Bellack Library wants to make sure that, as health professions students, you have access to reputable resources to help provide the best care to your future patients, colleagues, and yourself.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at health resources that focus on those in Native American communities. In the United States, there are over 570 federally recognized tribes and nations (U.S. General Services Administrations, n.d.) and an additional 400 that are not federally recognized in the United States (Mittal et al., 2012). According to the 2020 Census (Jones et al., 2021), 9.7 million people identify themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination with another group. Native Land Digital is an online map that shows territory outlines of many of Indigenous Groups. They consider the map to be a living document and include links to various nations.
As we’ve noted in other guides, being culturally competent, effective, or practicing cultural humility is important for improved health outcomes (Handtke et al., 2019). Studies have found that the “perceived cultural competency affected the degree of trust and collaboration within the services network when addressing the needs of recent immigrant families. Competence trust toward other providers increased the desire and commitment to work together, while lack of competence trust created avoidance. (Isaacs et al., 2013).”
Native American communities face significant health disparities compared to the general US population. These disparities are shaped by historical trauma, systemic inequities, and limited access to healthcare, which have all contributed to poor health outcomes in these communities.
This guide will look at some of the most prominent health issues facing these communities, including:
The guide emphasizes the importance of culturally competent care that respects Native traditions, values, and beliefs. Resources included aim to enhance understanding of Indigenous healing practices, community-based healthcare approaches, and the role of spirituality in health. It is broken up into 4 main sections: an introduction to the topic, resources for Native American students and practitioners, resources for caring for Native American patients, and helpful research tools.
Please explore the resources in this guide and reach out to us through Ask a Librarian if you have any questions or would like further assistance.
This guide uses tabs to organize content. Follow the instructions below on how to navigate using tabs.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to one of our librarians!
On the following tabs, you'll find books, journals, and databases that we have available in our collection that focus on Native Americans.
American Indian Health and Nursing by 
The Changing Portrayal of Adolescents in the Media Since 1950 by 
Children of Color, 2nd ed. [print] by 
Cultural, Ethnic, and Religious Reference Manual for Healthcare Providers, 4th ed. by 
Healing and Mental Health for Native Americans by 
Health and Social Issues of Native American Women by 
Physical activity in diverse populations: Evidence and practice by We know leisure or recreational reading is important for students. We know that reading can help reduce psychological distress in college students (Levine et al., 2022; Viqar et al., 2018; Watson, 2015). But we also know that time constraints can be a problem that makes it hard to take time to read. For those of you who have time (or maybe you’re on break?), Boston Public Library offers free library eCards for MA residents (and for those living in MA while attending school in-state or who work for a MA employer). These free eCards allow you to access their online resources (which includes large collection of eBooks/AudioBooks/and more from OverDrive and Hoopla).
While we’re here, we wanted to also point out that BPL have a ton of relevant staff-curated reading lists that may be of interest to you:
