Indigenous health training programs build capacity for community-informed public health practice

Abstract Indigenous health training programs across the United States are addressing representation disparities, where American Indians constitute 3% of the U.S. population but only 0.4% of practicing physicians. By discussing these initiatives, we set the stage for our workshop's exploration of culturally-informed data collection and public health approaches for racially/ethnically marginalized communities. Indigenous health education programs, such as Indigenous-focused PhD and MPH programs and the Indians Into Medicine program at the University of North Dakota, alongside the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health's DrPH and postdoctoral programs specifically build workforce capacity for Indigenous communities. These programs implement culturally-concordant approaches to public health - where practitioners share the same background as communities they serve - demonstrating better data, community engagement, and health outcomes compared to conventional approaches. Governance structures with Indigenous representation (i.e. Tribal advisory boards and majority Indigenous faculty) ensure ethical practices such as tribal consultation, Indigenous perspectives on health determinants, data sovereignty, and institutional commitment to Indigenous health. These elements create pathways for Indigenous scholars to lead culturally appropriate research that respects tribal sovereignty while maintaining accountability to the communities they serve. This talk establishes the foundation for subsequent workshop sessions by demonstrating how culturally-informed approaches to public health surveillance yield more accurate and actionable data than conventional methodologies. Indigenous health training programs offer valuable lessons for developing culturally-responsive public health workforce capacity across diverse marginalized communities. Finally, a group of Indigenous physicians in the US are conducting a feasibility study to establish the world's first Indigenous School of Medicine.