Native American Women of Sovereign Nations

Photo by Dean Eyre, Edited by Kaipo Lucas and Lillian McBee

Why is this blog important?

    “Shhhh, we can’t talk too much about Native Americans in class because it is not applicable,” says the teacher again. I heard this in my U.S. History class. I heard this in my international history class. When can we talk about them then? To be honest, Native American people are a vital part of both U.S. and international history. True fact: the winners of the war write the history, and because indigenous people of the United States did not defeat Manifest Destiny, we don’t learn much about them in any high school class. By completely ignoring them, we can do nothing but prolong the cultural assimilation forced upon them during colonial times and cultural appropriation still existing today (i.e. Halloween costumes, mascots, fashion, etc). I am writing this blog to increase my own understanding and awareness of Native American issues especially concerning women’s roles in health and healing. Hopefully, this blog will find a place in your heart as well.

Background: 

There are 566 federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes as of 2014, which accounts for about 2 million people[1]. A large majority of these people live on reservations and in rural communities[2]. Most reservations are located within the 30% of U.S. counties most sparsely populated. As a result of this isolation, many AI/AN people have to travel a great distance to the closest significant service center or market[3].

Since 1778, the U.S. government has negotiated trades, rights, and benefits with various Native American peoples in the form of treaties. Many of these treaties exchanged land to the United States in return for continual health care and other services. Congress ended treaty making with Native American tribes in 1871; however, all past treaties are still considered to be “the supreme law of the land” under the U.S. Constitution[4,5,6]. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for representing all federally recognized tribes[7]. However, even with government provided health care, AI/AN people have some of the worst tangible health outcomes. For example, AI/AN peoples have higher rates of alcoholism, stroke, infant mortality, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, end stage renal disease, suicide, etcerea[8].

    “We know that Native Americans die of illnesses like diabetes, pneumonia, flu – even tuberculosis at far higher rates than the rest of the population…And closing these gaps is not just a question of policy, it’s a question of our values – it’s a test of who we are as a Nation.”
    -President Barack Obama, December 16, 20104

To compare, Medicare spent $11,018 per a beneficiary in 2009 while the IHS spent $3,348 per a beneficiary in 2010. While these are not in the same year, the IHS has historically had a lower budget per a beneficiary than Medicare, Veteran care, Medicaid, and federal employees[4]. Because of below standard health statistics and contrast in spending, many believe that the yearly IHS budget of $4.3 billion is not enough. According to the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Association of American Indian Physicians, it is believed that the IHS needs a yearly budget of $27 billion to run effectively[8].

Difficulty in accessing these rural areas has limited health care research such as maternal and child health via low response rates. These rates were usually due to the inability to contact respondents, but once found, respondents had equal response rates to non-white Hispanics[3]. Furthermore, AI/AN women are more likely than U.S. women to be raped/sexually assaulted, undergo family violence, or drink during pregnancy resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders[4]. Why are Native American women more likely to be victims today? The IHS, a government run institution, brings western medicine to reservations, but can there be a conflict of interest? Traditionally, AI/AN women have enjoyed rights similar to men depending on the specific tribe and have held powerful positions especially in medicinal roles as healers[8]. As this blog continues, we will explore the questions above via the health and societal role of Native American women.

Sources:

[1] Bureau of Indian Affairs. “Indian Affairs: Frequently Asked Questions.” Indian Affairs. US Department of The Interior, 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

[2] The Office of Minority Health. “American Indian/Alaska Native Profile.” Minority Health. The Department of Health and Human Services, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.

[3] Rochat, Roger. “The Challenges of Conducting Research to Improve the Health of American Indians and Alaska Natives.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 12.S1 (2008): 126-27.

[4] U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services. National Tribal Budget Recommendations for the Indian Health Service Fiscal Year 2013 Budget. Publication. U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services, 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

[5] Bureau of Indian Affairs. “Indian Affairs: Frequently Asked Questions.” Indian Affairs. US Department of The Interior, 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

[6] Kappler, Charles Joseph. Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1904. Digital.library.okstate.edu. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

[7] Spieler, Lauren. “American Indians and Alaska Natives: Breastfeeding Disparities and Resources.” Breastfeeding Medicine 5.5 (2010): 219-20. 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

[8] Promoting Wellness in Native American Communities Through Exercise, Disease Prevention and Traditional Healing. (2013). 42nd Annual Meeting of the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP). Santa Clara, CA.

[9] Pascale, Jordan. “Alternative Methods Still Important to Native Healers.” Native Daughters Alternative Methods Still Important to Native Healers Comments. University of Nebraska Lincoln, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.

See this original blog and other blogs about women's health at this link: http://stanford.edu/class/humbio129/cgi-bin/blogs/blog/2014/01/16/women-of-landlocked-sovereign-nations-background/