White Mountain Apache Tribe - Native American Research Centers for Health
About the White Mountain Apache Tribe
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is home to 17,500 White Mountain Apache tribal members. The reservation encompasses more than 1.67 million acres along the eastern border of Arizona. Reservation boundaries were established in 1897 by an Act of Congress. Since then, our people have been living in pristinely rural, but under-resourced conditions. We are governed by an 11-member elected Tribal Council comprised of a Chair, Vice Chair and 9 Council members.
Despite valuable natural resources and several tribal enterprises (e.g. casino, timber, ski resort), we endure demographic and environmental challenges that impact health status. Currently, 61.3% of our population over 16 years old is either “Not in Labor Force” or unemployed. More than 48% began child-bearing as teenagers. Over half (53%) of our homes are led by single mothers. Median household income is $14,496, and the majority of our population lives below the federal poverty line. Meanwhile, 51.5% of our population >25 years old has not received a high school diploma. 6,7 These are who we call the pre-NARCH generation (they were<10 years old when we started NARCH I). Poor educational status is a major public health issue, linked with higher health disparities, including the biomedical and behavioral issues targeted by our NARCH XI proposal. Thus, our NARCH XI effort will braid our student and faculty training with the conduct of high-priority, high quality health research projects as a dual approach to reduce significant health and education disparities.
What is NARCH?
The Indian Health Service (IHS) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health have a joint partnership supporting the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH).
The NARCH initiative supports the multi-decade partnership between the White Mountain Apache Tribe and Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. The NARCH program conducts intensive academic-level biomedical, behavioral and health services research to progress towards their shared goals.
ABOUT WMAT-JHU NARCH
The White Mountain Apache-JHU Native American Research Centers for Health builds on our successful partnerships to advance tribal sovereignty in health research and training.
We are creating a future where multi-disciplined American Indian scientists will unravel Native health disparities, and our communities will become agents of change for global well-being.
We aspire for the richness of our Apache view of life and research discoveries to benefit Native and non-Native communities alike, achieving greater healing across the world.
The WMAT-JHU NARCH Student and Faculty training Model
WMAT-JHU NARCH Student and Faculty Training Model is innovative in its integration of public health science training for Apache scholars and faculty investigators as well as community-based training and professional development in health research for tribal members. Training is designed to span across a developmental continuum, from high school to post-baccalaureate studies, faculty development, and ultimately tribal health and human service leadership. White Mountain Apache culture serves as the foundation at every level of training and is integrated throughout. An important aspect of the Training model is mentorship of Apache students and faculty by cross-cultural teams of Apache leaders and senior scientists from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Training model is also unique in that it offers two tracks for certification in public health: one for individuals with a bachelor’s degree and another which does not require a degree or any prior college experience. This is the only program in the nation to provide community members, who have vast cultural knowledge and experience but may not have received a post-secondary degree, with access to formal graduate-level public health training for work with Indigenous communities.
Integrating Apache and western systems of thinking has the potential to broaden research theory and perspective in ways that will positively impact science and health globally. The NARCH Training program provides Apache students and health professionals with access to cutting-edge public health courses at the leading school of public health, but also promotes and incorporates traditional and contemporary Apache knowledge and experience. The current NARCH program also promotes faculty experience among Apache community members, providing opportunities for public health education and training for WMA members by WMA members; WMA members who have received public health training from JHU through NARCH funds prepare and lead courses in public health, with partnership with JHU faculty, held on WMAT lands. In addition, the current NARCH program provides Apache researchers with opportunities and support in publishing and presenting their research.