American Native Research Articles

Exploring Religious Animal Symbolism in Louise Erdrich’s The Plague of Doves

In her 2009 novel The Plague of Doves, Louise Erdrich weaves a complex story that demonstrates the attempted erasure of Native American culture and religion through contrasting religious animal motifs. Serpents, doves, and lambs have inherent associations with biblical and some indigenous religions that, together, build a conflict that is reflected by the tension between the occupants of the reservation and by the white characters. For example, the Biblical interpretation of serpents is that they are evil spirited and essentially the embodiment of Satan; however, some religions view serpents as creatures that cast out demons. These contrasting beliefs, along with other examples in the novel, create the religious and spiritual conflict that occurs in the novel as the Native Americans are bombarded with Catholicism and other pressures to abandon their culture. Associating or assigning these animals with religious symbolism to different characters, both white and indigenous, Erdrich enriches the conversation surrounding the conversion of Native Americans to Catholicism and the separation of indigenous peoples with their families and culture by exposing the entitlement and power imbalances present between Native Americans and Westerners.

Phytochemicals derived from Nicotiana tabacum L. plant contribute to pharmaceutical development.

The Nicotiana tabacum L. plant, a medicinal resource, holds significant potential for benefiting human health, as evidenced by its use in Native American and ancient Chinese cultures. Modern medical and pharmaceutical studies have investigated that the abundant and distinctive function metabolites in tobacco including nicotine, solanesol, cembranoid diterpenes, essential oil, seed oil and other tobacco extracts, avoiding the toxic components of smoke, mainly have the anti-oxidation, anti-lipid production, pro-lipid oxidation, pro-insulin sensitivity, anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis and antimicrobial activities. They showed potential pharmaceutical value mainly as supplements or substitutes for treating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, inflammatory diseases including colitis, arthritis, sepsis, multiple sclerosis, and myocarditis, and metabolic syndrome including Obesity and fatty liver. This review comprehensively presents the research status and the molecular mechanisms of tobacco and its metabolites basing on almost all the English and Chinese literature in recent 20 years in the field of medicine and pharmacology. This review serves as a foundation for future research on the medicinal potential of tobacco plants.

Cauca: megafaunal and felid fossils (Mammalia) from a Pleistocene site in northwest Venezuela

Numerous surveys and three excavation and surface collection field seasons resulted in the discovery of numerous megafaunal remains and that of a medium-sized felid in a new site located on the coastal plain of the Gulf of Venezuela, in Western Falcón State. The faunal assemblage is represented by South American natives such as megatheres (cf. Eremotherium laurillardi), an indeterminate mylodontid and a glyptodont (probably related to Glyptotherium) and Nearctic representatives such as gomphotheres (Notiomastodon platensis), equids (Equus sp.) and a feline (Felidae cf. Leopardus pardalis), providing novel information for the distribution of some of these mammals. Radiocarbon indicates that this deposit is at least 40,000 years old. Lithic artefacts of a kind reported for other Pleistocene sites in the region document the presence of humans in Cauca, but as these cultural remains were found on the surface, their association with the fauna is uncertain.

Methylation patterns associated with C-reactive protein in racially and ethnically diverse populations

ABSTRACT Systemic low-grade inflammation is a feature of chronic disease. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a common biomarker of inflammation and used as an indicator of disease risk; however, the role of inflammation in disease is not completely understood. Methylation is an epigenetic modification in the DNA which plays a pivotal role in gene expression. In this study we evaluated differential DNA methylation patterns associated with blood CRP level to elucidate biological pathways and genetic regulatory mechanisms to improve the understanding of chronic inflammation. The racially and ethnically diverse participants in this study were included as 50% White, 41% Black or African American, 7% Hispanic or Latino/a, and 2% Native Hawaiian, Asian American, American Indian, or Alaska Native (total n = 13,433) individuals. We replicated 113 CpG sites from 87 unique loci, of which five were novel (CADM3, NALCN, NLRC5, ZNF792, and cg03282312), across a discovery set of 1,150 CpG sites associated with CRP level (p < 1.2E–7). The downstream pathways affected by DNA methylation included the identification of IFI16 and IRF7 CpG-gene transcript pairs which contributed to the innate immune response gene enrichment pathway along with NLRC5, NOD2, and AIM2. Gene enrichment analysis also identified the nuclear factor-kappaB transcription pathway. Using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) we inferred methylation at three CpG sites as causal for CRP levels using both White and Black or African American MR instrument variables. Overall, we identified novel CpG sites and gene transcripts that could be valuable in understanding the specific cellular processes and pathogenic mechanisms involved in inflammation.

