NYC conducts first health study of Native American residents

The New York City Health Department has conducted its first ever study to highlight the conditions of more than 100,000 Native Americans/Indigenous Peoples who live in the five boroughs.

The department’s collaboration with the groups representing aboriginal peoples aided city health officials in providing this population with crucial information during the coronavirus pandemic, city officials said.

“For the first time in the Health Department’s recorded history, public health information about COVID-19 was released in languages Indigenous to the Americas. Local community leaders provided interpretation in 12 Indigenous languages for virtual community conversations about the COVID-19 vaccines,” the analysis said.

The report said that “existing health, economic and other forms of inequities have converged during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase risk of exposure, infection, and death among Indigenous peoples.”

Many of the Native Americans-Indigenous residents migrated from Mexico and other Central and South America countries.

The data — albeit limited for the years 2013-2017 — reveals that fewer Native Americans obtained a high school degree than the city average; a higher percentage suffered from poverty and unemployment; they used more of their income to cover rent, and fewer had health insurance coverage.

Chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes were also more prevalent among Indigenous Peoples than other racial/ethnic groups or the citywide average.

A higher percentage of Native Americans also reported heavy drinking of alcohol, consuming sugary drinks or being overweight/obese.

“Some health outcomes among Indigenous peoples of the Americas in NYC are comparable to those seen among other communities of color in NYC that have been negatively impacted by structural and institutional racism,” the report said.

The city Board of Health recently declared structural racism — including against Indigenous Peoples — a public health crisis that needs to be addressed.

The Native American-Indigenous population and groups in the city include peoples of Nahua, Mixtec, Garifuna, Quichua, K’iche and Mam and the Red de Pueblos Transnacionales, representing migrants from Mexico.

Health officials also consulted with the American Indian Community House, a non-profit organization serving urban Natives since 1969 as part of its research.

The analysis said the first Native Americans study — despite limitations in targeting a small, diverse and in some cases insular population — is a good step in delving more deeply into the conditions of Indigenous residents and differences among them.

“These findings point to areas of concern and potential intervention related to the health of Indigenous peoples of the Americas living in NYC,” the report said.

But officials said current methods used by the Census and the…