An indigenous community's journey to access culturally appropriate healthcare

A critical challenge confronting urban Indians in North Dakota is the lack of culturally responsive health services. Healthcare services do not exist for urban Indians without health insurance and there are no local Indian Health Service facilities. Public health programs are limited and not culturally appropriate. Additionally, lack of data on urban Indians impedes the development and funding of culturally congruent, comprehensive services. Such data is needed to make the case to policy-makers regarding the urgent need for urban Indian health programs. Finally, low health literacy is burdensome to American Indian people and their elders in particular. American Indian health professionals affiliated with the state land-grant university employed community-based empowerment methods to assist the native community to own their problems and find solutions. A ten member community coalition participated in discussions, resulting in an American Indian Health & Wellness Center (AIHWC); training and IRB certification for Indian community members, development and implementation of an on-going health assessment survey and development of the Medicine Lodge Clinic. The non-profit Native American Center will coordinate existing programs and support the mission of the AIHWC. The purpose of the AIHWC is to provide direct access to culturally appropriate public health services to American Indians residing in Fargo and to serve as a healthcare access portal linking community members to the Medicine Lodge. Native community members are integral players in finding their own path to community health and wellness, through culturally congruent collaborations. The wellness center and clinic will fully integrate allopathic and traditional medicine.