Table of Contents

1. Native American Women of Sovereign Nations
• Why is this blog is important?
• Sovereign nations
• Tribal treaties with the U.S. government.
• Creation of the Indian Health Service (IHS) - It's not free. 
• Limitations of Rural Areas
• Introduction to health topics affecting Native American Women
2. Native American Women - Changing Roles and Resulting Health Effects
• Brief overview of Native American women's roles in pre-colonial times (focus on Plains tribes)
• Transition of Native American women's roles during colonial times
• Affect of the Christian church
• Role of the U.S. government
• Forced sterilizations of Native American women by the IHS 
3. Western Medicine vs. Traditional Medicine
• Focus on the Rose Mesteth of the Ogala Lakota
• Anecdote of Dr. Lori Arviso Alvord, first Navajo woman to become a board certified surgeon
• Influence of native women in medicine--helping to close the gap between Western medicine and traditional tribal medicine 
4. Health Status of Māori Women in New Zealand
• Small highlight of a popular Māori tradition - ka mate haka
• Health risks of Native Māori women
• Case study of gender role misinterpretation 
5. Understanding Māori Women
• General portrayal of Māori women through Christian/European lens - a skewed view
• How Christianity changed Māori women's roles in traditional society 
• Māori women's real importance in Māori society 
• Return to the case study presented in the 4th blog post
6. Health Interventions for Native American Women
• The importance of community partnerships
• Examples of ongoing health interventions to promote: 
• Physical Activity
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Reduced Alcohol dependency
• Reproductive Health 
• Sexual Violence Awareness
• Hope for the future
7. Health Interventions BY Native American Women
• Anecdotes of Native American Women making a difference in their communities
• How STDs affect native women
• Donnie Blackwolf, Shana Cozad, Lisa Tiger
• National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• National Indian Health Board
• Promoting general health and wellness
• American Indian Institute 
• Honoring Native Life
• Lakota women protesting alcohol abuse at Whiteclay
• How domestic violence affects native women
• Mending of the Sacred Hoop
• These interventions demonstrate the fortitude and tenacity of native women.
8. Health Disparities in Aboriginal Women of Canada
• Historical similarities between Canada and the U.S. 
• Boarding Schools - the drastic cultural effect especially on gender roles
• Relationship between colonial mistreatment and health inequality in aboriginal women
• Hope in changing times
9. Interesting Health Updates for Native American women
• Review of journal article "Native American Race, Use of Indian Health Service, and Breast and Lung Cancer Survival in Florida"
• Breast cancer survival rates found to be worse for Native American Women
• No difference found in lung cancer survival rates
• Review of journal article "Lessons Learned in Community Research Through The Native Proverbs 31 Health Project"
• Aimed to promote physical activity in women and girls of the Lumbee tribe
• Stresses the importance of tribal leadership involvement
• Review of journal article "Ovarian and Uterine Cancer Incidence and Morality in American Indian and Alaska Native Women, United States, 1999-2009"
• Ovarian and uterine cancer death rates in AI/AN women were found to be similar to rates in white women
• Incidence rates and death rates for both cancers were found to differ by IHS coverage region