Bound and Boarded: Policing Native Motherhood in US Art and Culture

From the eighteenth through the twentieth century when the US government fluctuated between genocidal and assimilation policies directed at Native American people, non-Native artists frequently depicted images of Native American motherhood. Pictures classicizing Native mothers sanitized acts of violence against Native people, minimized their perceived exoticism, and demonstrated that specifically women had the capacity to assimilate to models of US motherhood. Contradicting this, a number of images also cast skepticism on the potential for Native women to assimilate to US culture and gender norms. Here I discuss how motherhood was politicized in non-Native depictions of Native women and reflected concurrent debates about Native futures in the United States.

Validity &amp; Reliability of Native American Indian Ethnic Identity Measures for Use as an Identity Construct in Criminology

Validity &amp; Reliability of Native American Indian Ethnic Identity Measures for Use as an Identity Construct in Criminology

Racial/ethnic representation in opioid use disorder-related clinical trials

BackgroundLittle is known about representation in trials aimed at addressing Opioid Use Disorder. This is a crucial issue given high mortality rates overall and substantial differences in death rates across racial/ethnic groups. MethodsWe analyzed data from clinical trials, data on Census population, data on new admissions to treatment facilities with a diagnosis of Opioid Use Disorder, and mortality data. ResultsWe found that Native American people (who face the highest opioid-related mortality burden in the United States) were under-represented in clinical trials. Black people (who face the second highest mortality rate) were enrolled at levels that exceeded those expected. Our results suggest the need for increased efforts to include Native Americans in OUD clinical trials and also that researchers should consider the possibility that high levels of enrollment among black Americans may represent an undue burden. We found ambiguous results for Asian American and Hispanic people. Our analysis also suggests that White people were represented at levels below those expected, although they were a majority of clinical trials participants. ConclusionOverall, these findings highlight the importance of equity in clinical trials and major gaps in terms of representation.

Cultural Efficacy: Responding to Native American Indian Youth Deviance in A Tribal Community

Cultural Efficacy: Responding to Native American Indian Youth Deviance in A Tribal Community

Validity &amp; Reliability of Native American Indian Ethnic Identity Measures for Use as an Identity Construct in Criminology

Validity &amp; Reliability of Native American Indian Ethnic Identity Measures for Use as an Identity Construct in Criminology

Subjugation of Indigenous Land: The Geographical Depletion of Place Depicted in Linda Hogan’s Mean Spirit

Linda Hogan is a Chickasaw writer who has been always concerned about the issue of place in her literary works since place is taken as a witness, participant and even sufferer of the Native American people’s colonial history. Meanwhile, the native belief regarding human relationships to land and place in cosmological and ecological aspects can also well illustrate her initial concern of place. This paper is to situate the analysis of place within the context of postcolonial and ecological avenues, exploring the geographical depletion of the local place, and further reproducing the colonized and displaced situation of indigenous land. Through the representation of land loss history represented in her first novel &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Mean Spirit&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;, this study is intended to draw upon the concerning social elements resulting in the native people’s land cession experience from two aspects, colonial conquest and capital expansion, thus generalizing Hogan’s attitude toward land as a component of the local place and conceptualizing her land ethic stereotype. In a nutshell, the land-language concept revealed in Hogan’s literary work encompasses the idea of caring for and listening to the place and ultimately demonstrates her land ethic doctrine that can be comprehended as her place-oriented proposition and a new strategy of resistance against the colonial and ecological crisis.

