Multicultural Ministries

American Indian & Alaskan Native

American Indian & Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Populations

 American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) are people having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.¹  According to the 2000 U.S. Census, those who identify only as AI/AN constitute 0.9 percent of the United States population, or approximately 2.5 million individuals.  The Census Bureau projects modest growth by AI/AN communities in the next few decades, topping 5 million individuals by the year 2065 and comprising 1.1 percent of the population. The greatest concentrations of AI/AN populations are in the West, Southwest, and Midwest, especially in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.²

There are 569 federally recognized AI/AN tribes, plus an unknown number of tribes that are not federally recognized. Each tribe has its own culture, beliefs, and practices. AI/ANs have a unique relationship with the federal government due to historic conflict and subsequent treaties. Tribes exist as sovereign entities, but federally recognized tribes are entitled to health and educational services provided by the federal government. Though the Indian Health Service (IHS) is charged with serving the health needs of these populations, more than half of the AI/AN population does not permanently reside on a reservation,³ and therefore have limited or no access to IHS services. Geographic isolation, economic factors, and suspicion toward traditional spiritual beliefs are some of the reasons why health among AI/ANs is poorer than other groups.  Other factors that contribute to poorer health outcomes for AI/ANs include cultural barriers, geographic isolation, inadequate sewage disposal, and economic factors.⁴