are documented in 9 of 11 family members (82%). Substance appear in 4 members (Samuel, Raymond, Laura...), affecting 1 female and 3 males. Depressive disorders appear in 3 members (Mary, Raymond, Justin), affecting 1 female and 2 males. Trauma-related conditions appear in 2 members (Alice, Samuel), affecting 1 female and 1 male. Comorbidity is observed in 3 family members, with Alice presenting 2 concurrent condition categories. The multigenerational prevalence of substance suggests both genetic predisposition and possible environmental or behavioral transmission pathways.
This genogram demonstrates the importance of culturally-informed clinical practice. The Navajo/Diné cultural context shapes family expectations, gender roles, and help-seeking behaviors in ways that must be understood before clinical interpretation. Cultural genograms help practitioners avoid ethnocentric assumptions and recognize how migration, acculturation, and cultural identity intersect with family dynamics and psychological well-being.
How do you read the Indigenous Family System genogram?
- 1
Find each person and generation
Squares are males and circles are females, and each row is one generation, oldest at the top. This one has 5 males and 6 females across 3 generations. - 2
Check the status markers
Markers on a symbol add facts about that person: Deceased (X) and Index Patient (Arrow). 1 person is marked deceased. The index person, the focus of the assessment, is Nicole Nez. - 3
Follow the family lines
Horizontal lines join partners and vertical lines drop to their children, born left to right in birth order. This genogram uses Marriage, Divorce and Parent-Child lines. - 4
Read the emotional lines
Lines drawn between two people show how they relate: Close and Distant. Notice who has several lines converging on them, and which patterns repeat from one generation to the next. - 5
Read the shading
Shaded symbols mark health conditions: Anxiety Conditions, Depressive Disorders, Diabetes and Trauma/PTSD. Trace each line of descent to see where a condition recurs and where it stops.
Genogram symbols used in this example
| Symbol | Type | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Male (Square) | Person Symbols | A square represents a male family member in standard genogram notation. |
| Female (Circle) | Person Symbols | A circle represents a female family member in standard genogram notation. |
| Deceased (X) | Status Markers | An X drawn through the symbol indicates the person is deceased. |
| Index Patient (Arrow) | Status Markers | An arrow pointing to a person identifies them as the index patient — the individual who is the focus of the clinical assessment. |
| Marriage | Structural Relationships | A solid horizontal line connecting two individuals represents a marriage or committed partnership. |
| Divorce | Structural Relationships | A marriage line with two diagonal slashes indicates divorce or legal separation. |
| Parent-Child | Structural Relationships | A vertical line descending from a couple line to a child symbol represents a parent-child relationship. |
| Close | Emotional Relationships | Two parallel lines between individuals represent an emotionally close relationship. |
| Distant | Emotional Relationships | A dotted line represents an emotionally distant or disengaged relationship. |
| Anxiety Conditions | Medical Conditions | Shading in the genogram symbol indicates anxiety-spectrum diagnoses (GAD, panic disorder, phobias, OCD). |
| Depressive Disorders | Medical Conditions | Shading indicates depressive conditions (major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder). |
| Diabetes | Medical Conditions | Shading indicates Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. |
| Trauma/PTSD | Medical Conditions | Shading indicates post-traumatic stress disorder or complex trauma responses. |
Build a genogram like this one
Example prompt
- 1
Start from the dashboard
Sign in to GenogramAI and choose Create with AI (paid plans), or open a blank genogram and use Ask AI (any plan). To start from this exact chart instead, use Open as template. - 2
Describe your family
Paste a description like the one above, with your own names, dates, relationships and health history. - 3
Check and adjust
Edit people and lines by hand, or ask the AI for one change at a time. - 4
Export
Download a PNG on the free plan. PDF and SVG export are on paid plans.
The free plan includes 2 genograms and 5 AI credits a month. See the AI genogram creator for what else it can do.
Related resources
- Explore our guide to cultural genograms for mapping heritage and cultural context.
- See how genograms in social work practice incorporates cultural assessment.
- This example uses the close relationship symbol to denote emotional closeness between family members.
- The distant relationship symbol in this genogram indicates emotional disengagement.
Frequently asked questions
What clinical patterns does the Indigenous Family System genogram reveal?
The Indigenous Family System genogram maps multigenerational transmission of psychological patterns, emotional dynamics, and relationship structures. Clinicians use it to identify recurring cycles of behavior, attachment styles, and communication patterns that may inform diagnosis and treatment planning in family therapy.
What cultural factors does the Indigenous Family System genogram highlight?
The Indigenous Family System genogram highlights culturally specific family structures, values, and intergenerational dynamics. It demonstrates how cultural context influences family roles, relationships, and expectations across generations.
What genogram symbols are used in the Indigenous Family System example?
This genogram uses Male (Square), Female (Circle), Deceased (X), Index Patient (Arrow), Marriage, Divorce, Parent-Child, Close, Distant, Anxiety Conditions, Depressive Disorders, Diabetes and 1 more. All of them follow standard genogram notation, so the chart reads the same way in any genogram program or textbook.
Can I build a genogram like the Indigenous Family System example?
Yes. Open GenogramAI, choose Create with AI on the dashboard (paid plans) or open a blank genogram and use Ask AI in the editor (any plan), and describe the family in plain words: who is in it, how they are related, key dates and the relationships or health conditions you want to show. The AI draws the symbols and lines, and you can then edit by hand or ask for one change at a time. A family of 11 people like this one takes a short paragraph to describe. The free plan includes 2 genograms and 5 AI credits a month, with PNG export.
About this example
