BE THE SOURCE FOR BETTER HEALTH: IMPROVING AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES THROUGH OUR CULTURES, COMMUNITIES, AND CONNECTIONS
November is Native American Heritage Month! This annual observance celebrates the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. It is also an opportunity to honor the legacy and stories of Tribal nations and Indigenous communities in the United States.
This year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is observing Native American Heritage Month with the theme, Be the Source for Better Health: Improving AI/AN Health Outcomes Through Our Cultures, Communities, and Connections. The theme calls on each of us to better understand how unique environments, cultures, and histories (known as social determinants of health, or SDOH) impact AI/AN populations and their overall health.
OMH is committed to working with its public health and community-based partners to Be the Source for Better Health by providing AI/AN populations with quality, equitable, and respectful information and resources. These tools have been developed to be responsive to their unique cultural backgrounds, health beliefs, practices, literacy levels and preferred languages. When individuals are provided with culturally and linguistically appropriate information, they are better able to create healthier outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Read President Joseph R. Biden’s remarks on Native American Heritage Month 2024.
Improving Maternal Health Outcomes for AI/AN Women
OMH partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HEAR HER Campaign for AI/AN People to encourage pregnant and postpartum people to start conversations with their providers about pregnancy-related concerns. Hear stories from AI/AN women who have experienced complications during or after pregnancy and find posters and handouts translated into multiple Native languages.
Visit the HEAR HER Campaign for AI/AN People site for more information and resources.
Food Sovereignty as a Path to Health Equity for Indigenous Communities
In this focus issue of Health Promotion Practice, OMH award recipients from the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity present a collection of articles about food sovereignty’s impact on AI/AN health.
Access the articles through the OMH Knowledge Center Catalog.
Get Involved in Native American Heritage Month
Join the conversation about AI/AN health on social media by tagging @MinorityHealth on X (in English and en español), Facebook, and Instagram with the hashtags #SourceForBetterHealth and #NAHM2024.