Some words to know
Cultural continuity
Cultural continuity is one of the biggest factors affecting modern First Nation people. Valuing and sustaining traditions are a key factor of Native American health, but with a history of colonization, genocide, and oppression, this continuity is prevented. From this, youth and adults can lose a sense of self-determination; loss of self-determination contributes to more health problems. This continuity can be measured by a knowledge of indigenous language and other aspects of culture. In short, emphasizing the continuation of culture for the First Nation people is a large way to improve health of the citizens.
INTERGENERATIONAL Trauma
Intergenerational Trauma can happen in individual families or whole cultures. In the case of Native Americans, as well as Jewish and African American people, inter generational trauma has occurred on a large scale. The first stage is typically marginalization shown in war, genocide, colonialism, to a point where their culture is badly degraded. Next comes the manifestation of these traumatic events within individuals of the subordinate culture in health issues such as PTSD, depression, and type 2 diabetes. The final stage is the passing of this trauma to the younger generation. Even if they did not experience the events first hand, the emotions and anxiety have been passed down to them from their parents. This cycle can continue for many generations.
Tragedy of the commons
Tragedy of the Commons can occur on reservations where the whole people own the land, but no one uses them. Because of this, the quality of the land is lost, and the people have nothing left to use as a resource in this way. Another way this affects Native Americans is before the colonization of America when First Nation people had the land and its resources to share. Upon the arrival of European immigrants, resources were being used faster than ever before; sacred resources such as mountains and buffalo were demolished from rapid intake. This is a good example of tragedy of the commons. It is a phenomenon in which a resource that is shared by a population is depleted by individuals acting on their own self-interest. After this, no one has the resource anymore.
Indian country
Indian country is land within an Indian Reservation as part of the United States Government. These lands have rights of way for highways, railroads, power lines, and pipelines. There are two defining characteristics of these lands. One, they were set aside by the US government for Native Tribes and their people, and two, the federal government exercises some degree of control on the land for the purpose of First Nation people. The original use of the word Indian Country was supposed to be the permanent land reserved for Native American's in the mid 1800's. Unfortunately, the bulk of the original Indian Country was changed for US settlement, and tribes were given other less desirable, smaller land to call home.