A Child is a Child: American Indian, Alaska Native and Indigenous Children’s Health

American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous (AI/AN/In) communities have been greatly undercounted, uncounted, and miscounted/miscategorized in data collection efforts across state, county, and federal agencies — including in the census — presenting stark challenges to accurately highlighting inequities impacting AI/AN/In children. Data collection tools at the state and federal level are not created by or adapted to AI/AN/In culture and communities and lack questions that are relevant to or understanding of them, leading to data that drastically underestimates, overlooks, or miscategorizes their experiences and challenges. There is a critical need for accurate, meaningful, culturally relevant and responsive, and timely data collection in AI/AN/In communities to shed light on and address hidden health inequities.

The publication’s infographic provides an overview of key child health facts to inform the work to be done to make California the best state to raise healthy, thriving children. All data is specific to California unless noted explicitly as national data.

This study uses 2019, 2020 and 2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.