Engaging with Nature in Times of Rapid Environmental Change: Vulnerability, Sentience, and Autonomy

Increasingly rapid environmental changes since the middle of the 20th century pose a significant challenge for vulnerable human populations. North American Native people from the Northwest Coast, as many other indigenous populations around the globe, have conceived landscapes as sentient, and capable of responding to human action. The consequent “social responsibility” taken for landscape is explored in the context of vulnerability to rapid environmental change. The basis for respect that underlies this sense of responsibility, and its significance for addressing human vulnerability to nature’s agency, through more adequate practices of mitigation and adaptation, is discussed. It is concluded that we face an imperative to reconceive the agency of natural phenomena.

Subjugated to Free Independent States of America, Boston Tea Party by Sons of Liberty and Declaration of Independence

This article explores how Native Americans and Africans have historically been treated by Europeans, with a particular emphasis on how both groups have been portrayed as barbaric and primitive in a variety of media, including literature, minstrel shows, newspapers, and advertisements. We'll talk about Native Americans' difficulties and how they gained their independence in this section. European colonization of North America resulted in the displacement of these tribes, who were then forced into reservations and subjected to assimilation strategies that were often violent and betrayed treaties. European assimilation efforts aimed to erase Native American culture, history, and identity through the establishment of boarding schools that forced Native American children to adopt European habits, attire, and language. The method was intended to "kill the Indian, save the man," as institutions such as the Carlisle Indian School illustrated. Despite the hardships and cultural loss inflicted on Native Americans, their experience in boarding schools was critical in developing future Native American leaders and building a sense of pan-Indian identity, thereby refuting the notion of them as a dying race. The article also delves into the influence of British colonial rule on Native Americans, as well as the imposition of taxes without representation, which sparked riots such as the Boston Tea Party. The Continental Congress and the following Declaration of Independence were watershed points in the American Revolution. Furthermore, the Coercive Acts meant to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, stoked colonial discontent and aided in the commencement of the American Revolutionary War. The article finishes by underlining the significance of these historical events in establishing the identity of the United States and the ongoing struggle for Native Americans' rights and acknowledgment. This in-depth examination of historical events and their interconnectivity sheds light on the complicated and often brutal interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans, which ultimately influenced the establishment of the United States and its values (Volo, 2003).

Whipple’s Vision: Theology of the Land and Nineteenth-Century Episcopal Missions to Minnesota Native Americans

This article considers theologies of the land by examining the legacy of the nineteenth-century Episcopal bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple and his encounter with Minnesota’s Native American people. Using the work of Willie James Jennings as an interpretive lens, it argues that Whipple developed and implemented a theology in which land is (1) fundamentally separate from people, (2) passive physical material, (3) a resource for human productivity, and (4) an instrument for the formation of Christian and American identity. It shows how such a vision of the land has contributed to a destructive theology of displacement, conquest, wealth, and assimilation. It briefly proposes an alternative theology of the land in which land is (1) distinguishable but not separable from people, (2) differentiated and sacred, (3) a creature with value exceeding its productivity, and (4) a place for mutual formation of people and land through God’s power.

The Music Education Legacy of William Frederick Cardin, or Pejawah: ‘A Language All America Should Know’

William Frederick (“Fred”) Cardin served as a director of instrumental music in the Reading, Pennsylvania, School District from 1930 until his retirement in June 1960. An accomplished performer and composer, Cardin studied at the Curtis School of Music and the Conservatoire Américaine in Paris, France. He is remembered as an outstanding educator and conductor both in the public schools and with community organizations. Cardin was also known as Pejawah, his Native American name. To gain further insight regarding Cardin’s musical legacy and how it reflects his heritage, interviews were conducted with former students and colleagues. Additional artifacts were collected pertaining to his education, influences, and accomplishments. Cardin pursued a focused mission through compositions and performances to promote Native American music and culture while also demonstrating aptitude in music composition, performance, and conducting. Cardin is one individual who pursued a successful career in music and music education while navigating the issues of racial discrimination.

