| Description |
In the United States, American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AI/AN) experience higher rates of health disparities (Walters, et al 2011). Indigenous communities experience higher rates of chronic and communicable diseases, poor nutrition, and exposure to environmental pollutants (Barnes et al, 2011). Additionally, many indigenous communities in the United States suffer from a greater prevalence of certain autosomal recessive disorders (Erickson, 2009). Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) is one such autosomal recessive disorder (Gajbhiye et al, 2022). In the United States, the incidence of MLD is estimated to be 1 in 40,000 live births (Lamichhane, 2023). In the western Navajo Nation, the observed incidence rate is 1 in 2,520 live births, with an estimated carrier frequency of 1/25 to 1/50 (Holve et al, 2001). This paper reviews case studies of three additional autosomal recessive diseases: Athabaskan Brainstem Dysgenesis syndrome, STAC3 disorder (formerly Native American myopathy), and Microvillous Inclusion Disease. Viewing these diseases through the lens of historical trauma offers new insight into the relevance of historical trauma to health and offers new avenues for further research into this field. This paper analyzes what we currently know of these disorders from a historical trauma perspective, and provides a critique of current methods for identifying the causes of higher incidence rates in AI/AN communities. |
