Tribal Healthy Homes

OLHCHH is taking new steps in an effort to increase family and community wellness among Native American tribes and Alaska Native communities. In addition to grants, OLHCHH is developing new publications and providing other tools to help establish, strengthen, and sustain local tribal healthy homes education/outreach programs for home occupants. We also will be creating a new app to tackle home health issues. 

We are reaching out to residents, and diverse professions and occupations found on tribal lands. These include:

• Members of tribal governments
• Heath care managers and staff
• Housing maintenance contractors and workers
• Childcare/teachers
• Builders and housing inspectors
• Air quality technicians

Throughout time, tribal tradition, culture and tradition have been passed from generation to generation via tongue and/or hand.  As a way to reach Native American populations about the importance of healthy homes, OLHCHH and USDA developed this digital story. It serves to connect healthy homes concepts to traditional values so important to Native people. It shows us that the “home” in Indian Country is a spiritual place., and traditionally, far more than a physical shelter.

Examples of construction in Alaska using Indian Community Development Block Grants:

      1. Sand Point, Alaska Health Clinic                 2. Sleet mute Health Clinic                          3. Venetie, Alaska Home (Click for full story)

Oral tradition or storytelling has always been an integral part of Native American culture. These two  digital stories relate directly to the health of Native Americans by addressing the health of their homes. The stories give also give a cultural and spiritual context.

Each story is a history about the importance of traditional housing and what the “home” traditionally means.  The script and video images were provided, in most part, by the Fort Peck Tribe in Montana.