Salish Kootenai College provides a fitness center for the community. File photo of Jay Hawk by Lee Marmon, American Indian College Fund.

There are growing concerns among Native American communities today regarding chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes and their causes. Research indicates that changing lifestyles have led to an increase in heart disease and type 2 diabetes in Indian people. Many advocate returning to a traditional diet and increasing exercise to live a healthier life. Although there are many resources about nutrition and chronic disease available, few are Native American specific. Some of the nutrition resources in this guide are specific to particular tribes or regions, but they can be applied to other indigenous people. Not all resources could be listed due to space limitations, but this guide will lead to many useful links and additional resources for information.

PROGRAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Indian Health Service Diabetes Program

The mission of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Diabetes Program is to develop, document, and sustain a public health effort to prevent and control diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The website has hyperlinks to U.S. IHS Diabetes Programs, a bibliography of publications from 1986-1999, and an excellent IHS catalog of diabetes education materials which includes videotapes, slide/audio tape modules, and books on diabetes and nutrition. For further information contact IHS-HQ, Diabetes Program, 5300 Homestead Road, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. Phone (505) 248-4182; Fax (505) 248-4188. E-mail Lorraine Valdez at s.lorraine.valdez@mail.ihs.gov

http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Diabetes/index.asp

Native American Diabetes Project

The Native American Diabetes Project at the University of New Mexico Center for Health Promotion was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The NADP has designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated a diabetes lifestyle curriculum, “Strong in Body & Spirit!” It emphasizes healthful eating and exercising for everyone (not just people with diabetes) and emphasizes family and community support for healthful dietary changes. For more information, contact Jackie Two Feathers, University of New Mexico, Native American Diabetes Project, 2701 Frontier NE, Surge Bldg., Room 251, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5311. Phone (505) 272-4462; fax (505) 272-4857. Email j2fthrs@unm.edu

http://www.laplaza.org/dwc/prof/nadp/index.htm

Project Grow

This holistic campaign utilizes gardening to combat the diabetes epidemic and promote total wellness. It includes nutrition, health, and diabetes curriculum. For more information contact Lee Antell, Ph.D., Interim Director, Project Grow, American Indian OIC, 1845 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Phone (612)341-3358; fax (612)341-3766.

http://nnic.com/oic/projectgrow.html

Office of Minority Health Resource Center

The Office of Minority Health Resource Center is the largest resource and referral service on minority health in the nation. OMH-RC offers information, publications, mailing lists, database searches, and referrals on African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander populations. For more information, contact The Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services, P.O. Box 37337, Washington, D.C. 20013-7337. Phone (800) 444-6472; Email: info@omhrc.gov

www.omhrc.gov/welcome.htm

Gila River Diabetes Prevention Assistant Certificate

The Gila River Indian Community has developed diabetes prevention materials, including a Diabetes Prevention Assistant Certificate program for paraprofessionals and Quest, a diabetes prevention program for children in grades K-3. The paraprofessional curriculum has been approved for 16 hours of credit by Central Arizona College. It includes trial customs and cultures, energy balance, and hyperglycemia. For more information, contact Joanne S. Hurley at (520) 562-1231 or fax (602) 528-1266.

DATABASES

Native American Health History

This database covers Native American health practices, including traditional healing methods, plant medicines, ceremonies, and other cultural customs related to health. It is being developed by the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Library with a grant from the National Library of Medicine. The citations date back to the 1700s, emphasizes 19^th century publications, and concludes in 1965 with the advent of Medline. It will contain more than 3,000 bibliographic records. For more information contact Tom Kauley at (505) 272-8873. Email: tkauley@biblio.unm.edu

http://caliban.unm.edu/exhibits/nahdb2/

Native Health Research Database (NHRD)

This web site provides access to the NHRD and information pertaining to health and medical issues of the American Indian and Alaska Native population. For more information contact Tom Kauley at (505) 272-8873. Email: tkauley@biblio.unm.edu

http://nhrd.unm.edu/

VIDEOS

Health of Native people of North America: An annotated mediagraphy”

The purpose of this mediagraphy is to provide a comprehensive listing of the current audiovisual materials on Native health in the United States and Canada. References cover the period from 1970-1992 and are arranged alphabetically by title. A list of addresses of producers and distributors is appended.

http://wings.buffalo.edu/publications/mcjrnl/v1n2/gray.html

Life in Balance

The University of New Mexico created this documentary to inspire, motivate, and support Native Americans who want to change their lifestyles to improve their health. The video encourages Native people to adopt a health regimen that will prevent, delay, or control chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. “Life in Balance” presents an American Indian perspective on contemporary and traditional ways of being healthy. For more information, contact Anne Doering, Center for Health Promotion, University of New Mexico, 2701 Frontier NE, Surge Bldg., Room 251, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5311. Phone (505) 272-4462; fax (505) 272-4857.

http://surge160151.unm.edu/

Our Foods are Our Medicine, Understanding Diabetes

This video is intended for First Nations people with diabetes, their families, and health care providers. It includes symptoms and effects of diabetes, the role dietary changes have played among Aboriginal people, treatment, and the value of traditional healing practices. For more information, contact Anishnawbe Health Toronto, 761 Queen St. W., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M6J 1G1. Phone (416)360-0486.

Walking in Beauty with Diabetes

The objective of this video is to help Navajo people with diabetes prevent further complications. It educates patients about realistic diet and exercise strategies, which are designed to be culturally relevant and easy to implement. Available in English and Navajo. For further information, contact Dan Burich, Bayer Corporation, 8435 Vance Court, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. Phone (719) 264-6505; fax (719) 264-6506; Email: danburich@aol.com

INTERNET SITES

American Diabetes Association allows you to connect directly to diabetes resources and gives local resource information that your community can access.

www.diabetes.org/custom.asp

American Indian Health Resources contains hyperlinks to governmental health organizations, health databases, and Native American health programs in the U.S. and Canada.

http://www.ldb.org/vl/geo/america/2usa-ind.htm

American Institute for Cancer Research contains information about diet, exercise and cancer prevention. http:www.aicr.org/reduce.htm For the Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer report, see http://www.aicr.org/report2.htm

CDC Division of Diabetes Translation cites many diabetes links and gives specific diabetes information. It is provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

www.cdc.gov/diabetes

Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of New Mexico website provides an overview of center activities and projects that focus on Native American health issues. This web page will be active in December 1999.

www.CHPDP.org

Indian Health Service contains many links to other American Indian sites related to food and nutrition, education, health, storytelling, powwows, recipes, business and career opportunities, health care, history, and language.

www.ihs.gov/index.asp

National Diabetes Education Program is a federally sponsored initiative that involves public and private partners to improve the treatment and outcomes for people with diabetes. NDEP is sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Division of Diabetes Translation of the CDC.

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/ndep/ndep.htm

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease of the National Institutes of Health contains multiple indexes and links for diabetes related information.

www.niddk.nih.gov/

PUBLICATIONS

Berlinguer, Giovanni MD (1992). The interchange of disease and health between the Old and New Worlds. American Journal of Public Health, 82(10), 1407-1413.

Focuses on the influence Europeans had on the New World. The article discusses the causes of the rapid decline of the original American populations; the diffusion of communicable diseases between two civilizations; and the health consequences of nutritional changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

Broussard, B. (1994, January). A return to tradition. Diabetes Forecast, 26-31.

Discusses the changes in the Native American diet and physical activity, and the chronic diseases these changes have brought about, such as type 2 diabetes. It describes the return by some Native Americans to a traditional diet.

Carter, J., Pugh J., & Monterrosa, A. (1996, August). Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in minorities in the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine 125 (3), 221-232.

Reviews the available information on prevalence, complications, and mortality of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and primary and secondary prevention activities.

McFee T., Cunningham-Sabo, L., Perez, G., Gilliland, S., & Carter, J. (1997). A feast day poster: healthful and successful modification of holiday foods. Journal of Nutrition Education 29, 356B.

Describes how the Native American Diabetes Project field coordinator, Georgia Perez from Nambe Pueblo, lowered the fat and sugar content of Feast Day foods.

Story, M., Strauss, K., Zephier, E., & Broussard, B. (1998, February). Nutritional concerns in American Indian and Alaska Native children: Transitions and future directions. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 98(2),  170-176.

Reviews the current nutritional health of American Indian and Alaska Native children, the changes that have occurred over the past 30 years, and the nutritional transition leading to increased obesity and  diabetes in American Indians. The article discusses future directions to improve the health of American Indian and Alaska Native children and the urgent need for obesity prevention programs that are culturally oriented, family centered, and community- and school-based.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Diet and Nutrition for People with Diabetes

This two volume bibliography contains materials related to diet and nutrition for people with diabetes. Volume 1 contains materials for patients, their families, and the public. Volume 2 contains materials for health professionals, including instructional materials that professionals can use as patient education instructional aids. For more information, contact the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, 1 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 or call (301) 654-3327.

The National Library of Medicine

American Indian and Alaska Native Health Bibliography

This publication provides a better understanding of health issues of special concern to American Indians and Alaska Natives. It lists selected references to journal articles, monographs, conference proceedings and abstracts, dissertations, technical reports, Congressional hearings, and audiovisuals published from January 1990 through September 1996. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/cbm/amindhlt.html

Jackie Two Feathers, a Cherokee, is a health educator whose research focuses on the prevention of type 2 diabetes in American Indians. She works for the Native American Diabetes Project at the University of New Mexico, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She is also interested in cultural issues related to providing health care to Native Americans. She is currently enrolled in the Master’s in Public Health Program at UNM.