Why Native Americans Are Dying Sooner

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that American life expectancy had taken a nosedive during the pandemic, with the biggest drop occurring among non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives. It was reassuring to see coverage of this terrible trend; but largely absent was the context and history underlying these disparities. The reasons why indigenous people were hit hardest by COVID-19 go beyond the fact that they also have very high rates of underlying comorbidities—like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Instead the roots of health disparities among indigenous people are inextricably linked with the complex history of our nation’s mistreatment of indigenous peoples. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] I cared for Native patients at Indian Health Service and tribal health facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, and Maine before the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw firsthand how the doctrine of Manifest Destiny—the belief that colonial settlers had a divine right to eliminate indigenous peoples and appropriate their lands—has been an engine for sickness and death, even today, centuries after our nation was founded. Manifest Destiny was widespread attack on indigenous lands and peoples. The U.S. military forced relocations of Native peoples disrupting native foodways of hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming. The military intentionally targeted indigenous food sources, destroying crops and livestoc...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized freelance health Source Type: news