Achieving Equities for Native American Communities
A Summary of the Tribal Projects
The creation of a state-tribal workgroup focused on
mitigating the health, social and economic disparities experienced by
Wisconsin's tribal communities was born out of the
government-to-government relationship between the Department of Health
Services and the sovereign tribes of
Wisconsin. The workgroup was formed in 2008 and continues to work toward
the development of programming and funding strategies aimed at improving
the quality of life and enhancing opportunities for those citizens living
in tribal communities.
Native American communities within
Wisconsin
experience significant disparities in a wide range of social, health and
economic categories. In no
small part, these inequities can be seen as symptoms of historic and
ongoing trauma experienced by Indigenous individuals, families and
communities. No simple solution exists that will eradicate the complex
interaction of psychological, physical, emotional, economic and
environmental stressors that perpetuate inequities within Native American
communities. However, the workgroup was charged with the long-range task
of developing strategies that will mitigate these inequities.
The workgroup has embedded a social-ecological model for promoting
behavioral change within an intervention framework that can be tailored to
a specific community’s readiness to address a given issue.
Pilot projects conducted by the Menominee Nation and the Red Cliff
Band have adapted this process to address issues within their respective
communities.
A report, summarizing the intervention process, may be obtained
through the link below. The
report is offered in the hopes that other tribes may find this information
helpful as they develop initiatives within their own communities.
Achieving Equities for Native
American Communities (PDF, 102 KB)
The report contains sections regarding:
- The
Achieving Equity for Native American Communities workgroup;
- Statistics
regarding disparities experienced by tribal communities;
- Historic
trauma;
- The
Social-Ecological Model;
- Prevention
Intervention Framework; and
- Community
Readiness and Community Engagement processes.
The following links provide access to the prevention frameworks that have
thus far been developed by the workgroup members as well as a community
assessment checklist.
Last Revised:
October 30, 2012 |
