Introduction
All federally recognized tribes are sovereign entities
that share a unique government-to-government relationship with
the U.S. government. A combination of numerous treaties, court
cases, and legislative decisions has obligated the federal government
to provide health care and human services to American Indians and Alaska
Natives. However, striking health disparities exist in Native American
populations. For example, 73% of Native Americans reside in Federally
Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the average
life expectancy of Native Americans is four years lower than that
of the general U.S. population. The conditions in the poorest reservations
often approach those of third world nations. The resources below
provide specific information on tribal health and human services disparities, as well
as funding sources and tools that can be used to help improve health
care and human services for Native Americans.
Sources: Minorities
in Rural America, South Carolina Rural Health Research Center,
2002; Facts
on Indian Health Disparities, Indian Health Service, 2005.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
American Indian & Alaska Native (AI/AN) Populations
Web site
Provides overviews of health and related statistics for American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Also offers brochures, slideshows, funding sources, and a variety of external web links.
American Indian and Alaska Native Data and Links
Database
Provides statistical information and data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations, including population characteristics, economic data, American Community Surveys, and maps.
American Indian and Alaska Native Programs
Web site
Works to promote the health and well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives through research, training, continuing education, technical assistance, and information dissemination.
American Indian Disability Technical Assistance Center
Technical assistance
Provides information and technical assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages that helps their members with disabilities live healthy, integrated lives within their communities.
American Indian Health
Web site
Provides links to a variety of resources on issues related to American Indian health and well-being. Includes information on health care access, specific health conditions, and environmental health.
American Indian/Alaska Native Center
Web site
Contains links to information about American Indian/Alaska Native health and Medicare & Medicaid services.
Arctic Health
Web site
Serves as an information portal to issues affecting the health and well-being of northern-most inhabitants including Alaska Natives.
Cancer Health Disparities
Web site
Cancer statistics for African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. Includes information on NCI research activities related to cancer health disparities.
Center for American Indian Health: Training Opportunities
Web site
Training opportunities for American Indian researchers.
Community Development Resources: Native Americans
Web site
Contains links to Native American organizations, planning tools, case studies, funding programs, federal, state and local contacts, statistical data and online publications.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Web site
Describes a federal income tax credit for eligible low-income workers which reduces the amount of tax an individual owes, and may be returned in the form of a refund.
Ensuring the Seventh Generation: A Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Tribal Child Welfare Programs
Web site
Toolkit intended for tribal child welfare workers and care providers discussing: child and youth suicide risk factors; specific risk factors associated with children served in child welfare; warning signs for caseworkers and care providers to be alert to; suicide prevention and intervention strategies that can be applied in child welfare agencies; and mobilization of support networks around particular children.
Get Connected: Promoting Telephone Subscribership in Indian Country
Web site
The Lifeline Assistance program enables participants living on tribal lands to receive basic monthly telephone service at their primary residence for as little as one dollar a month. The Link-Up America program provides a discount on the initial installation of a traditional, wireline telephone or activation of a wireless telephone for a primary residence.
IHS Fact Sheets
Web site
Offers information on specific healthcare topics concerning American Indian and Alaska Natives. Covers health disparities, treaties and laws, statistics and more.
Index of Native American Non-Profit Resources on the Internet
Web site
Extensive links to Native American non-profits and sources of funding for Native America programs.
Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program
Database
Contains information on the IHS Loan Repayment Program for health professionals committed to practice at an IHS or other Indian health program.
MedlinePlus: Native American Health
Web site
Contains links to resources related to Native American health; including organizations, statistics, and publications.
National Indian Country Methamphetamine Initiative
Web site
Serves as a national advertisement campaign against methamphetamine in Indian Country.
National Stimulus Indian County Works
Web site
Provides tribal governments vital information about funding streams available in the stimulus act.
Native American Calling
Web site
Serves as a live call-in program that links public radio stations, the Internet, and listeners together and covers issues specific to Native communities. Call toll-free 1-800-996-2848.
Native American Cancer Research
Web site
Offers resources and research on Native American cancer.
Native American Elderly Service Centers
Web site
Displays a nationwide, interactive map that shows the location of Native elderly services. Map provides the name of the location, which leads to the address, contact information, and lists the services provided.
Native Elder Services Locator Project
Web site
Is a nationwide interactive map that shows the location of Native elderly health and human services in specific communities.
Native Health Database
Database
Includes citations and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations.
Office of Family Assistance Division of Tribal TANF Management
Web site
Provides Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) contacts, programs, announcements, and guidance.
