Native American Health Services: Life or Death?

Lou Casas
Lou Casas
Nov 1 · 4 min read
(n.d). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/mrsflawless/native-stuff/

​In order to understand the way Native American people are affected by the United States government, we have to look at major factors that the United States control. Health care, justice, as well as the repercussions, like alcoholism and suicide. The healthcare systems that Native Americans are dealing with, not only on reservation land, but US soil too. The New York Times have an article called, “Fed Up With Deaths, Native Americans Want To Run Their Own Health Care”. This article shines light on the issues many Natives face while dealing with health issues and their own health care plans. It discusses Robyn Black Lance and her six year old son, James, of Rapid City, South Dakota, who was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus, a life threatening illness, only discovered due to Robyn’s persistence in her son’s well being. ​Throughout her ordeal, they had to transport her son, James, to another hospital, because the one they were at was unable to treat James’ illness, due to insufficient funds and lack of resources at the hospital in Rapid city.

(n.d). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/us/politics/native-americans-health-care.html

“But it is an expensive and daunting proposition.” (New York Times, 2019)

In stories like this where James and his mother were fortunate enough to be able to go to another hospital, we must think of the other spectrum of people who may not be as fortunate. The federal government is said not to be providing enough money nor resources to run proper hospitals in Native American communities. “In mid-July the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, a nonprofit organization that represents 18 tribal communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, began running the Sioux San hospital operations.​” (New York Times, 2019) Native Americans have long tried to take the health of their people into their own hands, but with this option being debated, people criticize their decision because of the fact that in order to have your own health system, you need millions of dollars to cover expenses. Money that native communities are almost always lacking nowadays.


A majority of the reader comments on this article came from doctors that work or have worked in Native American run hospitals saying that these hospitals were greatly staffed, clean, and gave good service. Dan Woodard MD commented on the blog saying he had worked at an IHS hospital and was taken aback by how well the hospital had done. Not only with the care the staff gave the patients, but the how the funding was rationally shared among the hospital. Another user by the name David commented how he himself was a physician and the term ““Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common viral infection” that went undiscovered in James, more than likely, because of the hospital staff that had no training to treat him. So do Native hospitals need to invest more money in their staff, not their hospital? Or are both factors at fault in the healthcare system Native American are facing? The issue still stands that more money is needed to run proper hospitals such as these in other states or Native American communities.

(n.d). Retrieved from http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2017/05/140-year-old-pics-show-native-americans.html

Native Americans have been fighting for their own health for decades, even in 1898, Native Americans were dying of disease and left to die without care. The New York Times article references to and Assimilation Boarding school were many of the students died of TB, with their remains still found on the property. Small events such as these make people realize that issues regarding life and death health issues are still prevalent, even with twenty first century medicine. This debate has been going on for years, as long as Native Americans have wanted rights. The difference from back then and today is that Native Americans are given health care, but not adequate enough for all lives to be taken care of properly. The fight continues for Native American Tribes to get their own health care system, but with these ideas comes a lot of money that not many states and reservations have. With lives and the health of millions at people at stake in the United States, people must act fast in order to start saving lives today, not tomorrow. Many Native Americans all over the world are in need of health care and basic necessities, we must take the right action that is needed in order to give basic rights to those who deserve them, to those who have been here before any of us were.

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