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Abstract

This study tests the hypothesis that the social activism that some American Indian tribes engaged in during the 1960s to 1990s improved their average health, as measured by 1990 rates of mobility and work disability. The hypothesis is tested on a subuniverse of 59 reservation units using conventional regression techniques, including a factor analysis that generated three factors: Socioeconomic status (SES), Claims Against the Government, and Cultural Renewal. SES predicted lower rates of both types of disability across the sample. The activism predictions were supported mainly in the Southwest region where Claims and Renewal predicted lower levels of physical limitations. In the non-Southwest tribes, only Claims predicted (weakly) fewer claims for work disability. Alternative hypotheses are discussed.

Keywords

American Indians disabilities social mobilization

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Social Activism and Disability Rates in American Indian Tribes

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