Office of Native American Programs (ONAP)
Web site
Provides administration of programs, including working closely with tribes and tribally designated housing entities to help address housing and community development issues.
Rural Health Research: American Indians and Alaska Natives
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of American Indians and Alaska Natives, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC)
Web site
Supports Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations in their efforts to enhance the quality, affordability and supply of child care available for all families.
Tribal Connections
Web site
Provides links and information on community health, cultural resources, funding, and government assistance for American Indians/Alaskan Natives.
Tribal Court Clearinghouse Domestic Violence Resources
Web site
Offers links to publications and resources related to domestic violence. Includes summaries of laws related to domestic violence issues.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
AHRQ Research and Other Activities Relevant to American Indians and Alaska Natives- Update 2007
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Describes AHRQ activities relevant to the American Indians and Alaska Natives population.
Date: 02 / 2007
American Indian and Alaska Native Children: Results from the 2000 Census
Author(s): C. Matthew Snipp
Sponsoring organization: Population Reference Bureau
Examines the geographic distribution and socioeconomic characteristics of American Indian and Alaska Native children, whose population virtually doubled between 1990 and 2000 because of changes to the 2000 Census.
Date: 08 / 2005
American Indian and Alaska Native Early Childhood Health, Development, and Education Research
Author(s): Patricia Cahape Hammer, William G. Demmert, Jr.
Sponsoring organization: Edvantia
Reviews research focused on early childhood issues in American Indian and Alaska Native health, development, and education.
Date: 12 / 2003
American Indian and Alaska Native Health Issue Paper
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
Detailed overview of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health issues. Includes a history of health service provision by the federal government. Provides policy recommendations.
Date: 11 / 2006
American Indians/Alaska Natives and Cardiovascular Diseases
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
Reports, through graphs and bulleted statements, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Date: 2008
American Indians/Alaskan Natives and Lung Disease
Sponsoring organization: American Lung Association
Provides statistics on the prevalence of lung disease in the American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Date: 01 / 2007
Arthritis in American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Author(s): Leander (Russ) McDonald, Richard Ludtke, Alan Allery, Kyle Muus
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
Discusses arthritis prevalence and its impact on the health of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders.
Date: 2006
Ask the Experts: American Indian/Alaska Native Health
Author(s): Charles Grim, Jim Crouch, Yvette Roubideaux
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Transcript and video of a 9/27/04 webcast examining the state of health and health care in the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population, funding for AI/AN health care programs, and efforts to improve AI/AN health, and access to other health care resources. Includes discussion of how to meet the unique needs of both rural and urban populations.
Date: 09 / 2004
Assessing American Indian Long-term Care Needs
Author(s): Steven P. Wallace, William F. Benson, Richard Ludtke, Leander McDonald, Margaret Moss, Yvonne Jackson
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Overviews existing information on long-term care needs of American Indian elders and resources available to help tribes identify their long-term care needs.
Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Describes the health disparities facing the Native American community, contributing barriers to health care access, and recommendations for improvement.
Date: 09 / 2004
Building Native Communities: A Guide to Claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Discusses the Earned Income Tax Credit as well as to help eligible Native people access it.
Date: 2004
Characteristics of Native American WIC Participants: On and Off Reservations
Author(s): Nancy Cole
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Describes Native American participation in the WIC program.
Date: 05 / 2002
Disaster Preparedness Training for Tribal Leaders
Author(s): Wayne F. Peate, Jennie Mullins
Describes a disaster preparedness training program for tribal leaders conducted in Arizona. Discusses the role of cultural competency, respect for tribal sovereignty, solicitation of historical examples of indigenous preparedness, and incorporation of tribal community networks in the success of the program.
Journal citation: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology Volume 3 Issue 2
Date: 01 / 2008
Elders' Obesity Challenge
Author(s): Leander McDonald, Richard Ludtke, Alan Allery, Kyle Muus
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
Overviews obesity rates among Native American elders. Includes statistics by age group and gender.
Date: 09 / 2005
Expanding Telecommunications Access in Indian Country
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
Provides an overview of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the types of available communications technology, and FCC programs that are aimed at promoting
telecommunications services in Indian Country.
Date: 07 / 2006
Faststats: Health of American Indian or Alaska Native Population
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
Contains health-related statistics for the American Indian or Alaska Native population. Statistics include: population, live births, health status, health risk factors, access to health care, mortality rates, and more.
Date: 2007
Grants and Funding Information for American Indian/Alaska Native Researchers
Author(s): Martha L. Means
Sponsoring organization: University of Washington
Guide to finding and obtaining funding for Native American health research.
