Health Advocacy Through the Written Word

Health Advocacy Through the Written Word

By: Jeremy Valdes-Riccardi

Media and news broadcasting acts as a web of information, exposing individuals around the world to many of the issues, accolades, and obstacles currently being faced by Native Americans living in the United States.  Organizations, such as the Native American Journalism Association, aims at “improving communications among Native people and between Native Americans and the general public” through the use of media networking and advocating for more native-inclusive media representation.  Among the media resource outlets that work in cooperation with NAJA is the Native Health News Alliance, which works to promote healthy life choices and provides Natives with links to articles that advocate for healthy life choices and provide links to services for physical and mental health.

The Native Health News Alliance works as a health geared media outlet that raises awareness among Native Americans, and non-natives, to issues currently being faced on and off reservations. Notably, the NHNA offers access to their site for free and requires that all contributing members of the organization be either a certified health care provider or contributing member of the literary press. 

Once registered with the organization, media representatives from other news outlets have the opportunity to browse and showcase information related to specific health issues currently being faced by Natives on their own site.

Browsing the Native Health News Alliance website grants the reader an opportunity to not only learn about the issues plaguing native country but to advocate and promote awareness for topics ranging from physical and mental health to advancements in health care technology and healthy food choice options. The wide range of topics discussed mixed with the frequency and relevancy of the articles and information presented makes the Native Health News Alliance website a useful tool in staying current on news and information specific to Native Americans currently living in the United States.

With the expansion and creation of organizations like the Native American Journalism Association and Native Health News Alliance, natives and non-natives each have the opportunity to advocate and raise awareness about the issues being faced by Native Americans but to also celebrate the accolades and achievements made in the fields of technology and healthcare advancement. As more and more information continues to circulate about these issues throughout the United States, hopefully we can fix and learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure a more fair and healthy tomorrow.

You can learn more about specific issues regarding health, culture, and environment as it relates to Native Americans by visiting the Native Health News Alliance website at http://www.nativehealthnews.com/ or by visiting the Native American Journalists Association’s website at http://www.naja.com/.