HSC 4201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Indian Health Service, Tribal Sovereignty In The United States
Document Summary
The american indian and alaska native (ai/an) population : the original inhabitants of american, accounts for less than 2% of the total population. Prior to the arrival of european explorers : 12 million ai/ans lived and flourished throughout what is now the us. Exposure to disease and ecological changes introduced by explorers and colonists decimated the. Many of the descendants were assimilated by intermarriages or successfully adapted to the new culture: as a group the ai/ans became economically and socially disadvantages. This status is reflected int heir relatively poor health status today. In 2008, average poverty rate for ai/ans was 25. 7% which is the highest among all racial and ethnic groups. Their median income and high school completion rates were among the lowest. Native americans comprise many different american indian tribal groups and alaskan villages of any racial and ethnic group: each of these tribes/villages has distinct:
