Author : Haley Cora Madden
Release : 2017
Genre :
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : /5 ( reviews)
Book Synopsis Health, Health Communication, and Identity in (unrecognized) Indian Country by : Haley Cora Madden
Download or read book Health, Health Communication, and Identity in (unrecognized) Indian Country written by Haley Cora Madden. This book was released on 2017. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As of 2017, there are 566 federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States today. However, little is known about the hundreds of federally unrecognized tribes, including the Brothertown Indian Nation (BIN) of Wisconsin. This research develops a better understanding of the Brothertown Indian Nation, and potentially other unrecognized Indian nations, especially relating to the issues of health, health communication, and identity. This research was completed using a community-based, Indigenous approach, which means that BIN citizens maintained control of the research questions, overall plan, and resulting data. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad cross-section of BIN citizens and were co-analyzed with the research liaison of the BIN. These data showed that there is not a consensus about what it means to be a BIN citizen. Additionally, these data showed that the BIN has many strengths and positive social norms, including a dedicated volunteer base, family connections, a diversity of citizens, a commitment to consensus, highly educated citizens, and pride in community. These data also showed the challenges BIN citizens perceive for themselves, including the participation of future generations, geographic distance, maintaining its volunteer force, and exclusion of its citizens and others. This research contributes information about health promotion and health communication in the Brothertown community. Most BIN citizens have access to health insurance and care through private insurance or federal programs. BIN citizens have many of the same health concerns as their federally recognized counterparts, including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity and its complications, inactivity, mental health problems, and substance abuse issues. Additionally, they prefer to access their health information interpersonally from family or trusted physicians, and some have limited utility for online information. These data presented many opportunities for positive health communication strategies moving forward using framing theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and narrative communication theory. Alongside the BIN research liaison, a series of recommendations were made which resulted in the development of health communication strategy to improve BIN citizens' access to health care and information.
