Is Gambling Good for American Indians?
American Indian-owned casinos are a familiar feature of contemporary life in the U.S. They’re advertised on billboards, satirized in TV comedies, and debated in the pages of tabloids and scholarly journals. They’ve encouraged at least one false stereotype: the crazy idea that Indian tribes nowadays are rolling in money because of blackjack and slot machines. That’s just not happening.
Local outreach efforts just achieved a big success in raising awareness of organ donation in Native communities. Although most people waiting for organ transplants belong to racial and ethnic minorities, relatively few organ donors are minorities themselves. This mismatch between supply and demand is particularly acute for Native Americans – because the best organ donor for a Native person is often another Native. LifeCenter Northwest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation, partners with more than 200 hospitals to serve families and communities across Washington, Montana, northern Idaho, and Alaska. Their staff works with families to help them decide whether to choose organ donation. Members of Partnerships for Native Health developed a training for the organization’s family support staff to help them understand Native beliefs and concerns about organ donation and transplantation. This cultural sensitivity training has just been recognized in the organization’s annual report. Thanks to robust outreach efforts by LifeCenter Northwest, the number of Native Americans who donated organs and tissue increased by 32% in 2014! We’re proud of this achievement, and we congratulate Dedra Buchwald, Meghan Jernigan, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Cindy Gamble, and Ka’imi Sinclair for their contribution to addressing Native health disparities.
A Cure for Poverty?
Native Americans experience the most severe poverty of all U.S. racial and ethnic groups. In particular, one-third of all Native households with children younger than five years live below the federal poverty line.
The harsh effects of poverty are well known. Poor children are more likely than others to have asthma, to be obese, and to die of infectious diseases. They are also more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, and less likely to meet standards for reading proficiency. Their parents are more likely than others to be depressed.
The English language is rich in clichés about poverty. Two old sayings come to mind: “The poor will always be with us” and “Throwing money at poverty is no way to cure it.”
Native Americans experience the most severe poverty of all U.S. racial and ethnic groups. In particular, one-third of all Native households with children younger than five years live below the federal poverty line.
The harsh effects of poverty are well known. Poor children are more likely than others to have asthma, to be obese, and to die of infectious diseases. They are also more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems, and less likely to meet standards for reading proficiency. Their parents are more likely than others to be depressed.
The English language is rich in clichés about poverty. Two old sayings come to mind: “The poor will always be with us” and “Throwing money at poverty is no way to cure it.”
Partnerships for Native Health is excited to kick off the new year by implementing a new alcohol treatment project. We are partnering with three communities across the West on one of the largest substance abuse intervention studies ever conducted with Native people. Our study sample consists of 400 American Indian and Alaska Native adults. Our goal is to determine whether a culturally tailored version of a treatment called motivational incentives (where people receive rewards for not using alcohol) can reduce alcohol abuse and lead to other important outcomes.
Partnerships for Native Health is excited to kick off the new year by implementing a new alcohol treatment project. We are partnering with three communities across the West on one of the largest substance abuse intervention studies ever conducted with Native people. Our study sample consists of 400 American Indian and Alaska Native adults. Our goal is to determine whether a culturally tailored version of a treatment called motivational incentives (where people receive rewards for not using alcohol) can reduce alcohol abuse and lead to other important outcomes.
Indigenous Healing: Does it Work?
Today, many Native people seek care from traditional healers and use traditional healing practices in their daily lives. Many also use Western medicine in conjunction with indigenous healing. As a result, these two approaches can work together, rather than against each other.
The effectiveness of Western medicine for many health conditions is widely recognized. But what about indigenous healing: does it work?
Today, many Native people seek care from traditional healers and use traditional healing practices in their daily lives. Many also use Western medicine in conjunction with indigenous healing. As a result, these two approaches can work together, rather than against each other.
The effectiveness of Western medicine for many health conditions is widely recognized. But what about indigenous healing: does it work?
Indigenous Foods, Healthy Lives
Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are among the worst health disparities suffered by American Indians and Alaska Natives. These conditions stem from the kinds of food many Native people eat. Too often, that means fast food, canned food, and other processed foods that are high in salt, sugar, and fat. The result is poor health.
To fight disparities in food and health, more and more community leaders are approaching the problem at the most basic level. As they recognize, the same foods that Native people ate before European colonization are the foods they should be eating right now: indigenous foods, rooted in the lands where Native people traditionally lived. The more Native people can take control of their food supply and eat foods that are indigenous and culturally congruent, the healthier Native communities will be.
Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are among the worst health disparities suffered by American Indians and Alaska Natives. These conditions stem from the kinds of food many Native people eat. Too often, that means fast food, canned food, and other processed foods that are high in salt, sugar, and fat. The result is poor health.
To fight disparities in food and health, more and more community leaders are approaching the problem at the most basic level. As they recognize, the same foods that Native people ate before European colonization are the foods they should be eating right now: indigenous foods, rooted in the lands where Native people traditionally lived. The more Native people can take control of their food supply and eat foods that are indigenous and culturally congruent, the healthier Native communities will be.