DOCUMENT RESUME ED 309 906 RC 017 190 TITLE Hunger and Nutrition Problems among American Indians: A Case Study of North Dakota. Hearing before the Select Committee on Hunger. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session (New Town, North Dakota, July 10, 1987). INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Hunger. PUB DATE 87 NOTE 143p.; Contains some small type. Serial No. 100-11. AVAILABLE FROMSuperintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Alcoholism; American Indian Culture; American Indian History; *American Indian Reservations; *American Indians; *Diabetes; Federal Indian Relationship; *Health Services; Hearings; *Nutrition; Rural Resettlement; *Special Health Problems IDENTIFIERS Congress 100th; *Fort Berthold Indian Reservation; North Dakota; Testimony ABSTRACT This document reports the oral and written testimony of 14 witnesses who discussed general health and nutrition problems among American Indians and focused on the high incidence of diabetes among North Dakota Indians. Diabetes was relatively rare among American Indians before 1940. Nearly one in three members of The Three Affiliated Tribes aged 40 or older is diabetic, according to a 1926 health report. The Three Affiliated Tribes live on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Much of the testimony mentioned cultural, physical, and psychological effects caused by rural resettlement of Indian tribes who were displaced by a dam construction project on the Missouri River in the 1950s. Other discussion topics included diabetes, alcoholism, diet, and general nutrition among the Indians; government and private assistance programs; and the need for new health services on the reservation. During the hearing, testimony was given by Peter Bennett, National Institutes of Health; Dr. James Brosseau, Grand Forks Clinic; Emnarine Chase, tribal elder at Fort Berthold Reservation; Raymond Cross, counsel for The Three Affiliated Tribes; Elsie I. Danks, Extended Food and Nutrition Education Program, Fort Berthold Reservation; Byron L. Dorgan (North Dakota), Mickey Leland (Texas), and Timothy J. Penny (Minnesota), members of the U.P. House of Representatives; Gretchen Chesley Lang, associate professor of cultural anthropology, University of North Dakota; Edward Lone Fight, chairman of the Council of The Three Affiliated Tribes; Sister Anna Rose Ruhland, tribal nutritionist, Fort Berthhold Reservation; Dr. Terrence Sloan, director of Aberdeen Area Indian Health Services (South Dakota); Alonzo Spang, Fareau of Indian Affairs (Fort Berthold Agency); and Dr. Herbert J. Wilson, family physician in New Town, North Dakota. This report includes charts, articles, and statistical information on diabetes and American Indian health. (TES) HUNGER AND NUTRITION PROBLEMS AMONG AMER- ICANINDIANS: A CASE STUDY OF NORTH DAKOTA HEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN NEW TC WN, ND, JULY JO, 1987 Serial No. 100-11 Printed for the use of the Select Committee on Hunger U.S. OEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION offKe of Educational Researchand improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Titus document has been reproducedas received from the person or organuation nfiginahng d r mmorchanges nave been made to .mprove reproduction Quaid), Points of ew of opmions stated in thisdocu- ment do not necessarty represent offical oERI position or polcy bai U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE r1/4 76-722 WASHINGTON : 1987 CatFor sale by the Superintendent. of Documents. Congressional Sales Office U.S. Government. Printing Office. Washington, DC 20402 c:14. 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER NIICKEY LELAND. Texas. Chairman TONY P HALL. Ohio MARGE ROUKEMA, New Jersey BOB TRAXLER. Michigan BILL EMERSON. Missouri LEON E PANETTA. California SID NIORRISON, Washington VIC FAZIO. California BENJAMIN A. GILMAN. New York SAM GEJDENSON. Connecticut ROBERT F. (BOB, SMITH. Oregon PETER H. KOSTalAYER. Pennstharna DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska BYRON L. DORGAN. North Dakota FREDERICK S. UPTON. Michigan BOB CARR. Michigan HANK BROWN. Colorado TIMOTHY J. PENNY, Minnesota GUY V. MOLINARI. New York 6.