According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.”

Within Indigenous communities we can still see the impacts of health inequities built into nearly every federal policy and system governing Indigenous health and well-being over centuries. From poor diets and a lack of access to fresh, affordable foods to vastly under-resourced health, education, and economic systems in Indian Country, Native people experience tremendous barriers to maintaining good physical, mental, and spiritual health.

NAYA works to work with community to address the health disparities resulting from these systemic inequities. Our work includes:

• Family wellness programming
• Fitness classes
• Health policy advocacy
• Networking and resource sharing
• Mental health groups, talking circles, and traditional wellness opportunities
• Referrals to partner organizations

Please check our events calendar https://nayapdx.org/events/ to stay apprised of our current programming.