Native American Heritage Month

“Traditional and commercial tobacco are different in the way that they are planted and grown, harvested, prepared, and used. Traditional tobacco is and has been used in sacred ways by American Indians for centuries. Its use differs by Tribe, with Alaska Natives generally not using traditional tobacco at all.

Commercial tobacco is manufactured by companies for recreational and habitual use in cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars, hookahs, and other products. It contains thousands of chemicals and produces over 7,000 chemical compounds when burned, many of which are carcinogenic, cause heart and other diseases, and premature death ⁽¹⁾.

Commercial tobacco use prevention and cessation outreach among American Indians and Alaska Natives should be informed by and tailored to the Tribal community’s culture.”

Although the pandemic gave us a challenging year, AASTEC was able to reach out to all their local tribal partners, as well as national tribal partners, to provide monthly virtual presentations around commercial tobacco. They provided technical assistance as requested to tribes around commercial tobacco and COVID-19. They also created packets for tribal casinos to positively encourage them to maintain their smoke-free status, with the hopes of them making it a long-term policy. AASTEC worked to embrace the change to a virtual platform that allowed us to network and collaborate nationally to grow the efforts around commercial tobacco cessation and prevention. They consider this work continuous and fun!

In 2012, the Lung Association recognized ANTHC with the Breathe Easy Champion Award for outstanding leadership in improving the lives of Alaskans. Since 1997 when ANTHC was established to provide statewide health services to Alaska Native people, ANTHC and its Tribal health partners have shown remarkable innovation in providing health care in some of Alaska’s most challenging environments with very limited resources.

ANTHC has also played a vital role in COVID-19 vaccine distribution in not only Anchorage but to the most remote parts of the state of Alaska. The ANTHC, with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, established the Alaska Vaccine Task Force, led by state and Tribal leaders, to embed Tribal and state coordination into all aspects of the vaccination process including allocation, distribution, communication, and funding. As of October 2021, fifty-seven percent of the state of Alaska has received one dose of the vaccine while 65.26% of Alaska Native and American Indian people has received at least 1 does of the vaccine.

AIHC’s Tribal and Urban Indian Health Immunization Coalition (TUIHIC) is the first Tribal immunizations coalition in the nation. TUIHIC is experienced in efforts to address AI/AN immunizations and vaccine access, surveillance, prevention practices, infectious disease, and health literacy. Since 2008, TUIHIC’s has conceptualized 100% immunization coverage in Indian Country. TUIHIC applied the tribal centric evidence-informed ‘Pulling Together for Wellness’ framework in the development of the model Tribal and Urban Indian Vaccination Record Cards. The National Congress of American Indians issued a resolution urging federal, state, and local governments to recognize official Tribal/Urban Indian Vaccination Record Cards.

The Lung Association in Washington State works in partnership with the AIHC TUIHIC to increase COVID-19 Vaccine confidence and address commercial tobacco prevention and cessation to preventing respiratory disease.

Lung Health and Indigenous Communities

Air quality near many Tribal Nations is often not monitored. Historically, reservations were forced into areas less desirable to expanding white settlers, which today means many are in remote rural locations. Conversely, regulatory air monitoring often occurs in larger centers of states. To address this disconnect, some Tribal Communities have begun their own air monitoring program and many are members of the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA).

The NTAA publishes the annual Status of Tribal Air Report to help Tribes and the public understand and use the latest scientific evidence to protect their people and advance air quality. In 2020, the NTAA also released a white paper detailing the Science and Connections Between Air Pollution, Tribes and Public Health. Many of the metropolitan areas with the highest populations of American Indians and Alaska Natives, such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, and New York, are listed on our “State of the Air” most polluted cities.

Wildfires continue to be a large concern to air quality in Indian Country, according to the Status of Tribal Air Report. The hotter temperatures and dryer conditions have led to wildfires on or near Tribal lands. Preparing for, defending against, and cleaning up after catastrophic wildfires have strained Tribal budgets. The financial impact of wildfires is also exacerbated given the health impacts that Indigenous Peoples face due to high levels of smoke inundation into the effected communities⁽²⁾.

Indoor Air Quality

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

In partnership and with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the American Lung Association conducted a study to determine the impact of indoor air quality on Tribal elders with COPD. Partnering with several Tribal communities in the Upper Midwest including Pine Ridge, Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, Fond du Lac, and others. The Lung Association assessed the homes of 120 Tribal elders, identified conditions which might contribute to poor indoor air quality, and made remediations to those home conditions.

Impact of COVID-19

American Indian, Alaska Native, Indigenous, and other peoples of color have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite ongoing traumas and colonization attempts, Indigenous Peoples continue to adapt, thrive, and pass on knowledge and history to the next generations.

Drawing on a long history of resilience, Indigenous People have brought their own solutions to dealing with the pandemic, rooted in centuries of accumulated knowledge and cultural traditions. Our COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit serves as a guide for families and individuals to explore concerns, answer questions and start a conversation about vaccination. This guide also shares the resiliency of Native Americans throughout the pandemic and how they are supporting efforts to end COVID-19.

Lung Cancer

Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead a full and healthy life. Sadly, systemic issues have contributed to health disparities, including for those with lung cancer. People of color who are diagnosed with lung cancer face worse outcomes compared to white Americans because they are less likely to be diagnosed early, less likely to receive surgical treatment, and more likely to not receive any treatment. Addressing racial disparities in access to care is critical to addressing racial disparities in lung cancer care.

Indigenous Peoples (American Indians/Alaska Natives) with lung cancer were 14% less likely to be diagnosed early, 19% less likely to receive surgical treatment, and 15% more likely to not receive any treatment compared to white Americans. Learn more in our State of Lung Cancer report.