Native Americans
Native Americans in North Carolina have a long and thorough history here. They quickly became a marginalized group when Europeans settled and claimed land. These communities have faced things such as displacement, genocide, and all forms of abuse. By understanding what Native Americans have experienced in the face of adversity is the first step to overcoming the inequities that these communities face. Learning about how they understand their health and wellness through their eyes and through their culture, we can better understand this group and how to treat them in our health systems.
(NC DOA., 2020)
This map shows the current State and Federally Recognized Tribes and Urban Indian Organizations. The tribes listed are: Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony, and Waccamaw Siouan. The only federally recognized out of these is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Urban Indian Organizations include Cumberland County Association for Indian People, Guilford Native American Association, Metrolina Native American Association, and Triangle Native American Society. Out of the 100 counties in North Carolina, 27 counties occupy these tribes and organizations (NC DOA., 2020)
Native American Traditions that
Influence Understandings of Health
Medicinal Herbs
SquawvineSquawvine can be found in forests and wooded areas at the base of trees in the eastern part of the United States. This plant was used by Native Americans as a remedy mostly for women’s health. It can help treat menstrual cramps, prevent miscarriages, regulate labor contractions, increasing mothers' milk output, promote fertility, and post-partum depression. It can also be used for general use to treat “anxiety, hemorrhoids, insomnia, muscle spasms, edema, gravel, and inflammation”. It can be consumed as a medicinal tea, powders, or as a tincture (Swain, 2014, p. 2285-2286).
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BonesetBoneset was mainly used to treat influenza. It quickly caught popularity among European settlers as well and was a common cure all for many conditions. It was known to be given to help treat “colds, influenza, fevers, coughs, upper respiratory tract congestion, migraine, headache, skin conditions, worms, malaria, constipation, arthritis, muscular rheumatism, jaundice, and general debility” (Rowland, 2014, p 333). It can be consumed as a tincture or through an infused tea solution (Rowland, 2014, p 333-334).
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YarrowYarrow was used by Native Americans to target issues with the skin. This herb was being used even during Neanderthal times. It was also used by different Chinese cultures and Ancient Greeks as well. It is considered a highly spiritual and sacred plant that offers special powers of protection. It can help treat “rashes, hemorrhoids, and skin ulcers” and has been used to prevent hair loss as well. The entire plant has medicinal use and can be ingested as a tea or a tincture (Hanrahan, 2014, p 2697-2599).
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Medicine Wheel
A Medicine Wheel, also called a Sacred Hoop, is a popular healing tool used by certain tribes, primarily the Cherokee. This wheel has been presented in many different forms. It can be sewn onto fabrics such as blankets, clothes, and person items, or be a wooden wheel that is beaded and threaded. It can also be as literal as a stone circle, which can be in used in conjunction with other religious ceremonies (Cherokee, n.d). It has also been presented as different forms of artworks and paintings (National Institutes of Health, n.d). This wheel is very symbolic in its meaning and “The medicine wheel was thought to also show the path to healing, health, and balance” Cherokee, n.d). The wheel is usually broken up into four equal parts, all symbolizing the four cardinal directions. The four parts symbolize many different things and are usually color coordinated with bright colors like black, red, yellow and white. The major meanings used behind Medicine Wheels are stages of life, seasons, aspects of life, elements belonging to nature, animals, and ceremonial plants (National Institutes of Health, n.d).
Implications on Health
Historical Trauma
Dr Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart describes historical trauma as "the cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over one's lifetime and from generation to generation following loss of lives, land, and vital aspects of culture"
(Hope, N. 2021)
Native Americans have faced significant trauma for the past 500 years. From being forcibly removed from their land, homes, and families groups have persisted. After facing biohazards from European settlers and genocide from colonists, they still face significant trauma today. Discrimination and ignorance have been passed down through American culture overall and the trauma within the Native American community still persists (Hope, N. 2021).
This has caused Native Americans to have higher rates of addiction, violence, alcoholism, and sexual abuse. Children who were sent to boarding schools experienced all forms of abuse in an attempt to strip them of their culture and identity. "Epigenetic's suggest that unresolved trauma in the life of the mother gets passed along to offspring during gestation and affects the child's likelihood of developing mental and physical diseases and the child's ability to regulate and manage stress" (Hope, N. 2021).
Native American communities have some of the worst health outcomes, and this is not just unique to North Carolina, it is throughout the United States. Things such as poverty, education, sewage systems, living conditions, and nutrition are all indicating. factors of higher rates of violence, assault, and abuse within these communities. With such high rates of mental health issues, Native Americans have the highest suicide rate among all races, and starts earlier at 10-14 than other groups as well (Hope, N. 2021).
This has caused Native Americans to have higher rates of addiction, violence, alcoholism, and sexual abuse. Children who were sent to boarding schools experienced all forms of abuse in an attempt to strip them of their culture and identity. "Epigenetic's suggest that unresolved trauma in the life of the mother gets passed along to offspring during gestation and affects the child's likelihood of developing mental and physical diseases and the child's ability to regulate and manage stress" (Hope, N. 2021).
