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Acilhtablbixw, Xwaac'al'al (Native American Longhouse): Health Communities, A Gathering Place Author: Cindy Marchand-Cecil Dissertation School: Portland State University Pages: 129 Publication Date: 12/2010 Availability: Access Number: 10882 Abstract: The term, Acilhtalbixw Xwaac'al'al, means Native American longhouse in the Lushootseed language, which describes the type of housing inhabited by the First Peoples of this land for thousands of years. The specific purpose of this project is to respond to the following research questions, as determined by Tribally Designated Housing Entity (TDHE) staff and board members, and community members across 34 voting members of the Northwest Indian Housing Association (NWIHA): a) To what extent have longstanding policies that extend from the development of tribal treaties to the passage and implementation of the Housing Act of 1937 impacted individual TDHEs' efforts to increase homeownership of tribal members in the Pacific Northwest (PNW)?; b) To what extent have local, regional, and federal policies enacted since the passage of Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) helped to promote decent affordable housing among TDHEs and the communities they serve in the PNW?; c) To what extent could enhanced homeownership opportunities amongst tribes in the PNW assist in strengthening communities by improving physical conditions, ending chronic homelessness, moving homeless families and individuals to permanent housing, and mitigate housing conditions that threaten health?; d)To what extent would housing accessibility for people with disabilities or other special needs in PNW Tribes served to ensure that all people have equal opportunity to housing?; e) To what extent do PNW TDHEs embrace high standards of ethics, management, and accountability in order to meet HUD performance standards?; and f) To what extent have partnerships with other community organizations helped TDHEs resulted in increases in TDHEs' ability to promote affordable homeownership? American Indian reservations have long been recognized as communities with the deepest level of poverty, the least amount of basic services, and the places with the highest rates of unemployment (Shoemaker, 1991 ; Wilson, 2000). The U.S. Civil Rights Commission reports that the civil rights of American Indians have been violated because of the lack of the federal government to uphold the tribal treaty rights of the American Indians who live on Indian reservations throughout the United States. Native Americans still suffer "higher rates of poverty, poor educational achievement, substandard housing, and higher rates of disease and illness" (U.S. Civil Rights Commission, 2003, p. ix). The NAIHC shares Native people still endure the most deplorable housing and socioeconomic conditions in the United States: Overcrowding on tribal lands is 14.7 percent compared to 5.7 percent. Nationally, 200,000 new housing units are needed in Indian Country, 90,000 Native families are homeless or under-housed, 12 percent are without a safe and reliable water supply (U.S. Civil Rights' Commission, 2003, NAIHC, 2006, & 2008-a). There is an obvious need for tribes to work toward providing provide increased homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons. This is best done through a variety of means, such as looking for new partners, leveraging existing funding, by providing housing counseling and related supportive service needs, such as budgeting and financial skills training, and working to improve the efficiency of TDHEs. |
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