Jessica Black

Reclaiming Indigenous Health in the US: Moving beyond the Social Determinants of Health

Year

The lack of literature on Indigenous conceptions of health and the social determinants of health (SDH) for US Indigenous communities limits available information for Indigenous nations as they set policy and allocate resources to improve the health of their citizens. In 2015, eight scholars from tribal communities and mainstream educational institutions convened to examine: the limitations of applying the World Health Organization’s (WHO) SDH framework in Indigenous communities; Indigenizing the WHO SDH framework; and Indigenous conceptions of a healthy community. Participants critiqued the assumptions within the WHO SDH framework that did not cohere with Indigenous knowledges and epistemologies and created a schematic for conceptualizing health and categorizing its determinants. As Indigenous nations pursue a policy role in health and seek to improve the health and wellness of their nations’ citizens, definitions of Indigenous health and well-being should be community-driven and Indigenous-nation based. Policies and practices for Indigenous nations and Indigenous communities should reflect and arise from sovereignty and a comprehensive understanding of the nations and communities’ conceptions of health and its determinants beyond the SDH.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Carroll,S.R.; Suina,M.; Jäger,M.B.; Black,J.; Cornell,S.; Gonzales,A.A.; Jorgensen,M.; Palmanteer-Holder,N.L.; DeLaRosa, J.S.; Teufel-Shone,N.I. Reclaiming Indigenous Health in the US: Moving beyond the Social Determinants of Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7495. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127495

Governance and Wellness Roundtable - Alaska Tribal Government Symposium

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

This discussion at the Alaska Tribal Government Symposium emphasizes the connections between Indigenous self-government and wellness.  Western methodologies are eager to emphasize the gaps in wellness (social, economic, and medical and mental health outcomes) between natives and non-natives. These gaps have been a strong justification for the imposition of western health and wellness models on the delivery of services to Native populations. Yet a growing body of evidence suggest that shifting the responsibility for wellness to Native communities, foregrounding Indigenous ways of knowing and Native nation self-governance, gives rise to greater wellness than western approaches. Roundtable participants discuss their experience with these ideas from their own wide-ranging perspectives, and share indigenous measures of wellness.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Governance and Wellness Roundtable" Alaska Tribal Government Symposium. Fairbanks, Alaska. November 16, 2016. 

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu

Roundtable: Traditional and Modern Governance and Decision Making in Alaska

Producer
Native Nations Institute
Year

A panel discussion with Native leaders in Alaska about the significance of tradition and culture that has influenced their Indigenous governance.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Topics
Citation

Native Nations Institute. "Roundtable: Traditional and Modern Governance and Decision Making in Alaska." Alaska Tribal Government Symposium. Fairbanks, Alaska. November 15, 2016 

Transcript available upon request. Please email: nni@email.arizona.edu