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Partnerships for Native Health Washington State University

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Bean Spotlight

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Beans present

If you happened to stop by our offices this summer, chances are you would find staff from Native People for Cancer Control filling bags with our very special bean soup mix. Each bag is stuffed with five different kinds of beans and a small card with a soup recipe. Also on the card is information explaining how eating beans can reduce your risk of cancer. Our bean soup mix is intended to launch conversations at community events, where we often set up tables for health education.

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Family Health Genome Project

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novfammoNovember is National Family Health History month. Family members can share genetic, lifestyle, and environmental risks associated with illness and disease. Conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer can run in families, so a detailed family history could help patients and providers determine appropriate screenings at appropriate times.

Partnerships for Native Health is excited to announce our Family Health History Genome Project. With support from the National Institutes of Health, study staff will pilot-test the My Family Health Portrait site (https://FamilyHistory.HHS.gov) and partner sites. This is a publically accessible, standard-based family history tool that is widely used in the U.S. Study staff hope to determine whether this tool fits the health needs of Native patients and their providers.

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Healthy Eating vs. Food Insecurity

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Healthy Eating vs. Food Insecurity

American Indians have higher rates of obesity than the general U.S. population. Indian children in particular are twice as likely to be obese as children in the majority culture. Obesity, in turn, is directly linked to diabetes, which is three times as common in American Indians as in the general population.

 

The epidemic of obesity and diabetes in Native people is a very recent development. Before European colonization, depending on geography and culture, Native tribes ate traditional diets based on wild game, fish, roots, nuts, berries, greens, and organically grown corn. Even after tribal people were driven off their traditional lands, they still lived active lives, and obesity remained almost unknown. In the last few generations, however, sedentary lifestyles and processed foods have tipped the scales. Almost half of all American Indian children are now overweight, and one in four is obese.

 

 

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Healthy Eating vs. Food Insecurity

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American Indians have higher rates of obesity than the general U.S. population. Indian children in particular are twice as likely to be obese as children in the majority culture. Obesity, in turn, is directly linked to diabetes, which is three times as common in American Indians as in the general population.

 

The epidemic of obesity and diabetes in Native people is a very recent development. Before European colonization, depending on geography and culture, Native tribes ate traditional diets based on wild game, fish, roots, nuts, berries, greens, and organically grown corn. Even after tribal people were driven off their traditional lands, they still lived active lives, and obesity remained almost unknown. In the last few generations, however, sedentary lifestyles and processed foods have tipped the scales. Almost half of all American Indian children are now overweight, and one in four is obese.

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Restoring Strength by Facing History

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PrintRestoring Strength by Facing History

Wicasa was’aka is a Lakota term that means “strong men.” It describes the traditional role of Lakota men in tribal society. Wicasa was’aka serve and protect their fellow tribal members with courage, wisdom, respect, compassion, self-sacrifice, and skill.

 

Many other American Indian tribes have similar ideas of male gender roles. However, modern realities can make it hard for Native boys to grow into strong men.

 

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CARS: When Native Children Always Ride Safe

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American Indians and Alaska Natives face many health disparities related to personal behavior. If the behavior changes, then the health disparity can be reduced or eliminated.

 

One of the biggest and saddest Native health disparities involves car crashes. Native children are almost twice as likely as children of other races to die in a motor vehicle crash. This is because Native children are less likely than other children to wear seatbelts or to sit in car safety seats when they ride in cars.

 

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Indigenous Cultures Day

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ICDP - AlaskaIndigenous Cultures Day at the Seattle Center gives indigenous peoples the opportunity to express their culture through performance, food, visual art, film, and other festive activities. The program is held annually in August and is free to the public. Last year, Indigenous Culture Day featured performances by Aztec, Filipino, Guelaguetza, Haida, Japanese, Maya, Panamanian, Peruvian, Tahitian, and Zapotec traditional dancers, representing North, Central, and South America as well as the islands of the Pacific. This year, the program will be held on Saturday, August 17, with events at the Seattle Center Armory and the Mural Amphitheatre from 10 AM to 7 PM.

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Bill Ward

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bill wardP4NH Spotlight: Bill Ward Bill Ward sends a shout out to the Pacific Northwest and UW Medicine! It was an honor to interview him for this month’s Spotlight. His wisdom and motivation for service are truly inspiring. For almost 40 years in the Northwest Bill cherishes the memories of outdoor photography and working in a winery in the Columbia Valley region. He enjoys spending time at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with the peace and quiet without cell phones, televisions or cars.

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P4NH Spotlight: Hopeful Connections

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Group - 2P4NH Spotlight: Hopeful Connections

In 2011, 28 Alaska Native cancer survivors shared their cancer experiences during an in-depth interview study (generously funded by the Institute of Translational Health Sciences).  When these survivors came together to discuss what was learned from their interviews, they immediately formed a supportive group! Most had never talked about their cancer experiences, and they found being with other survivors to be very beneficial. As a result, the group decided to continue meeting and soon named themselves, ‘Hopeful Connections.’

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2013 NPCC Grantees

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We are pleased to announce the 2013 Native People for Cancer Control Community Grantees! Below are the grantees and their project titles:

Billings Clinic Cancer Center: “Fit and Fabulous – Getting Educated and Healthy”
Inland Northwest Health Services: “Reducing Cancer Risk in the Spokane Tribe of Indians”
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe: “Spirit of the Drum Breast Cancer Survivor Support Group”
Native American Community Board: “Cancer Education Public Service Announcements in the Yankton Sioux Community”
Nimiipuu Health: “Women’s Wellness Day”
South Puget Inter-tribal Planning Agency: “Shining Light Walk to Colon Cancer Prevention”