Voices of Identity: Exploring Identity Development and Transformation Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults

ABSTRACT Emerging adulthood shapes personal, professional, and overall well-being through identity exploration. This study addresses a gap in the minority identity literature by investigating how urban AI/AN emerging adults think about their identity and discussing challenges and protective factors associated with exploring their identity holistically. This mixed-methods study created a sampling framework based on discrimination experiences, cultural identity, social network support, mental health, and problematic substance use. We recruited 20 urban AI/AN emerging adults for interviews. We sought to gain deeper insights into their experiences and discussions surrounding identity formation and exploration. We provide descriptives for demographic characteristics and conducted a thematic analysis of the qualitative data from the interviews. Four themes emerged: a) being an urban AI/AN emerging adult means recognizing that one’s identity is multifaceted; b) a multifaceted identity comes with tension of living in multiple worlds; c) the trajectory of one’s identity grows over time to a deeper desire to connect with Native American culture; and d) understanding one’s Native American background affects one’s professional trajectory. Findings underscore the importance of developing programs to support well-being and identity development through cultural connection for urban AI/AN emerging adults.

Cancer statistics, 2024.

Each year, the American Cancer Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in the United States and compiles the most recent data on population-based cancer occurrence and outcomes using incidence data collected by central cancer registries (through 2020) and mortality data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics (through 2021). In 2024, 2,001,140 new cancer cases and 611,720 cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States. Cancer mortality continued to decline through 2021, averting over 4 million deaths since 1991 because of reductions in smoking, earlier detection for some cancers, and improved treatment options in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings. However, these gains are threatened by increasing incidence for 6 of the top 10 cancers. Incidence rates increased during 2015-2019 by 0.6%-1% annually for breast, pancreas, and uterine corpus cancers and by 2%-3% annually for prostate, liver (female), kidney, and human papillomavirus-associated oral cancers and for melanoma. Incidence rates also increased by 1%-2% annually for cervical (ages 30-44 years) and colorectal cancers (ages <55 years) in young adults. Colorectal cancer was the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in both men and women younger than 50years in the late-1990s but is now first in men and second in women. Progress is also hampered by wide persistent cancer disparities; compared to White people, mortality rates are two-fold higher for prostate, stomach and uterine corpus cancers in Black people and for liver, stomach, and kidney cancers in Native American people. Continued national progress will require increased investment in cancer prevention and access to equitable treatment, especially among American Indian and Alaska Native and Black individuals.

Association between poor sleep and mental health issues in Indigenous communities across the globe: a systematic review.

Evidence from studies among non-Indigenous populations has established the association of poor sleep to mental health issues and supported how improving sleep could reduce the risk of mental ill health. In contrast, for Indigenous people, who experience disproportionate rates of mental ill health, the association between sleep and mental health and the potential of sleep health in reducing the risk and severity of mental health issues have never been fully reviewed. Considering the literature gap, this review assesses the association between sleep and mental health in Indigenous people. Following PRISMA guidelines, a study was submitted to the PROSPERO database for registration (293798) prior to commencing the review. Then academic databases were searched for relevant studies published up till 19 February 2023. Studies with quantitative data on sleep and mental health association in Indigenous people were included and a narrative review/synthesis was conducted. Seven studies, using carer/self-reports (six cross-sectional, one longitudinal) among three Indigenous groups (N = 3066) met the inclusion criteria. In Indigenous Australian children, arousal problems were associated with aggression, and withdrawn behavior, while early bedtime was associated with a lower risk of behavioral problems. In Native American young people, insomnia symptoms were associated with depressive symptoms in adults, short sleep was associated with affective disorders. Clinical sleep issues, i.e. restless leg and apnea, were associated with depression. In Amerindian/Mestizo adults, restless leg syndrome was associated with depression and anxiety. Overall, findings report the prevalence of poor sleep and mental health issues among Indigenous communities across the globe. Six studies scored "moderate quality" and one study scored "high quality" in quality assessment. While there is limited research available, our finding suggests an association between poor sleep and mental health issues in Indigenous people. Further investigation of the potential role of, and investing in, sleep health could help support mental health.

Knowledge Distillation and Transfer Learning Combined for Innovative Visualization Teaching of Non-Heritage Designs

Abstract This study introduces a novel approach by combining knowledge distillation and transfer learning to create a model that, despite its smaller size, approaches the accuracy of its much larger counterparts. It leverages a trained model from a source domain (teacher) to enhance an untrained model in a target domain (student) with significantly fewer parameters. Through transfer learning, we utilize pre-trained deep learning model parameters as initial values. This paper also explores integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) information with school curricula, transforming traditional knowledge presentation into intuitive, personalized displays. Our findings highlight that ICH visualization spans nine categories, with traditional arts and crafts leading with 25 items. Interestingly, only 22.58% of students understand Native American culture, pointing towards the potential for educational enhancement. The research suggests designing curriculum with varied teaching activities to improve students’ comprehensive skills.

