Authors: Kanamori, Mariano, Bermudez-Del-Villar, A, Szeps-Znaider, Tamar

Publication Year: 2007

Last Updated: 2015-12-28

Journal: NCUIH

Keywords: Knowledge, Academic, Urban Indian Communities, Research

Abstract:

In order to better/properly address the healthcare needs of the urban Indian population from a policy oriented perspective, it is necessary to identify the status of health in the community. This can be done either by carrying out actual health study programs of the population or by accessing and interpreting published scientific studies and research papers, which is the purpose of the Knowledge Map. Thus by gaining an understanding of the knowledge available as well as the gaps in our knowledge there can be a renewed focus on the actual research needed to further identify and address the healthcare needs of the population.

More than any other community in the United States, urban Native Americans struggle with obtaining proper access to healthcare. This problem has its roots in a history of disenfranchisement; a situation which to this day is aggravated by a lack of knowledge and interest on the part of US policy makers in how to appropriately address contemporary urban Indian health issues. It is further exacerbated by a limited scope of research on the specific health related characteristics of urban Indian communities. Therefore, it is today – more than ever – urgent to create, foster and fund research projects tailored to urban Indian communities. Indian Country stands before a major health crisis, which must be addressed. Faced with a situation so despondent, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) decided to create an Urban Indian Knowledge Map to, first, identify relevant academic literature and scientific research studies and then to reveal the largest areas of gaps in our knowledge of this population’s issues. This presentation/paper, which is based on the findings of the Knowledge Map, seeks to do exactly that and to point to possible future areas of study, more comprehensive in nature.

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