Ravyn Gibbs
Appearances
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
We also have the Native American Community Clinic and FQHC in Minneapolis. These two entities target American Indian populations to serve them. And they also have these really unique factors that incorporate cultural aspects into their services. But again, we know that these two clinics are chronically underfunded. They see a broad spectrum of clients.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
So when it comes to the health of urban American Indian people, I think it's multifaceted too of some tribal nations have the resources and the ability to extend their services into some urban spaces through their urban offices. And largely, you know, in the Twin Cities, we have, I don't, I can't recall the number, I believe it's 30 plus urban American Indian community serving organizations.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
So they really do work to fill in the gap and need that American Indian people need in the Twin Cities area. So there are these really strong structures, these sometimes viewed as these non-traditional systems of power, right?
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And they just need to be brought into the conversation, into decision-making, really consider when it comes to health equity, whether that be in program delivery, in partnership, in funding.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Absolutely. Thanks, Clarence. And I just kind of want to reiterate and then I'll expand upon what Chris was saying about the visibility of American Indian people. I think it's individual responsibility to do your research. For example, we're here in Minnesota. We have 11 tribal nations. Who are those tribal nations? We know we have seven Ojibwe. We have four Dakota. Learn their names.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Go to a powwow. Go to cultural events to see culture, to be part of the joy. It's open to everyone. Really understanding who are your American Indian neighbors here in Minnesota and in your professional spaces absolutely understanding I'm not a medical doctor I'm not in the healthcare field right I'm in government. And, you know, if you are in.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
in a government institution or a community-based organization, really educating yourself on the program services. What do you offer and how can you include American Indian Voices in the work that you do and not making assumptions on what is needed, but being good partners, reaching out to these urban American Indian organizations. As I said, there's 30 plus across the Metro
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
A large chunk of them are in Minneapolis along the American Indian Corridor on Franklin in Minneapolis. There are several in St. Paul and building genuine relationships with them to determine how you can be supportive. And that also goes for those folks who are not in the urban spaces to be reaching out to building genuine relationships with your tribal partners.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
understanding and respecting their status as a sovereign nation and and then doing that engagement i think is a really are some short-term immediate steps the folks who listen to this podcast can do what about training of health care professionals okay so like you know i'm i'm just throwing that out i i don't know but
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Yeah, great question. I think for For the general community member, I think it is that individual research that you can do. You can, for example, here in Minneapolis, of course, we have a native owned bookstore. I think that's a really great place to go and pick up some resources to do that reading and education. A Google search, we mentioned Dr. Mary Owen.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
She has given a plethora of interviews and trainings that are accessible to folks. So I think there's reading that individual research. And I think that is where it has to start. That is obviously I'm giving unique relationships to the Twin Cities area here in Minnesota.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
But I think just Googling, starting with maybe even who are the tribes in your state, understanding that history and kind of snowballing from there. From a government perspective, I will say that at the states, there is the tribal-state relations training.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And this training is available and required to be taken by certain state agency staff who work primarily with tribes and American Indian people. And that is a two-day intensive resource. So folks can understand the... the history of tribes and American Indian people in Minnesota from contact to all the way through where we are today.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And that incorporates, as I mentioned earlier, that Minnesota Statute 1065, how state agencies need to be conducting that government to government relationship, that respecting relationship and respecting the sovereign nations. I see Stanton shaking his head. Did you get a chance to do that training while you were at NIH?
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Yes, and I'm actually just gonna jump in quickly to one additional, a couple of additional things, the tangible where to go to, right? A couple of things, there's the state has a Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, shorthand MIAC, M-I-A-C. If you go to their government website, there is an about section where you can read in detail this overview of all of the 11 tribes in Minnesota.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
I think that is a really great place for folks to search. There is also, I would recommend understandnativemn.org. And they have some publications and a podcast. And in essence, this was a campaign campaign. started by one of our tribes in Minnesota by Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
They started this campaign to really try to shift the narrative of American Indian people and really focusing on that Minnesota K through 12 curriculum and education system. And from that spurred a really large investment from the University of Minnesota to offer Indigenous education for all online free courses to the public.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And I believe that will be available in their press release, they say, mid 2025. And I will say there was one other book source that I know folks can't see or can't Didn't see, but Chris had shared a resource from an Ojibwe author here in Minnesota. That book title is Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, an Ojibwe author, Dr. Anton Troyer.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Thank you. I think my final thoughts are, in essence, tribes and American people know the solutions and know what our community needs. They just need the funding and good partnership.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Yeah, absolutely. I think Chris really captured it. It's not an easy answer. It's not so black and white. There's not one term that is going to be the safe bet. Right. I really think the safe bet is to ask.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
I'm so sorry. I thought you had asked Clarence the question. No, no, no, no.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
Yes, thank you so much for the question. A question that is difficult to summarize in such a short paragraph. We know that in essence, American Indian people had ceded territory and land in exchange for certain trust and treaty responsibilities that the federal government is responsible to uphold and maintain, one of those being healthcare. And when you talk about the very
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
complicated history, it didn't just end and start with those treaty responsibilities. We know that there are certain policies and Supreme Court decisions that have impacted the jurisdiction of sovereign nations and their ability to take care of the health and wellbeing of American Indian people. So what we know of today is that one, when it comes to healthcare,
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
one of the major funding government bodies that is there to promote the health and well-being of American Indian people is an Indian health service out of the Department of Health and Human Services. And we know many of our colleagues across the nation and Indian country have given testimony on the Hill stating that there is chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And that is truly where a lot of the health disparities that we see stem from, in addition to the complicated history. When it comes to the health and well-being of American Indian people, it's really important to consider the indigenous social determinants of health. The really unique determinants of health that only American Indians have experienced
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And those are related to the institutional racism, related to the traumatic history of not only tribal nations getting certain rights stripped from them, but in addition to forced removal of children, in addition to policies that removed American Indian people from their tribal lands into urban spaces, where they then have a disconnection to culture.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
There's so many pieces that in essence really surround and impact the health and well-being of American Indian people.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
I think from a A government perspective, for example, at Minnesota Department of Health, it is our duty and my duty as the tribal liaison to help the agency to implement Minnesota Statute 1065. And that is a piece of legislation that recognizes that legal relationship between governments and the 11 sovereign nations in Minnesota
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And in essence, making sure that frequent and regular consultations happen in connection and collaboration to ensure that tribes are part of the decision-making process when it comes to issues that have tribal impact.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
I think first there is an education piece. You're absolutely right. That's a large portion of American Indian people live in urban spaces. And Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Twin Cities, nationally are part of one of the urban hubs that have a large, large population of urban American Indian people. Minneapolis, as we know, is home to the American Indian movement.
Health Chatter
Indigenous Health
And I mentioned earlier, you know, there's a federal body of Indian Health Service. And in the Twin Cities, we have a clinic called Indian Health Board. And that is part of that ITU system that is out of Indian Health Service. There's I for Indian Health Service. There's T for tribal and U for urban. And there are only a handful of urban clinics nationally. And Minneapolis is home to one of them.