Women are the first environment 5. Indigenous women have understood this concept for generations. Women shape the future, not only through reproduction, but also as keepers of culture and the traditional healing knowledge of the grandmothers. But how well are indigenous women of today able to nurture themselves and their families? What is the state of our health, and what are we doing about it? Before we try to answer these questions, we must also examine why indigenous women's health status would be different from women of the general population.

Reviewing the health status of indigenous women of the U.S., more narrowly defined as American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Native Hawaiian, has been a very difficult task for many reasons. In 1974, Congress expanded the definition of Native American to include Native Hawaiians. Much of the research on AI/AN has been grouped together, but most Native Hawaiian research is coupled with Asian/Pacific Islander. This general category is made up of thirty cultures, with Asian as 93% of the total. Of the remaining 7%, Hawaiians are the most numerous at 66%2. Native Hawaiians comprise only 13% of the population in Hawaii 3. In all three groups it is necessary to abstract women's statistics from the general information, as there are very few studies done specifically on Native women. The health status of all three groups of women are strikingly similar, as are their general circumstances; all are indigenous, all experienced colonialization and a collapse of their traditional cultural systems which are main factors in their poor mental and physical health. When I speak of all three, I will refer to them as Natives.

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Internet Location: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/canusa/papers/usa/english/indigen.htm

Internet Resource Type: Web Page

Resource Type: Research Paper, Hawaii & Pacific Islander Resources