Street art of a Native woman. Text states: Native healing, knowledge, and perspectives. Logo of USAHS Library
Friday, November 19, 2021

November is Native American Heritage Month, or as it is commonly referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. This year's theme is "Rising Above Adversity: Bringing Native Voices to the Forefront", which centers the perspectives, struggles, and triumps of Native tribes and communities.

As we take the time to reflect and celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we affirm a commitment to equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice in research, education, and healthcare. As part of this commitment, we are sharing tools and resources to support our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to better understand, support, and advance tribal health justice.


Databases

The USAHS Library supports access to more than 40 databases, with varying coverage on scholarly literature about Native experiences, health, and wellbeing. Below are recommended databases to support research that represents Native perspectives.

Finding Answers Intervention Research (FAIR) Database - A searchable tool containing 388 journal article summaries, distilled from 11 systematic reviews of the published health disparities literature. The database allows individuals to find targeted research that applies to their area of interest, and specific to their patient population, disease, and intervention. Use this database to generate ideas for disparities reduction interventions, and to collect ideas of research questions and interventions that have already been explored. Does not necessarily give free full text access. Please check Search USA for USA's access to a particular article.

Native Health Database - Contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations. The database provides information for the benefit, use, and education of organizations and individuals with an interest in health-related issues, programs, and initiatives regarding North American indigenous peoples. Does not necessarily give free full text access. Please check Search USA for USAHS's access to a particular article.


Selected eBooks

The USAHS Library has a collection with tens of thousands of eBooks in the health sciences and other academic disciplines. Below is a curated list of eBooks that focus on Native research and knowledge, especially in the domains of health and wellbeing.

 

Book cover of "The Inconvenient Indian : A Curious Account of Native People in North America"

Book cover of "Yakama Rising : Indigenous Cultural Revitalization, Activism, and Healing" Book cover of "Indigenous Women and Work : From Labor to Activism" Book cover of "Therapeutic Nations : Healing in an Age of Indigenous Human Rights"
Book cover of "Diagnosing the Legacy : The Discovery, Research, and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in Indigenous Youth" Book cover of "I Am Where I Come From : Native American College Students and Graduates Tell Their Life Stories" Book cover of "Clearing the Plains : Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life" Book cover of "Red Medicine : Traditional Indigenous Rites of Birthing and Healing"
Book cover of "Braiding Sweetgrass : Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" Book cover of "Coming Full Circle : Spirituality and Wellness among Native Communities in the Pacific Northwest" Book cover of "Hollow Tree : Fighting Addiction with Traditional Native Healing" Book cover of "Working with Indigenous Knowledge : A Guide for Researchers"
Book cover of "Firewater : How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours)" Book cover of "Under the Rattlesnake : Cherokee Health and Resiliency" Book cover of "Grandmother's Grandchild : My Crow Indian Life" Book cover of "A Two-Spirit Journey : The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder"

 


Educational Videos


Other Tools

AHRQ Health Care: Minority Health - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the leading federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of the U.S. health care system. They provide minority health fact sheets that cover activities for participatory research as well as other research activities relevant to indigenous peoples in the United States.

MedlinePlus for Population Groups - Presents high-quality, relevant health and wellness information that is trusted, easy to understand. Of particular note, you can gain access to information about cultural, racial, and ethnic groups in addition to other populations. These population profiles include encyclopedic information, statistics, research, and other relevant information.

Native Voices: Native Peoples' Concepts of Health and Illness - An online exhibition that explores the interconnectedness of wellness, illness, and cultural life for Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. You can discover how Native concepts of health and illness are closely tied to the concepts of community, spirit, and the land.