Maia Steese - Contemporary Connections: Tracks & The Indian Healthcare Improvement Act

Indian County Media Network: "Making America Sick Again: What a Repeal of the Affordable Care Act Could Mean"
https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/travel/making-america-sick-repeal-affordable-care-act-mean/

The Issue

Although President Trump has only been in office for a few weeks now, he has made it very clear to Americans, his intentions of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). What he and congress don't seem to realize (or even care to realize) is by repealing the act not only will many Americans have to suffer the loss of affordable healthcare, but so will the Native American community. By repealing the ACA, it will also repeal the authorization for the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), which is included under Obamacare. Like Grijalva said "Destroying the Affordable Care Act will indeed make America sick again, and it could make Native Americans sickest of all."


Originally the IHCIA was passed in 1976, but prior to recent authorization and changes of this act, the IHS programs have been expired for at least a decade. Since the affordable care act reauthorized the IHCIA, there have been many advancements made. Under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), about 2.2 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives ( In 35 States) are provided with services including inpatient, emergency, ambulatory and dental care. Indian Health Service (IHS) programs also provides preventative care aimed at reducing the high rates of infant mortality, diabetes, hepatitis B, alcoholism, and suicide in Native American communities. The IHS funds are put towards construction and maintenance of hospital and healthcare centers, and even water supply and sanitation facilities. 

What does this issue have to do with Louise Erdrich's Tracks? And how does this issue connect?

Since the beginning of the Americas, it has become apparent that the American gov't hasn't had much concern for the Native American community. Whether it was the forced removal (1830 Indian Removal Act) of Native peoples from their land,  the countless massacres of Natives over the decades, or even the spread of disease onto the Natives during the Colombian Exchange, it's apparent that the community has been abused (and still is) mentally, physically, and emotionally by the U.S. gov't. In Louise Erdrich's Tracks, immediately in chapter 1 we are told by Nanapush the story of the spotted sickness that hit the Anishinabe people in the winter of 1912. In this section of the reading, the spotted sickness is described to have killed off whole families. The sick families that were left, then were forced close together to contain the sickness. On pg. 3 Nanapush talks of Pukwan (a tribal policeman) having to carry out the instructions of an U.S. agency. He nailed up an official quarantine sign to a cabin, filled with the bodies of those consumed by the sickness. In this moment I could see that the U.S. gov't has never really been concerned about the health of the Native community. Here we see the Anishinabe people consumed by the spotted sickness, and the U.S. gov't offering no help towards the Native community. They instead sent instructions for the tribal police to contain the sickness and get rid of those who have already passed. Connecting the reading to the article regarding the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA), it's apparent that the U.S. gov't has never really provided adequate healthcare for the Native community. Although this isn't a big connection, I wanted to bring up this issue, so that people could become aware of the healthcare benefits the Native community is given (or lack of) today. Ultimately if the affordable care act is repealed, all the advancements made towards the IHCIA will be lost and so will the benefits of affordable healthcare. Once again, we can see how the American gov't has turned its' back on the Native American community once again.