Sacred Road Action Plan

Native American people have a unique struggle in society. This stems from cultural epidemics like drug addiction, alcoholism, obesity, and rampant suicide, but also systemic racism and a sort of cultural lag. This is not meant to be a critique of culture, simply an observation of the condition of the families I have helped serve over the course of this internship. To be “Native” has become a slew of stereotypical representations. Stereotypes do not represent reality, but they do affect how individuals view themselves, and limit their ability to become anything but what they are expected to be. This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy. If Native American children grow up in a closed network, such as a reservation or a boundary, they are presented

Reflecting on the many western movies of my youth, it can be clearly recalled that the Native Americans were either scalping Euro Americans or getting sloppy drunks so they could not function physically and/or mentally. This abuse of alcohol and, in general, acceptance of drunken behavior beyond recollection of

Abstract Native American poverty is a social problem in the United States. For historic, political, sociocultural, and economic reasons, this issue affects not only those impoverished but American society as a whole. The most impoverished Native American communities are frequently within the boundaries of reservations. The rates of unemployment, low wages, and infant mortality are among the highest in the country on several reservations. Disease, mental illness, alcoholism, and fetal alcohol syndrome are also prevalent within the Native American population. To improve these conditions, strategies should be put into place to build stable economies in the otherwise isolated reservations.

Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations Marcia Maris Grand Canyon University NRS-429v November 14, 2015 The purpose of this paper is to discuss the health status of the American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AI/AN). A comparison and contrast of AI/ANs with the national average regarding the health status such as heart disease and strokes will be presented. Multifactorial barriers limiting health, and the overall factors affecting health within this population are identified. Current health status will be presented including health promotion and disparities among this US population. Primary, secondary, and tertiary health promotions will be discussed along with one approach to promoting health offered.

Throughout the years there has been a consistent need for people to reach out to help the Native American community. This is due to the fact that statistics tell us that there are many Native Americans who abuse drugs and alcohol. This sometimes leads to addiction and the consequences they

People often go through life without knowing what it’s like to be in another person’s shoes. Many outsiders view the United States today, as an undemanding country- with its citizens being able to have jobs and money whenever they need it and living life to it’s fullest. This is the commonly depicted idea of America, though this is not the lifestyle for many living here. Specifically, the Native American community has it the hardest currently. Native Americans have been consistently struggling with life since the Removal Act of 1830- causing mass groups of Natives to be forced onto reservation, ‘till the modern world of today- the 21 century. In the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, articles “Why Are Indian Reservations So Poor? A Look At The Bottom 1%” by John Koppisch,“The Absence of Native American Power” and “Drinking Behavior and Sources of Alcohol: Differences Between Native American and White Youths” they explain what the average Native American has to go through. Today, being Native American means to constantly struggle with poverty, alcoholism and loss of to try and get by in life.

Native American tribal communities are one of the most disadvantaged and socially vulnerable groups in the United States. Widespread poverty, alcoholism and lack of services are common throughout Native American tribal lands, leading to high social vulnerability on many levels. In addition, tribes and their indigenous traditions may be particularly vulnerable to damage caused by environmental change, as “tribal cultural practices and religious beliefs are rooted in the

There are plenty of things that are important to me, but there is a specific thing that holds a special place in my heart. For the past three summers, I have spent a week in Shiprock, New Mexico. Why is this town important? Shiprock is on the Navajo Reservation. My church takes a small group of people out there to put on a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the children at Shiprock Church of Christ. I love seeing the children and getting to know them better. The town of Shiprock is a town full of wonderful people. At first glance, the towns on the Navajo Reservation aesthetically resemble towns in Missouri, but that is not necessarily a beneficial thing and it is important to me that everyone learn about the realities of the Navajo Indian Reservation.

The area I will be living and working in is severely crippled by poverty, despite the fact that it exists in a relatively well-off county in the US, a country with the common perception of having a high standard of living. I hope to learn a lot about how this happened, and what this group of people, who is extremely unrepresented and often feels invisible, thinks should be done about it. The Native American people I will be living and working with will have a completely different perspective than I do, and I am hoping to absorb as much of their stories and viewpoints as possible while I am there. I also plan to learn on a deeper level about the conditions in which they are forced to survive in and, in that, learn more about possible poverty

The American Indian/Alaskan Native people have a heritage that is rich in culture and history rich in conflict, strife, and triumph (Indians.org, n.d.). The American Indian/Alaskan Native have come a long way compared to their ancestors, however, the culture continues to struggle today with disparities such as poverty, poor health, demographic and social challenges, and a severely limited health care system due in part by lack of funding for health

In this video we get an inside of the pine ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. We get the opinions of the reservation of what the government is doing to help this Native Americans with the suicidal rates. The person being interviewed is Pastor Leon 'Blunt Horn' Mathews former member

Have you ever thought about people who need help in your community and ways you could help? In Aniak, Alaska, there was a need in the medical field because the town only had one doctor. A team of teenagers saw this need and decided they could do something about it and formed a team called the Dragon Slayers. On the other side of the country, Cassandra saw a different kind of need in her community. Because of harsh Rhode Island winters, fuel for heating homes is really important. She and her friends learned about biodiesel and how it could help her community. In the two articles, Defeating Dragons and Food That Fuels, young people saw community needs and helped bring positive change in unique ways.

This non- profit organization encourages individuals to learn survival skills in the wilderness and take risks that require stepping out of comfort zones. The organization believes that mission trips should have an outdoor adventure and a rewarding service project. The “adventure” part of this trip was backpacking eighteen miles through Yellowstone. Our path was filled with rocky hills and unleveled ground, and by the time we got to our campground, our feet were covered in blisters. That night, our exhausted group of eight slept under a tarp held up by a pole in the middle of a treeless field where buffalo hooves were imprinted into the ground. We woke up to the sun rising over the mountain tops and valleys that were unending. And though our bodies were aching, we felt energized and

There are three levels of health care prevention in which the American Indians and Alaskan Natives can use to improve their common disparities. The primary level of prevention is used to prevent diseases or conditions from occurring. The second level of prevention is used to reduce the extent of a existing disease within a community or population, and the tertiary level of prevention is used to slow down the impact of a disease or illness that may have lasting effects. For this group of the minorities the primary prevention is most effective by preventive health implementations for individuals and communities through access to healthcare, immunization, nutrition information, tobacco cessation, and substance abuse, among many other preventive measures (Institute for Work,

In spring of 2016, my youth group and I began planning a trip to a neighboring city. This wasn’t just any trip however, we were going on a mission. Each of us there were bound and determined to