SEX AND ETHNICITY-RELATED DISPARITIES IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AMONG RESIDENTS OF SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES

Abstract Residents of nursing homes represent a special subset of the population characterized by increased vulnerability and higher rates of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Nursing home ethnic composition does not reflect that of the general population with minorities more likely to be concentrated in facilities with serious deficiencies, and to have lower health status at time of admission. Significant ethnic disparities in quality-of-care aspects such as hospitalizations, preventive care, and the management of chronic conditions exist and these patterns extend to sex and ethnicity-specific subgroups of individuals with AD. However, there is a paucity of knowledge on the actual size of sex and ethnicity-related disparities in AD within this high-risk population. In this study we used 100% of all nursing home resident evaluations (N=23,080,518; Male:40.66%; Female:59.34%; White: 77.29%; Black:11.62%; Other:3.80%; Hispanic:4.97%; Asian:1.81%; Pacific Islander:0.15%; Native American Native:0.39%), 1999-2012, from the Minimum Dataset to assess sex and ethnicity-specific differences in age-specific prevalence of AD. Total AD prevalence increases sharply (numbers are prevalence proportions with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) from 1.79 (1.75-1.84) at age 60 to 13.45 (13.39-13.51) at 85. Notable statistically significant sex and ethnicity-related disparities were present at all ages. For example, at age 85 the prevalence of AD was for: i)Males: 11.34 (11.24-11.44); ii)Females: 14.53 (14.45-14.62); iii)Whites: 13.21 (13.14-13.28); iv)Blacks: 15.32 (15.09-15.55); v)Other/Unknown: 9.75 (9.42-10.07); vi)Hispanics: 18.17 (17.82-18.52); vii)Asians: 11.30 (10.87-11.72); viii)Pacific Islanders: 10.33 (8.65-12.01); ix)North American Natives: 11.78 (10.62-12.94). In depth analysis of the causes, time-trends, and geographic distribution of these disparities is needed.

Race and ethnicity in the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium: demographics, treatments, and outcomes, an international observational registry study

BackgroundImproving access to healthcare for ethnic minorities is a public health priority in many countries, yet little is known about how to incorporate information on race, ethnicity, and related social determinants of health into large international studies. Most studies of differences in treatments and outcomes of COVID-19 associated with race and ethnicity are from single cities or countries.MethodsWe present the breadth of race and ethnicity reported for patients in the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium, an international observational cohort study from 380 sites across 32 countries. Patients from the United States, Australia, and South Africa were the focus of an analysis of treatments and in-hospital mortality stratified by race and ethnicity. Inclusion criteria were admission to intensive care for acute COVID-19 between January 14th, 2020, and February 15, 2022. Measurements included demographics, comorbidities, disease severity scores, treatments for organ failure, and in-hospital mortality.ResultsSeven thousand three hundred ninety-four adults met the inclusion criteria. There was a wide variety of race and ethnicity designations. In the US, American Indian or Alaska Natives frequently received dialysis and mechanical ventilation and had the highest mortality. In Australia, organ failure scores were highest for Aboriginal/First Nations persons. The South Africa cohort ethnicities were predominantly Black African (50%) and Coloured* (28%). All patients in the South Africa cohort required mechanical ventilation. Mortality was highest for South Africa (68%), lowest for Australia (15%), and 30% in the US.ConclusionsDisease severity was higher for Indigenous ethnicity groups in the US and Australia than for other ethnicities. Race and ethnicity groups with longstanding healthcare disparities were found to have high acuity from COVID-19 and high mortality. Because there is no global system of race and ethnicity classification, researchers designing case report forms for international studies should consider including related information, such as socioeconomic status or migration background.*Note: “Coloured” is an official, contemporary government census category of South Africa and is a term of self-identification of race and ethnicity of many citizens of South Africa.