Abstract
Among Indigenous (NativeAmerican) people the mortality rate from COVID-19 has been 4 to 5 times higher than the U.S. national average. The pandemic has highlighted existing disparities in the health care services available to–both rural and urban–Indigenous peoples in the U.S. federally recognized “IndianTribes” (Tribal Nations). Using autoethnography, researchers explore the intersection of their identity as indigenous people of North America and their experience observing the impact of the U.S. Health system and the responses of Tribal Nations to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this study proposes the concept of“Constructive Indigenization” as a mechanism for observing and considering the contextual reality that exists in, around, and through the interactions between tribal sovereignty, nation-building, and decolonization collectively. Constructive Indigenizationrevealsareas where Indigenous ways of knowing to transcend systemic, economic, and social barriers by applying uniquely Indigenous cultural values, world views, and perspectives. The authors consider Constructive Indigenizationthrough a variety of Tribal responses to the COVID-19 crisis in “Indian Country” while also incorporating social determinants of health (SDoH) framework to situate health care disparities of marginalized people andIndigenous Nations response to the crisis
Presenters
Patricia HornbackAssociate Professor and Coordinator, Master of Science Native American Leadership, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, United States Aida Isela Ramos
Associate Professor , Sociology , University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Indigenous, Native American, Self-Determination, COVID-19, Sociology of Healthcare
