Dr. Barbara Joans was an anthropologist who understood that language and cultural differences can completely change the understanding between two groups of people. The six elderly Native American Bannock and Shoshoni women who were charged with fraud and asked to pay back $2,000, did not fully comprehend what the Social Services Administration in their area was asking of them. English was not their first language and the way that their culture worked was different than the one of the Social Services. Dr. Joans was able to point out that they were not trying to defraud the Social Services, but did not understand. The judge agreed with Dr. Jones and from then on an interpreter had to be present to explain in the individuals first language what was expected.
