{"id":50123,"date":"2016-01-14T18:48:53","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T18:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/filmseries\/?p=50123"},"modified":"2022-11-09T16:19:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T16:19:10","slug":"unnatural-causes-inequality-making-us-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/filmseries\/2016\/01\/14\/unnatural-causes-inequality-making-us-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making us Sick?"},"content":{"rendered":"

February 15, 2016
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bad Sugar<\/p>\n

Bad Sugar<\/em>, episode four of the seven part PBS’ series\u00a0 Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?<\/em>, focuses on the reasons for high diabetes rates in the Pima and Tohono O\u2019odham of southern Arizona and other Native American peoples.<\/p>\n

The Pima and Tohono O\u2019odham Indians of southern Arizona have arguably the highest diabetes rates in the world \u2013 half of all adults are afflicted. But a century ago, diabetes was virtually unknown here. Researchers have poked and prodded the Pima for decades in search of a biological \u2013 or more recently, genetic \u2013 explanation for their high rates of disease. Meanwhile, medical-only interventions have failed to stem the rising tide not just among Native Americans, but globally.<\/p>\n

What happened to the health of the Pima? During the 20th century, the diversion of river water to upstream white settlements disrupted the Pima\u2019s agricultural economy and customary ways. Local tribes were plunged into poverty and became dependent on the U.S. government. Healthy traditional foods like tepary beans, cholla buds, and wild game were replaced by surplus commodities like white flour, lard, processed cheese and canned foods \u2013 a diabetic\u2019s nightmare. A sense of \u201cfuturelessness\u201d took hold, and so did diabetes.<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Don Warne, a trained physician and traditional Lakota healer who works with the Pima, health problems like diabetes begin long before people get to the clinic or the hospital. While obesity and diet are risk factors, so is poverty. People in the lowest income brackets are at least twice as likely to become diabetic as those in the highest. For the O\u2019odham and other Native Americans, the stress of living in poverty is compounded by a history of cultural, economic and physical loss, which researchers believe magnifies its impact on health.<\/p>\n

Attorney Rod Lewis has spent the last several decades fighting to restore his tribe\u2019s water rights. In 2004 he helped negotiate the largest water settlement in Arizona history, which not only guaranteed the return of water but provided crucial funds to build roads, dams and other infrastructure. Now the Pima are beginning to farm again. Leaders are cautiously optimistic that community empowerment, along with sustainable and culturally appropriate development can help restore prosperity, hope, and health.\u00a0 (http:\/\/www.unnaturalcauses.org\/episode_descriptions.php?page=4<\/a>)<\/p>\n

About our Presenter:<\/p>\n

Donald Warne, (Oglala Lakota) MD, MPH is Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Professions at North Dakota State University, and he is the Senior Policy Advisor to the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen\u2019s Health Board.\u00a0 Dr. Warne is a member of the Oglala Lakota<\/em> tribe from Pine Ridge, SD and comes from a long line of traditional healers and medicine men.\u00a0 He received his MD from Stanford University School of Medicine and his MPH from Harvard School of Public Health.<\/p>\n

Professional activities include:<\/p>\n