Native American Indian Culture

Native Americans, which include the Navajo Tribe, have a very long standing in the history of the United States. They have also been removed from their homelands thought out the ages. Many of these tribes have been forced to reside on reservations. According to the Journal of Health Education, Native Americans out of the total population are the unhealthiest population. This is proven by a shorter life expectancy and higher mortality rates for communicable diseases. Cultural competency is necessary for promoting health caring for patents. When cultural beliefs and values are valued, both the patient and the health care professional can achieve their goals (Sorrell, Smith, 1993). The Navajo Indian Tribe is the largest federally recognized Native American Indian Tribe in the United States. Their reservation is located through out the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The Navajo Indian Tribe first settled in Arizona and New Mexico. When they reached New Mexico and Arizona they started to learn many things from the Pueblo Indians. A few things that the Navajo Indians learned from the Pueblo Indians including basket weaving, art and how to make clothes. Hogan’s is what the Navajo Indians lived in, Hogan’s consisted of mud, wooden poles and tree bark. There were two types of Hogan’s. The first type of Hogan was for the summer …show more content…
According to the Journal of Nutrition, The risk factors are steadily increasing for Coronary Artery disease among the Navajo tribe. Obesity, Smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, high total cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes are the major risk factors found in this Tribe. Risk factor levels are different for men and women. Women having a higher occurrence of obesity and diabetes, but men have a higher occurrence of hypertension, adverse lipid levels and smoking (Mendlein, Freedman, Peter, Allen, Percy, Ballew, C., ... & White,