Bush Admin Propes Elimination of Urban NDN Health Program Again

[MixedIndian]

I don't know any black man running for president, I know there is a mulatto running.

Mullatto!!?? Wow, I haven't heard that one in a while. That's almost as bad as colored.

I'm sorry, I just had to post.

[between2worlds]

Yeah, ntown... the whole health care thing stinks across the board. I'm one of them beige ndns (and yeah, I'm sensitive about having separate names for pedigrees since my Gramps was considered a "breed"). You'd think I would have gotten really cool benefits and a great job and a huge house on the hill and all that. Problem is - for the -very- poor there's welfare and medicaid (not great, but it's at least free aspirin and "tussin"). For the lucky few in the middle class the job comes with benefits (if not at least enough bucks to afford modest coverage). For almost everyone in between there is NOTHING - and this insurance gap hasn't a whole lot to do with color. I know broke people of every possible racial combination.

Now as to why, in specific, I think the proposed demise of the ndn health clinic sucks - it's really very simple: the good ole US of A made some treaties and a whole boot-load of promises with some other sovereign nations that they are sharing continental space with. I have spent a goodly share of my "political energy" pushing at politicians to keep them honoring what little did go even half-a$$ed right... not cuz me and mine will benefit but because it is one of the things a beige ndn can do for those that are politically entitled to benefit from the promises made long ago.

[ndngirl70]

Friends don't let friends vote Republican.

My mom has a bumper sticker that says "Never elect the son of a Bush"

[ntownn8ive]

Thank you, B2W,

The use of the phrase mulatto has certainly gone off the PC-ness radar a while back. And forgive me, cuz I still use the reference white and black people. Hell, I still refer to me as an NDN, mostly native, no bother.

I do agree that if you’re raised native, you remain to be a native, and so on. And back on the subject at hand, additionally, I am having a hard time seeing Bush’s justification of such a two-faced, snake-tongued federal policy. Let’s see, let’s look at the historical federal Indian policies: assimilation, reservations, termination, relocation, and so on. Now, specifically relocation, an actual federal policy where natives were urged to move to urban areas with the promise of jobs, housing and health care.

Well Sir, in my town, 82% Caucasian (see that’s PC), brown and red folks have a hard time getting jobs. Unless, you’re fortunate enough to get a job at one of the near by casinos; two now, one coming in the future.

Housing, that’s a big joke. I lived in the ghetto @$$ neighborhoods for the past how many years. No one was helping me with finding that perfect home.

And then healthcare; I’m covered now, but I know too many natives that are barely scrapin along, have diabetes or final stages of some other sicknesses, and what not, that rely on the native clinic. If grammas and grampas, or aunts and uncles aren’t getting their insulin, where does that leave them? If babies aren’t getting shots or check ups, where does that leave them?

Anyways….

[between2worlds]

I don't know any black man running for president, I know there is a mulatto running. Why dosen't the NDN community address this to him or Clinton.

*Laffs* Obama considers himself black. If you knew Obama you would know: he is married to a black woman, attends a black church and is active in the black communities. He is accepted by his local community as a black man.

Most of the people on these forums are of mixed heritage - whether black, white, asian or various ndn nations. That we are ndn comes from a confluence of factors including who we identify ourselves as and the communities we are involved in.

Labels like mulatto, quadroon, octaroon, and mestizo have lost their power to quantify people of mixed heritage in my lifetime. I pray that these pedigree references will some day be seen as antiquated as the eugenics and Jim Crow laws seem to most people today.

Evidently that time is not yet.

[ntownn8ive]

I don't know any black man running for president, I know there is a mulatto running. Why dosen't the NDN community address this to him or Clinton.

Alright, didn't know he was a halfer, see how much I pay attention, aye!

I think it's because we are dealing with our own problems in our communitieis..

True economic situations improve, drastically in some cases, however there is still a disconnect between reservation communities and urban NDN communities when it comes to health care.

There are natives out here that come from reservations less than an hour away; then there are natives that come from MT or SD or even Canada that do not have access to the near by reservation facilities. They depend on the native clinic for care.

[musicedu77]

I don't know any black man running for president, I know there is a mulatto running. Why dosen't the NDN community address this to him or Clinton.

I think it's because we are dealing with our own problems in our communitieis..

[Zambo]

Well then, the white woman, or the black man for president?

I don't know any black man running for president, I know there is a mulatto running. Why dosen't the NDN community address this to him or Clinton.

[ntownn8ive]

Boyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! am i ever goinna be glad when that jerk is out of office..he doesn't care about the ndn communities in the u.s. if he cared he wouldnve tried to dismiss our health care ...hes done everything opposite when it comes to concern of native communities...i really didnt listen to his campaign when he was visitin the reservations but i am pretty confident that he said alot of lies just to gain support from the communitieis. well he has what about 2 years left in office and then he can never run again...even his own cabinant members well at least 1 i know of said he lies and tells him off. we need more ppl in office like that...senetors that are down to earth and who will benfit everyone and not just the welathy.

Well then, the white woman, or the black man for president?

[musicedu77]

Boyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! am i ever goinna be glad when that jerk is out of office..he doesn't care about the ndn communities in the u.s. if he cared he wouldnve tried to dismiss our health care ...hes done everything opposite when it comes to concern of native communities...i really didnt listen to his campaign when he was visitin the reservations but i am pretty confident that he said alot of lies just to gain support from the communitieis. well he has what about 2 years left in office and then he can never run again...even his own cabinant members well at least 1 i know of said he lies and tells him off. we need more ppl in office like that...senetors that are down to earth and who will benfit everyone and not just the welathy.

[between2worlds]

Thanks for posting this! It is very easy to submit a letter to your representative about this. Here is the direct link for electronic submissions: http://www.ncuih.org/test.html

[ntownn8ive]

*I don't know if this was posted before, but this is some more info:

ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES ELIMINATION OF URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAM AGAIN
WASHINGTON DC, February 5, 2007
In a widely anticipated move, the Administration has proposed to eliminate Urban Indian Health Program funding (Title V) in the FY 2008 budget. It is the assertion of the Administration that the medical services offered by the Urban Indian Health Program are a duplication of services already provided by Community Health Centers.
"This is an outrage," said NCUIH Executive Director Geoffrey Roth immediately after learning of the budget cut. "While the elimination comes as no shock to Indian Country, the Administration's continued disregard of the urgent health care needs of the urban Indian population and Tribes rights to self-determination is nevertheless disconcerting."
The unique and non-duplicative nature of the Urban Indian Health Program has been long recognized by national community and health partners. For instance in response to last year's elimination proposal, the National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc. indicated in strong terms that Community Health Centers have neither the means nor the capacity to take on the significant urban Indian patient load. Similarly, sending the urban population back to the Tribal Health Clinics is not a viable option since the Indian Health Service's system of care is already under-funded and stretched to the limit.
Today, as many as 70% of Americans identifying as American Indians and Alaska Natives live in urban areas. The 34 urban Indian health clinics within the Urban Indian Health Program provide culturally relevant medical services to this population. As reported by the clinics, losing Title V would result in bankruptcies and defaults on leases as well as the near-certain discontinuation of well over half of the clinics providing services to approximately 120,000 urban Indian patients annually. In sum, lack of services would increase—not decrease—the gross health care disparities for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
This is the second time that the Urban Indian Health Program has been zeroed out. The first time was in the FY 2007 budget. Last year’s proposal, however, was resoundingly rejected by Congress, which fully restored Title V.
To address the issue of zeroing out and the entire Indian Health Services budget to a wider audience, NCUIH is hosting a joint press conference with the National Indian Health Board on February 15.
NCUIH is also launching a nation-wide advocacy campaign in support of the restoration of funding for the Urban Indian Health Program in the FY 2008 budget. Petition letters can be submitted online at www.ncuih.org.
If you have any questions or if you need further information on the Title V elimination or the press conference, please contact NCUIH at 202-544-0344 or visit our website at www.ncuih.org.