Health of Native Americans the Essay

As to the availability of safe and clean water supplies, and safe waste disposal facilities, Native Peoples are again on the short end of the stick. About twelve percent of Native People do not have adequate supplies of fresh drinking water and dependable waste facilities while only one percent of the general American population do not have those needed facilities (Indian Health Services).

The U.S. Commission on Civil rights reports that the rates Native Americans are dying resulting from diabetes, alcoholism, suicide, unintentional injuries and other health conditions is "shocking" (www.USCCR.gov). Going back to the arrival of the Europeans on the North American Continent, many diseases were brought to the Native Peoples which were "far more lethal than any weapon in the European arsenal" so anyone even preliminarily examining the health care history of Native Peoples can clearly see that this dilemma has been a plague for Indians (www.USCCR.gov). The infectious diseases, which include measles, smallpox, and plague, "annihilated entire communities even before they had seen a single European" (Encarta).

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has listed the most "significant social and cultural barriers" that have affected the health of Native Americans.Those are, "Racial and ethnic bias and discrimination"; barriers to patient health services; factors relating to the environment; the delivery of health care "in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner"; language issues; poverty; and education.

In conclusion, the Native American population is younger than all other U.S. races, but that is because of the higher mortality rate. America should be conscious of these problems and Congress and the White House need to find a remedy soon.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Health of American Indian or Alaska Native Population. Retrieved April 14, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/faststats/indfacts.htm.

Indian Health Services. (2006). Facts on Indian Health Disparities. Retrieved April 14,

2009, from http://www.americanindianhealth.nim.nih.gov.

United States Commission on Civil Rights. (2004). Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/nahealth/nabroken.pdf......