-RY L. ACKERMAN. New York MIKE ESPY, Mississippi FLOYD H. FLAKE, New York JAMES H. BILBRAY, Nevada KWEISI MFUME, Maryland ELIZABETH J PATTERSON. South Carolina CONTENTS Page Hearing held in New Town, ND, July 10, 1987 1 Statement of: Bennett, Peter, Chief, Clinical and Epidemiological Branch, National In- stitute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Insti- tutes of Heal 1, Phoenix, AZ 20 Brosseau, James, M.D., internist, Grand Forks Clinic, Grand Forks, ND 24 Chase, Emmarine, tribal elder, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation 11 Cross, Raymond, counsel, The Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthold Res- ervation, New Town, ND 6 Danks, Elsie I., program assistant, Extended Food and Nutrition. Educa- tion Program [EFNEP], Fort Berthold Reservation 16 Dorgan, Hon. Byron L., a Representative in Congress from the State of North Dakota, opening statement of 1 Lang, Gretchen Chesley. associate professor of cultural anthropology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 26 Leland, Hon. Mickey, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, opening statement of 2 Lone Fight, Edward, chairman, Council of The Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthold Reservation, New Town, ND, accompanied by Herbert Wilson, M.D , family physician, and Raymond Cross, Esq., council 5 Penny, Hon. Timothy J., a Representative in Congress from the State of Minnesota, opening statement of 3 Ruhland, Sister Anna Rose, Benedictine Nun, tribal nutritionist, Fort Berthold Reservation 13 Sloan, Terrence, M.D., director, Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service, Aberdeen, SD 30 Spang, Alonzo, Superintendent, Fort Berthold Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs 34 Wilson, Herbert J., M.D., family physician, New Town, ND Prepared statements, letters, supplemental material, et cetera. Bennett, Peter H. chief, Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Dis- eases, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, U.S. De- partment of Health and Human Services, prepared statement of 129 Brosseau, James D., M.D., internist, Grand Forks Clinic, Grand Forks, ND: "A Quiet Epidemic," from Diabetes Forecast, November-December 1984, article entitled 53 "Diabetes in American Indians. A Growing Problem," from Diabetes Care, November-December 1986, article entitled 57 Prepared statement of 51 Danks, Elsie, program assistant, Extended Food and Nutrition Education Frogram [EFNEPI, Fort Berthold Reservation, prepared statement of 48 Lang, Gretchen Chesley, department of anthropology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND: "Contemporary Native American Health Issues. How Can Anthro- pologists Contribute?" article from High Plains Applied Anthro- pologist, Summer/Fall, 1986 68 "Diabe ics and Health Care in a Sioux Community," article from Human Organization, Fall 1985 75 Prepared statement of 62 "Sugar' is new to Indian people," article from Plainswoman, Decem- ber 1982 65 4 IV Page Prepared statements, letters, supplemental material, et ceteraContinued Leland, Hon. Mickey, a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, prepared statement of 37 Lone Fight, Edward, chairman, The Three Affiliated Tribes, prepared statement of 39 Morud, Rollie, superintendent, New Town Public School District, New Town, ND: Letter from Arthur W. Cox, sanitarian, Upper Missouri District Health Unit, Williston, ND, dated October 8, 1986, enclosing in- spection report 125 Letter from Kathy Grafsgaard, acting director, School Food Pro- grams, Department of Public Instruction, State of North Dakota, dated October 7, 1986 123 Letter from Vern Hunter, Hunter-Globe Architects. Planners, dated September 22, 1986. 128 Prepared statement of 121 Ruhland, Sister Anna Rose, tribal nutritionist, Fort Berthold Reserva- tion, prepared statement of 44 Sloan, Dr. Terrence W., M.D., director, Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service: Fort Berthold Reservation fact sheet 99 Monthly distribution guide rate for food distribution program on Indian reservations (tables) 102 Prepared statement of 85 Spang, Alonzo T., Sr., Agency Superintendent, Fort Berthold Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior: History of The Three Affiliated Tribes, Fort Berthold, ND 113. Prepared statement of 108 Trends in Federal outlays for Indians, selected Federal programs, fiscal years 1981-86, tables, prepared by the Select Committee on Hunger 118 Wilson, Herbert J., M.D., family physician, New Town, ND: Exhibits submitted: Cases of deaths 43 Tables 1 through 5 42 HUNGER AND NUTRITION PROBLEMSAMONG AMERICANINDIANS: A CASE STUDY OF NORTH DAKOTA FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1987 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE ON HUNGER. New Town, ND. The select committee met, pursuant to notice,at 10:15 a.m., in the high school gymnasium, New Town, ND, Hon. MickeyLeland (chairmaii of the committee) presiding. Members present: Representatives Dorgan and Penny. Chairman LELAND. This hearing of the House Select Committee on Hunger of the U.S. Congress will now come to order. Letme now yield to my ,:olleague from North Dakota, Mr. Dorgan. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BYRON L. DORGAN,A REPRE- SENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA Mr. DORGAN. Mr. Chairman,