Eve of Adventure

            Tonight is the eve of our trip! I can’t believe it’s come so quickly. In the next few days, I will have the opportunity to tour and observe at the Cherokee hospital clinical site. We will learn about the history of the tribe and see a production called ‘Unto These Hills’, about the tribe’s history. I’m looking forward to learning about Cherokee culture and how it influences their view of health and healthcare delivery.

            I do not know much about Cherokee culture and am nervous that I will offend or unknowingly disrespect a client. I have no familial or regional ties with Native American tribes. My only exposure to Native Americans is what I see portrayed in the media, which is a murky view at best. In doing research for this course, I’ve examined many of the earlier representation of Native American peoples I was exposed to in children’s films, which were incredibly offensive. I’ve also had to look into some of the bias I have about this group. One of those being the belief that they will dislike me because I’m Caucasian, because of the injustices done to them. This is unfair of me, and causes me to be nervous and on the defense, rather than humble and focusing on the learning opportunity at hand.

             In order to learn more about the groups population that we will be observing, I viewed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians community assessment and Health Improvement Plan. (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, 2015). Three major health concerns that were identified were substance abuse, diabetes, and depression rates (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, 2015). Because children’s health is greatly influenced by their family and home environment, it is important to understand the health of the community they are in. I look forward to learning about how the tribe is treating these health concerns in their community and their influence on the next generation. Geographically, the town of Cherokee is located between Swain and Jackson County (NC Home Town Locator, 2016). Swain county ranks 7^th and Jackson 33^rd of North Carolina’s counties with greatest percent of individuals below the poverty level (Index Mundi, n.d.). Socioeconomic income is a factor affecting access to care. The county of Jackson also identified substance abuse and diabetes in their top three identified health concerns in their Community Assessment (Jackson County, 2015, p. 40). It will be interesting to learn about how the region at large effects and plays into the Cherokee populations health. 

            I’m going to hit the hay! We leave the school bright and early tomorrow at 0500. Which means I will be getting up at 0300 for the commute. I’m looking forward to what these next few days bring. Ta-ta for now!

Resources:

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. (2015). Tribal health improvement plan. Retrieved from: http://www.cherokee-hmd.com/pdfs/THIPFINAL2015.pdf.

Index Mundi. (n.d.). North Carolina poverty rate by county. Retrieved from: Socioeconomic income is a factor affecting access to care

Jackson County. (2015). Jackson County 2015 Community Health Assessment. Retrieved from: http://static1.squarespace.com/static/51826030e4b04f94760dc52d/t/56687334b204d55efa4065ea/1449685812274/NEW+2015+Jackson+County+CHA_NoAppendices.pdf

NC Home Town Locator. (2016). North Carolina county maps, ZIP code maps, and congressional district maps. Retrieved from: http://northcarolina.hometownlocator.com/maps/