Date: 02 / 2002
Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Health Care for American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Reports findings from a study assessing health insurance coverage and access to health care among American Indian and Alaska Native elders (Native elders), using data from a national survey that included more than 8,300 Native elders.
Date: 10 / 2007
Highlights: American Indians and Alaska Natives and Tobacco
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics related to tobacco-related health effects and tobacco use in the American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Date: 10 / 2000
HIV/STD Prevention Guidelines for Native American Communities: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention
Provides a framework to create HIV/STD prevention programs tailored to Native Americans, reflecting the unique culture of Native communities and a starting point for program development at the local level.
Date: 2004
Hypertension in American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Author(s): Kyle Muus
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
Outlines the prevalance of hypertension among the American Indian and Alaska Native population as identified through studies. Uses text and graphs to display information by age, gender, and disease.
Date: 08 / 2008
If You Knew the Conditions…: Health Care to Native Americans
Sponsoring organization: National Library of Medicine
Summarizes the history of U.S. government health initiatives and biographies of famous Native American physicians. This is an online version of a 1994 exhibit on Native American Health.
Date: 1994
Indian Child Welfare Act and the States
Author(s): Andrea Wilkins
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
Discusses the lack of ICWA enforcement and why it is a problem throughout the country.
Date: 04 / 2004
Indian Health Service Facts on Indian Health Disparities
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
Provides statistics on Indian health disparities and mortality disparities.
Date: 06 / 2008
Indian Health Service: Health Care Services Are Not Always Available to Native Americans
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Examines the availability of primary care including medical, dental and vision, as well as certain ancillary and specialty services to Native Americans. Discusses factors associated with the availability of services.
Date: 08 / 2005
Indian Issues: More Consistent and Timely Tribal Recognition Process Needed
Author(s): Barry Hill
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Discusses the Bureau of Indian Affair's regulatory process for federally recognizing Indian tribes.
Date: 02 / 2002
Individual Development Account Handbook and Tribal IDA Programs: A Guide to IDA Programs in Indian Country
Author(s): Alisa Larson
Sponsoring organization: First Nations Development Institute
Designed for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians region tribes as a resource for exploring IDA programs in Indian Country.
Date: 09 / 2003
Legal and Historical Roots of Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S.
Author(s): Brett Lee Shelton
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
Overviews the history of health care provision to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Includes a timeline of legislative and historical events as well as detailed overview of the laws, federal agencies, and issues involved. Also includes a brief section on current issues in AI/AN health care.
Date: 02 / 2004
Making Rural Housing Programs Work in Indian Country: A Guide for Tribes and Tribal Housing Associations
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Contains general information about USDA's housing programs' structure and how they
operate, housing program descriptions, information about RHS's specific response to Indian Country, identifies tribes, tribal housing agencies, and what individuals need to do to "get ready" for assistance, and
a glossary of terms, documents, key regulations, and contacts.
Date: 08 / 2004
National Trends in the Perinatal and Infant Health of Rural American Indians (AIs) and Alaska Natives (ANs): Have the Disparities Between AI/ANs and Whites Narrowed?
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Summarizes findings from a study examining trends in prenatal care receipt, low-birthweight rates, neonatal and postneonatal death rates, and cause of death among rural American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and whites between 1985 and 1997.
Date: 09 / 2007
Nearly Half of Urban American Indians and Alaskan Natives Travel Back to Their Reservation to Visit During the Year
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Briefly overviews a study of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) who live in cities and travel to reservations, and how this travel may be related to health.
Date: 01 / 2006
Nutritional Risks Among Native American Elders
Author(s): Leander McDonald, Richard Ludtke
Sponsoring organization: National Resource Center on Native American Aging
Discusses nutritional risks of Native American elders. Includes information on social and chronic disease factors that relate to nutritional risk.
Date: 04 / 2005
OJJDP's Tribal Youth Initiatives
Author(s): Kay McKinney
Sponsoring organization: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Describes the efforts of OJJDP to assist tribal communities through such initiatives as the Tribal Youth Program, the Tribal Youth Program Mental Health Project, the Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement (CIRCLE) Project, training and technical assistance, and research and evaluation.
Date: 03 / 2003
People with Disabilities on Tribal Lands: Education, Health Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Independent Living
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
Reports on the health, rehabilitation, independent living, and education issues that impact people with disabilities living in Indian Country. Discusses views and perspectives of American Indian/Alaska Native people with disabilities, tribal leaders, and federal agency representatives. Recommends ways state, tribal and federal government could improve relationships and coordination of programs.
Date: 08 / 2003
Perinatal and Infant Health Among Rural and Urban American Indians/Alaska Natives
Author(s): Laura-Mae Baldwin, David C. Grossman, Susan Casey, Walter Hollow, Jonathan R. Sugarman, William L. Freeman, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Provides a national profile of rural and urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) maternal and infant health.
Journal citation: American Journal of Public Health Volume 92 Issue 9 Pages: 1491-1497
Date: 09 / 2002
Promoting Quality Throughout Indian Country
Author(s): Vida Foubister
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Describes how the Indian Health Service' federal, tribal, and urban health facilities have been making strides in quality improvement.
Date: 11 / 2008
Quiet Crisis: Federal Funding and Unmet Needs in Indian Country
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Describes federal funding for services to Native Americans, including health care, education, housing and other topics, and assesses the adequacy of that funding.
Date: 07 / 2003
Review of the Quality of Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Author(s): Yvette Roubideaux
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
Documents health care disparities for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and reports on progress made in the last five years to reduce or eliminate gaps in care. Discusses changes to the AI/AN health care infrastructure and new quality initiatives.
Date: 09 / 2004
Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use among American Indian or Alaska Native Youths
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Compares the risk and protective factors for substance abuse of American Indian or Alaska Native youths with youths from other racial/ethnic groups.
Date: 09 / 2004
Risk Factors for Chronic Disease and Injury Vary Greatly by Region and Sex Among American Indians and Alaskan Natives
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Overviews the differences among American Indians and Alaska Natives, by geographic region and sex for three health risk factors: current cigarette smoking, awareness of having diabetes, and not wearing a seatbelt.
Date: 02 / 2000
Role of Social Capital in Poverty Alleviation in Native American Reservation Communities
Author(s): Kathleen Pickering, David Mushinski, John C. Allen
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Rural Poverty Research Center
Evaluates the different types of social capital in 12 Native American communities and considers the implications of that capital for the types of poverty reduction programs which would be effective in each community.
Date: 02 / 2006
Services in Native American Communities
Author(s): Beth Stroul
Sponsoring organization: National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health
Summarize issues and challenges related to services in Native American communities and identifies effective service delivery strategies.
Date: 07 / 2006
Strengthening Tribal/State Collaborations: Opportunities for Further Direction
Author(s): Chandra Robinson
Sponsoring organization: Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network
Provides peer technical assistance from tribes and states operating TANF/NEW programs. Highlights of a two day workshop.
Date: 09 / 2002
Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders among American Indians and Alaska Natives
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Presents findings of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which surveyed American Indians and Alaska Natives, 12 years and older, to collect data regarding substance use and substance use disorders.
Date: 01 / 2007
Telecommunications: Challenges to Assessing and Improving Telecommunications for Native Americans on Tribal Lands
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Discusses the status of telecommunications access for Native Americans living on tribal lands, federal programs available for improving telecommunications, barriers to improvements, and how some tribes are addressing these barriers.
Date: 01 / 2006
Tribal Transportation: Barriers and Solutions
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
Discusses the importance of transportation to Native Americans, including some of the problems and solutions.
Date: 12 / 2002
Walking a Mile: A First Step Toward Mutual Understanding
Author(s): John Doble, Andrew l. Yarrow, Amber N. Ott, Jonathan Rochkind
A qualitative study exploring how Indians and Non-Indians think about each other.
Date: 2007
Journals
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research
Focuses on behavioral, social, and health sciences which clearly relate to the mental health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Journal of Native Aging and Health
Contains peer-reviewed articles that address Native aging, health and related issues among Native Americans, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders and First Nations Peoples.
Native Aging Visions
Contains peer-reviewed articles that address Native aging, health and related issues.
Rural Voices
Covers rural housing and development topics, published quarterly.
Tribal College Journal
Addresses subjects important to the future of American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Features both journalistic and scholarly articles.
Organizations
Administration for Native Americans (ANA)
Federal government
Promotes the goal of social and economic self-sufficiency of American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native American Pacific Islanders, including Native Samoans.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)
Tribal organization
Works to provide the highest quality health services for all Alaska Natives. A Native American Research Center on Health.
American Indian & Alaska Native (AI/AN) Epidemiology Centers
Federal government
Works to improve the health and well-being of AI/AN populations through a variety of activities including surveillance for disease conditions, epidemiological analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data, investigation of disease outbreaks, and more. Supported by an Indian Health Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnership.
American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)
Tribal government
Represents 34 tribal colleges in the U.S. and Canada through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.
AoA Native Americans, Native Alaskans, & Hawaiian Natives Program
Federal government
Coordinates federal activities, administers grants, and collects and disseminates information related to the problems of older Native Americans. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Administration on Aging (AoA) program.
Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)
National organization
Dedicated to pursuing excellence in Native American health care by promoting education in the medical disciplines, honoring traditional healing practices and restoring the balance of mind, body, and spirit.
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Federal government
Responsible for improving the lives and trust assets of American Indians, Indian Tribes, and Alaska natives through services and relationships.
First Nations Development Institute
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on assisting tribes and Native communities to control, create, leverage, utilize and retain their assets.
HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH)
Federal government
Serves as a national resource and referral service on minority health issues. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Indian and Native American Programs (INAP)
Federal government
Provides general information about the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Section 166 Indian and Native American Program, to enrich the lives of Indian and Native Americans, and to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency through employment and job training.
Indian Health Service (IHS)
Federal government
Provides federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Works to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. Part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Indians Into Medicine Program (INMED)
Academic/Research
A University of North Dakota academic support program aiding American Indian students in their quest to serve the health care needs of native communities.
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona American Indian Research Center for Health (AIRCH)
Academic/Research
Encourages practical research to improve American Indian peoples' health status. A Native American Research Center on Health site.
National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC)
National organization
Promotes, supports, and upholds tribes and tribal housing agencies in their efforts to provide culturally-relevant, decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing for Native people in American Indian communities and Alaska Native villages.
National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (NCAIANMHR)
Academic/Research
A minority mental health research center focused specifically on American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and located at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry.
National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Develops an American Indian private sector which employs Indian labor, increases the number of tribal and individual Indian businesses, and positively impacts and involves reservation communities, by establishing business relationships between Indian enterprises and private industry.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Center for Rural, Frontier & Tribal Health (NCTSN-CRFTH)
Academic/Research
Assists rural, frontier, and Tribal communities in the treatment of child traumatic stress through technology-augmented resources.
National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)
Tribal organization
Dedicated to the well-being of American Indian children and families. Works to address the issues of child abuse and neglect through training, research, public policy, and grassroots community development.
National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA)
National organization
Works to better the lives of the nation's indigenous seniors through advocacy, employment training, dissemination of information, and data support.
National Indian Education Association (NIEA)
National organization
Supports traditional Native cultures and values, enables Native learners to become contributing members of their communities, promotes Native control of educational institutions, and improves educational opportunities and resources for American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians throughout the United States.
National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
Tribal organization
Strengthening tribal management capabilities in health and human service delivery.
National Indian Women's Health Resource Center (NIWHRC)
National organization
Provides training, advocacy, and programs to assist American Indian and Alaska Native women achieve optimal health and well being throughout their lifetime.
National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA)
National organization
Works closely with the local service providers throughout the nation to address the needs of American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian elders.
National Society for American Indian Elderly (NSAIE)
Tribal organization
Provides small grants to tribal member organizations to support a variety of programs for American Indian elders to address nutrition, transportation and other services. Currently, there are 237 tribal senior programs in the United States.
Native American Research Centers on Health (NARCH)
Academic/Research
Federally-funded research centers that conduct research and research training responsive to the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Native American Research Training Center (NARTC)
Academic/Research
Conducts research and training projects to help improve the quality of life for Native Americans with disabilities. Serves as a national resource for Native American communities and people working with Native American populations, especially those with chronic diseases or disabilities.
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB)
Tribal organization
Works to assist Northwest tribes to improve the health status and quality of life of member tribes and Indian people in their delivery of culturally appropriate and holistic health care. A Native American Research Center on Health site.
SBA Office of Native American Affairs
Federal government
Works to ensure that American Indians, Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiians seeking to create, develop and expand small businesses have full access to the resources of the Small Business Administration.
Special Education Program for Teachers and Administrators (SEPTA)
State/regional organization
Works to develop and implement a comprehensive Special Education training program that enhances the professional development of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and BIA grant school personnel.
Tribal Law and Policy Institute
Tribal government
Organized to design and deliver education, research, training, and technical assistance programs which promote the enhancement of justice in Indian country and the health, well-being, and culture of Native peoples.
U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Federal government
Holds jurisdiction to study the unique problems of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples and to propose legislation to alleviate these difficulties.
Terms & Acronyms
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Federal income tax credit for eligible low-income workers which reduces the amount of tax an individual owes, and may be returned in the form of a refund.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Provides block grants to states to administer programs to assist needy families.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program which serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, & children up to age five who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
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