History of Indigenous Health

Understanding the history of Indigenous peoples' health in the United States can provide a more insightful look into the disparities in which the indigenous community unrightfully face and what steps can be taken to dismantle these inequities. Brett Lee Shelton's issue on the roots of healthcare in Indigenous history examines how healthcare was provided in Indigenous communities in North America and then contrasts its roots with the present day inequities present amongst the communities today. Shelton begins by describing how, prior to colonization, Indigenous people had been governing themselves for thousands of years. They had created systems to manage the health of their tribes. Traditional Indigenous diet and medicine derived from plants and animals allowed for them to maintain their health and wellness for years until European settlers arrived. The colonization of the Americas has since led to the continuous decline of Indigenous health. It was first greatly impacted in the 1800s when settlers brought diseases such as smallpox during westward expansion. Since Indigenous tribes had never had any sort of contact with these diseases before, their immune systems could not handle the sickness. This led to millions of deaths amongst tribes in the Americas.

While the Indigenous population was greatly affected by the westward expansion, only a limited amount of medical services and treatment was provided by settlers. Since the colonizers prioritized removing the tribes from their lands in order to expand their own borders, the funding for medical services amongst tribes was minimal. Unfortunately, the lack of funding is still a trend seen in the present day amongst the existing Indigenous population. This is because colonization has had a long lasting effect on Indigenous health. The National Center for Biotechnological Information states that “Native Americans have legal rights to federal health care services” which has led to the formation of the Indian Health Service (IHS). However, the Indigenous population faces many inequalities that prevent them from maintaining proper health as a whole. This occurs because there are certain barriers which prevent the IHS from actually delivering quality health care services due to its lack of funding.

While there are other options, such as seeking healthcare from private hospitals or clinics, there are socio-economic and cultural factors which Indigenous people face at extremely higher rates than other groups of people in the United States. For instance, the Indigenous population has one of the highest rates of poverty in the U.S. This was reported in the U.S. Census Bureau from 2015 which states that 28.3 percent of Native Americans are living in poverty while only 15.5 percent of the total population is facing poverty (NCBI). With the expensive cost that private healthcare and insurance brings, it is impossible for Indigenous people to keep up with seeing primary care physicians and dental cleanings. Other areas, such as acquiring an education, also are associated with public health as it has been studied that the more education an individual has received in their formative years, the higher quality of health they have. This is also related to the fact that receiving an education increases opportunities of getting a stable income which would provide more access to healthcare. Furthermore, adequate housing and location are necessary in ensuring good health for those residing in North America. In 2011, the IHS reported that 1 in 10 Indigenous homes have clean water (NCBI). This is just one example of housing inequities that have diminished Indigenous health throughout the years. Other factors, such as overcrowding, are also prevalent. Overcrowding is especially dangerous because it is associated with many different issues, such as behavioral problems and spread of infectious diseases.

Analyzing the history of Indigenous health can tell us that we have done little to repay the Indigenous people for residing on their land. While they were functioning perfectly fine for many years, colonization caused a drastic decline in the health of those who resided in the Americas before us. We can see these effects from the alarming statistics which compare Indigenous health to others in the United States.

References

Sciences, National Academies of, et al. “Native American Health:

Historical and Legal Context.” Communities in Action: Pathways to

Health Equity., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 11 Jan. 2017,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425854/.

Shelton, Brett Lee. Legal and Historical Roots of Health Care for

American ... Feb. 2004, https://www.kff.org/wp-

content/uploads/2013/01/legal-and-historical-roots-of-health-care-

for-american-indians-and-alaska-natives-in-the-united-states.pdf.