Native American communities have some of the worst health outcomes, and this is not just unique to North Carolina, it is throughout the United States. Things such as poverty, education, sewage systems, living conditions, and nutrition are all indicating. factors of higher rates of violence, assault, and abuse within these communities. With such high rates of mental health issues, Native Americans have the highest suicide rate among all races, and starts earlier at 10-14 than other groups as well (Hope, N. 2021).
Quick Statistics
GeneralNative Americans face decreased health and wellbeing in comparison to other racial groups. This community faces a 50% higher rate of mortality, when compared to Whites. Looking specifically at infant mortality, the rate climbs to 150% when compared to Whites. They are twice as likely to develop Diabetes, and even certain tribes carry higher risk rates that can exceed up to 3.5 times more likely. Native Americans are more likely to die from heart disease and have higher rates of tuberculosis (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine et al, 2017).
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Mental HealthMental health is where Native Americans' health is affected the most. This category is severely disproportional when compared to other racial groups. In comparison with the overall population, they have higher risk factors and prevalence rates for “depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and PTSD” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine et al, 2017, p 66). These factors all play into their suicide rates which leads this population to have a 50% higher suicide rate when compared to Whites. Just looking at Native Americans' leading causes of death among the teenage age range, suicide is the second leading cause of death (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine et al, 2017).
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As a Native American...
- only 17% of Native American Youth continue their education past High School, compared to 60% of American Youth.
- the infant death rate is 60% higher for Native Americans than the rate for Whites.
- you are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Diabetes.
- your life expectancy is 5.5 years shorter than any other racial group.
- women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.
- children are 2 times more likely to be abused
- 20.7% of the Native population is uninsured, while the National Average is 9%
The struggles that Native Americans face have been overlooked for too long. "The traditional ways of life, the tribal languages, the songs and dances, the wisdom of elders, and the strong values that once animated Native cultures have in many cases been threatened or extinguished" (Hope, N. 2021). Acknowledging the barriers that they face and still struggle with today is how we can better learn how to implement changes that can benefit these communities.
North Carolina and the United States as a whole needs to be doing more to help these communities break the cycles of trauma, abuse, and poverty that they are stuck in. If North Carolina is to move towards being more diverse and inclusive, the Native American community is definitely one that requires their attention. Accepting and recognizing these communities as their own unique and individual cultures is a key step in a step towards recovering from many years of discrimination and harm done to them. By learning about their culture and their understandings of health we can better learn how to treat them with equity within our health systems. |
Current NC American Indian Programs and Services
- American Indian Workforce Development Program
- Community Development Program: Low Income Energy Assistance
- Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Program
- Economic Development Program
- American Indian Health Related Topics
- Educational Resources
- North Carolina American Indian Fund Scholarship
- Section 8 Housing Assistance Program
- SUNS Program
- Health Check and Health Choice Outreach
- Indian Child Welfare Program
References:
Cherokee, E. B. of. (n.d.). The Meaning of the Medicine Wheel. Cherokee, NC. https://visitcherokeenc.com/cherokee-medicine-wheel/.
Hanrahan, C. (2014). Yarrow. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2597-2599). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900902/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=eb6d455e
Hope, N. (2021). Native American life today - Native hope. https://pages.nativehope.org/native-american-life-today#:~:text=For%20the%20past%20500%20years,the%20Native%20American%20people%20today.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States; Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., editors. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 11. 2, The State of Health Disparities in the United States. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425844/
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). The Medicine Wheel and the Four Directions - Medicine Ways: Traditional Healers and Healing - Healing Ways - Exhibition - Native Voices. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/medicine-wheel.html.
North Carolina Department of Administration. NC DOA. (2020). https://ncadmin.nc.gov/public/american-indians/map-nc-tribal-communities.
Rowland, B. (2014). Boneset. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 333-334). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900129/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=641fa4b6
Swain, L. (2014). Squawvine. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2285-2286). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900801/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=030de63b
Cherokee, E. B. of. (n.d.). The Meaning of the Medicine Wheel. Cherokee, NC. https://visitcherokeenc.com/cherokee-medicine-wheel/.
Hanrahan, C. (2014). Yarrow. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2597-2599). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900902/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=eb6d455e
Hope, N. (2021). Native American life today - Native hope. https://pages.nativehope.org/native-american-life-today#:~:text=For%20the%20past%20500%20years,the%20Native%20American%20people%20today.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States; Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., editors. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 11. 2, The State of Health Disparities in the United States. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425844/
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). The Medicine Wheel and the Four Directions - Medicine Ways: Traditional Healers and Healing - Healing Ways - Exhibition - Native Voices. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/exhibition/healing-ways/medicine-ways/medicine-wheel.html.
North Carolina Department of Administration. NC DOA. (2020). https://ncadmin.nc.gov/public/american-indians/map-nc-tribal-communities.
Rowland, B. (2014). Boneset. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 333-334). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900129/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=641fa4b6
Swain, L. (2014). Squawvine. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (4th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2285-2286). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3189900801/GVRL?u=char69915&sid=GVRL&xid=030de63b