Improving Health among American Indians through Environmentally-Focused Nutrition Interventions

摘要

There are currently 562 federally recognized American Indian or Alaskan Native tribes or villages in the United States (1). According to data from the US Census Bureau, 4.5 million US citizens of American Indian or Alaskan Native ethnicity reside in the United States, including individuals who recognize more than one heritage (2). This constitutes approximately 1.5% of the US population. The 2005 Bureau of Indian Affairs Population and Labor Force reports approximately 2 million individuals who are recognized or enrolled members of Alaskan Native or American Indian tribes or villages (1). Requirements for recognition of American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage vary greatly and there is no single definition or criterion for federal or tribal recognition. In general, blood quantum (the degree of Native blood of an individual), knowledge of tribal cultural practices and beliefs, language, religious or spiritual beliefs, familial kinship, and the degree to which an individual identifies as a member of a tribe or village are criteria used to determine tribal recognition or enrollment. Fewer than half (44%) of the American Indian and Alaskan Native population currently reside on Indian reservations or lands ( [2] and [3] ). According to the 2000 US Census, the five largest urban populations of American Indians and Alaskan Natives resided in the cities of New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Anchorage, AK; and Tulsa, OK (2 US Census Bureau, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics. U.S.,Inside Metropolitan Areas, Outside Metropolitan Areas, US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC (2001), Table DP1. 2).