2004: Urban Indian teens at risk of addiction
The Seattle-based Urban Indian Health Institute reports that urban Indian youth are at greater risk for serious mental health and substance abuse problems, suicide, increased gang activity, teen pregnancy, abuse, and neglect. In general, the urban Indian population has a poor health status and a lack of adequate health care services, which are serious problems for most families.
According to the 2000 Census, 60 percent of American Indians live in urban areas. The report, “The Health Status of Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives: An Analysis of Select Vital Records and Census Data Sources,” is published by the Urban Indian Health Institute, a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board.
- Theme
- Land and Water
- Region
- Arctic, California, Great Basin, Great Plains, Northeast, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Southeast, Southwest, Subarctic
Dana Jetty, a 16-year-old member of the Spirit Lake Tribe, testified in 2009 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about the loss of her 14-year-old sister to suicide
Courtesy U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs