ABSTRACT
Residents of sovereign, Indigenous Nations intrinsically hold deep connections to their land, culture, and
community, which positively affects Indigenous health and well-being. However, Indigenous health is
diminished by multi-level structural factors that manifest in numerous ways including indoor
environmental exposures; persistent fall injury hazards in the home needing repair/modification; and
limited access to culturally competent medical specialists. A team led by the federally-designated
Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC), in partnership with the University
of New Mexico and University of Arizona, proposes a multi-part intervention to enhance the home
environment and Indigenous health. This novel program will incorporate community-based participatory
research principles with an approach that centers Indigenous methodologies to promote Indigenous health
across the societal, community, household and individual levels. A housing repair voucher program
(primary intervention) will be informed by home and participant assessments, and partnered with clinical
training and referral protocol development, tribal public health workforce development and capacity-
building, and a multi-sectoral Healthy Tribal Homes Coalition. Creating an adaptable framework that
centers upon community values to address simultaneously environmental exposures, fall injury risk, daily
stressors, and respiratory health (emphasizing asthma) will increase quality of life for participants, their
families, and community. This project will yield a template and set of best practices that other Indigenous
and non-Indigenous communities may adapt to address their health priorities in a manner centered upon
their values and identity.