ABSTRACT

The community and health programmatic needs of state-recognized tribes vary in comparison to tribes who are federally recognized. Federal recognition provides tribes with access to federal programs through Indian Health Services (IHS) and ensures a certain level of sovereignty. Little research explores the gaps in community programs experienced by state-recognized tribes as a result of their non-federal status or explores their resilience as a community in filling these gaps through other supports. Through collaboration with a community advisory board (CAB), a qualitative descriptive methodology was used to conduct 31 semi-structured interviews with adult women that self-identify as members of a state-recognized Gulf Coast Indigenous tribe. Using conventional content analysis, the following themes were identified: (a) Wellness Programs and the Power of Connection (b) Transmission of Traditional Knowledge (c) The Need for Women’s Support Groups; (d) Gaps in Programs; and (e) Barriers to Participating in Community and Tribal Programs. These results demonstrate the immense importance of community events as opportunities for transmission of cultural knowledge for tribal members, an integral aspect of securing tribal holistic wellbeing. Although social support and enculturation activities contribute to Indigenous groups’ overall health, this topic has been less studied for state-recognized tribes, particularly for those in the Gulf Coast tribe. Key implications of this study include the need for federal recognition and increased access to programmatic resources and highlights the importance of increased support and sovereignty for state-recognized tribes.

摘要

与联邦政府认可的部落相比，州认可的部落的社区和健康规划需求有所不同。联邦承认为部落提供了通过印第安卫生服务 (IHS) 获得联邦计划的机会，并确保一定程度的主权。很少有研究探讨国家认可的部落由于其非联邦身份而经历的社区计划中的差距，或探索他们作为一个社区通过其他支持填补这些差距的复原力。通过与社区咨询委员会 (CAB) 合作，使用定性描述方法对自认为是国家认可的墨西哥湾沿岸土著部落成员的成年女性进行了 31 次半结构化访谈。使用传统的内容分析，确定了以下主题：(a) 健康计划和联系的力量 (b) 传统知识的传播 (c) 需要妇女支持团体；(d) 方案差距；(e) 参与社区和部落计划的障碍。这些结果表明社区活动作为部落成员传播文化知识的机会的巨大重要性，这是确保部落整体福祉的一个组成部分。尽管社会支持和文化适应活动有助于土著群体的整体健康，但对于国家认可的部落，尤其是墨西哥湾沿岸部落的部落，这一主题的研究较少。这项研究的主要影响包括需要联邦承认和增加获得计划资源的机会，并强调增加对国家承认的部落的支持和主权的重要性。