Across the country, American Indian communities face some of the worst health disparities and outcomes across all racial and ethnic groups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one out of every four people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native say they are in fair to poor health. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic liver disease rank as some of the leading causes of death in these populations. And the average life expectancy for American Indian people is just over 70 years old, nearly eight years lower than the average for all races.
The Indian Health Board (IHB) in Minneapolis has worked for decades to close those gaps among urban Indigenous communities. The nonprofit’s goal is to provide access to quality health services for American Indians and eliminate the barriers necessary to receive that care.
By creating safe spaces, providing culturally tailored medical care and incorporating traditional American Indian practices, IHB hopes to help reverse those trends and create healthier urban Indigenous communities. They have turned to Sunrise Banks as a trusted partner for funding a new medical clinic that is now under construction.
How IHB Got Started
The origins of the Indian Health Board center on an Ojibwe woman named Gloria. In the late 1960s, she sought care from several medical clinics in Minneapolis but was turned away because of her ethnic and racial background. Eventually, she passed away due to this negligence.
Gloria’s experience came during the height of the American Indian Rights movement, which started in Minneapolis in 1968. Activists recognized the need to establish medical clinics geared specifically for American Indians, especially those who live in urban settings.
“It was the community members that came together and said they needed to hire their own doctors and open their own clinic,” says Michael Harris, director of communications and community engagement at IHB. “They used their money and fundraising power to develop the first urban American Indian health clinic in the country.”
IHB opened its doors in 1971. Today, the nonprofit operates out of three separate buildings. It offers medical and dental services at a location on E. 24th Street. The other two buildings on Minnehaha Avenue house counseling services, mental health and substance abuse recovery support.
Culturally Responsive Care
One factor that distinguishes IHB from other medical clinics is how it incorporates traditional American Indian practices into its care.
“Our aim is to blend and make traditional health services available on an equal basis with our medical, dental, mental health and recovery services,” explains Michael.
Doctors can offer ceremonial tobacco and medicinal herbs to patients. They can also offer hand drumming classes, singing, blessing ceremonies, and other rituals as part of a holistic care plan.
Richard Wright, Gitchiayayag in Residence, or a tribal elder at IHB, says the goal is to help rebuild trust between the medical and urban American Indian communities.
“We have faced a lot of trauma over the decades – boarding schools, relocation and assimilation programs, cultural genocide, loss of Native language, and more,” he explains.
However, by creating their own system, the IHB hopes to give patients more options in the healthcare system.
“The disparities still exist, but they still have the option of coming here or other American Indian-based clinics,” Richard says.
A New Place of Healing
The next phase of the Indian Health Board is taking shape within sight of the clinics on Minnehaha Avenue. Crews are building a new facility that will be known as the Menaandawiwe Wellness Campus.
Loosely translated, Menaandawiwe means “a place of healing” in Ojibwe. The new campus will house IHB’s medical and dental services, along with space for community gatherings and other programming. The building’s design takes inspiration from items such as an American Indian jingle dress, along with constellations and medicine circles.
Alongside other funding sources, Sunrise Banks provided $10 million in the form of a New Markets Tax Credit allocation for the new clinic. Leaders broke ground on the project on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2023. It is on track to be completed by fall 2026.
“This project is so important for our urban Indigenous community – and for Minneapolis at large, too,” says Mary Stoick, senior vice president and director of tax credit lending at Sunrise Banks. “It will bring the full range of IHB services to one centralized campus, making comprehensive care more accessible. It is a major statement about the importance of healthcare in this community and for its Indigenous members.
“And the building itself? Stunning,” adds Stoick. “Franklin Avenue will be forever changed. We are so proud and honored to be part of making this project possible.”
Michael says having a strong relationship with Sunrise Banks helps IHB focus on caring for patients in the best way possible.
“We’re doing this for a good cause – to bring quality services back to our patients and the community around us,” he says. “And to have a financial partner that gets that is just awesome.”
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