Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113276

Theda McPheron Keel, RN, CRRN, MA, MS¹, Robert H. Feldman, PhD², Joe Jose, MSW³, Kim Russell, BS³, Harry Kwon, MPH, CHES⁴, and Rebecca Akins, MA⁵. (1) Wind Hollow Foundation, 6739D South Clifton Road, Frederick, MD 21703, (301) 371-8759, windholo@windhollow.org, (2) Department of Public and Community Health, University of Maryland, Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, (3) Tobacco Control, Native American Community Health Center, Inc, 3008 North Third St., Phoenix, AZ 85012, (4) Department of Public and Community Health, University of Maryland, College Park, Suite 2387, Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742-2611, (5) Native Images, Inc., 4586 N. Sugarbush Place, Tucson, AZ 85749

Urban American Indians make up the largest segment of tribal persons nationwide, yet services and programs remained linked to reservations. Urban Native Americans in Phoenix Arizona developed a coalition to address multitribal tobacco concerns. The network consists of providers, researchers, state and local agencies, national programs, and tribal representatives.

The Native American Community Health Center (NACHC), using state tobacco monies, organized the coalition in 2000. Today, the Native Vision Tobacco Coalition has nearly 40 member organizations focused on prevention, cessation and research to build accurate databases and develop culturally appropriate measurement tools leading to urban specific tobacco control interventions. Partnerships within the coalition itself and between outside institutions have resulted in funded research and services across the community. Sharing of information and combined efforts have expanded essential data needed for outreach, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Awareness across Arizona of the Native Vision Tobacco Coalition has resulted in networking with state-based university systems to develop an urban American Indian tobacco survey/instrument, and a tobacco cessation model. Presentations, publications, event and research projects by Tobacco Coalition members have resulted in strong grassroots support and involvement of urban tribal populations.

This has all led to a sense of ownership and control felt by the coalition members and the Phoenix urban American Indian populations. This factor, one of strength and trust, has contributed greatly to the coalition's ability to work and expand its outreach by including diverse partners using varied approaches. True community-based participatory research has become the norm.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation, attendees will

(
• understand the unique multi-tribal needs of urban American Indians, (
• recognize strategic concepts and community based actions for building a comprehensive network.

Keywords: American Indians, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation