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Frequently Asked Questions

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How can I learn more about ATSDR?

What does ATSDR do and what projects does it plan for the future?

What services does OTA provide?

What does ATSDR/OTA do to address American Indian and Alaska Native public health concerns?

How does ATSDR/OTA support tribal emergency preparedness?

What training does ATSDR/OTA provide to the American Indian and Alaska Native community?

What is the Alaska Traditional Diet Project?

How does ATSDR/OTA support American Indian and Alaska Native educational initiatives?

What are ATSDR’s Tribal Cooperative Agreements?

Has ATSDR/OTA been recognized by the American Indian and Alaska Native community?

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How can I learn more about ATSDR?
Go to the ATSDR FAQ page.

What does ATSDR do and what projects does it plan for the future?
Read ATSDR’s Final FY 2002 Performance Report, Final FY 2003 Performance Plan, and Draft FY 2004 Performance Plan at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/performanceplan/performanceplan.html.

What services does OTA provide?
OTA provides a point-of-contact for tribes to access ATSDR and its environmental public health programs; trained staff to assist ATSDR in coordinating with tribal governments; environmental perspectives that incorporate native culture and traditional values; assistance to ATSDR management in responding to presidential executive orders and federal mandates impacting tribes; development of policy and programs for American Indian/Alaska Native governments, organizations, and communities; and coordination of activities to support tribal-specific public health needs.

What does ATSDR/OTA do to address American Indian and Alaska Native public health concerns?
With the exception of the Indian Health Service, ATSDR spends a greater percentage of its budgeted funding on the health of American Indian/Alaska Natives than any other federal agency. In FY 2002, ATSDR's support to tribes allowed the development of needs assessments for seven tribes impacted by release of radiation at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, development of environmental public health curricula at four tribal colleges, and support for the Alaska Traditional Diet Project (ATDP).

What training does ATSDR/OTA provide to the American Indian and Alaska Native community?
OTA continually assesses the training needs of tribal communities and develops appropriate training programs to meet identified needs. In 2002, ATSDR worked with Alaska Native tribes to develop an environmental public health training needs assessment to all 235 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes to determine the most needed and applicable training. In response to requests from tribal governments and communities in Alaska to conduct training on ATSDR’s public health assessment process, ATSDR designed and held a 5-day course in Anchorage in February 2003. This course taught the fundamental process used to evaluate exposures to contaminants released from hazardous waste sites. The course content was essentially the same as Basic Course for Health Assessment and Consultation taught each year in Atlanta, but with examples and case studies specific to Alaska. Topics included reviewing environmental sampling data, involving the community in the assessment process, identifying potential and completed exposure pathways, evaluating health implications, and determining appropriate public health actions. Photos from the course in Anchorage can be viewed on this site.

OTA, in cooperation with ATSDR’s Division of Health Education and Promotion, has designed and implemented a training program for health care and environmental health workers in tribal communities. The goal of the training is to raise awareness and improve tribal clinician knowledge, skills, and access to resources to identify, prevent, and respond to health issues related to environmental contaminants. ATSDR involved tribes in the development of this program, soliciting feedback from tribes following the presentation of program concepts at several conferences and meetings in 2002. ATSDR also administered a needs assessment to Indian Health Service (IHS) personnel working with tribes across the United States. ATSDR piloted this training program at the August 2003 annual meeting of the Association of American Indian Physicians. See the project's factsheet (156KB PDF) for more details.

How does ATSDR/OTA support tribal emergency preparedness?
OTA, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is evaluating (1) tribal emergency response capabilities related to chemical, biological, and radiological emergencies and (2) tribal knowledge of deregulated commercial and medical radioactive material, and the potential of it being illegally deposited on tribal land. Surveying tribes on these topics is helping ATSDR and EPA to assess the present level of tribal emergency response infra-structure, knowledge, training, and equipment. This will lead to the development of criteria for improvement, enhancement, or development of an integrated tribal emergency response program. OTA also integrates emergency preparedness topics into its tribal training programs.

What is the Alaska Traditional Diet Project?
The Alaska Traditional Diet Project operates in response to a Congressional mandate to study and identify contaminants in the environment that may impact subsistence resources and to influence dietary decisions to prevent adverse health outcomes in Alaska Native and American Indian people. Over 600,000 people call Alaska home and about one-sixth are Alaska Natives whose traditional diets can make up to 90% of their diet. Providing assurance that their subsistence foods are safe to eat is critical to their cultural practices. Dietary assessments are now complete for over 660 participants in 13 communities.

How does ATSDR/OTA support American Indian and Alaska Native educational initiatives?
Within ATSDR’s Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR’s Tribal Affairs program has developed curricula for environmental public health study at tribal colleges and universities. In 2002, ATSDR/OTA developed curricula for four schools: College of Menominee Nation, Dine College, Northwest Indian College, and Turtle Mountain Community College.

What are ATSDR’s Tribal Cooperative Agreements?
ATSDR's Tribal Affairs program facilitates and maintains cooperative agreements with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes for various purposes, including developing environmental public health curricula at tribal colleges, updating training needs assessments, and building environmental public health capacity.

Has ATSDR/OTA been recognized by the American Indian and Alaska Native community?
In 2002, the National Indian Health Board gave a Special Recognition Award to ATSDR for its work with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, for outstanding service and commitment to improve the health status of American Indians and Alaska Native people throughout Indian country.

In 2003, the EPA awarded OTA the Suzanne E. Olive National EEO award for the achievement of outstanding civil rights through establishment of the first-ever environmental grants program focused on tribal populations.


This page last updated on December 15, 2003


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