Browsing by Subject "Indian reservations"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Emergency Medical Services in American Indian Reservations and Communities: Results of a National Survey
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-05) Quick, Kathryn; Dufour, Sara; Narváez, Guillermo
    The focus of this exploratory study is emergency medical response (EMS) for motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in American Indian reservations and communities. Tribal transportation professionals have raised questions about the role of EMS in the high MVC fatality rate – 656 annually – in these areas. We conducted a national survey (n=189) of tribal governments, first responders, and state-tribe transportation liaisons. They assessed factors in the quality of EMS response in their areas (e.g., 911 access, dispatch, accessibility of MVC locations, responders’ training and equipment, distance to hospital; and inter-jurisdictional coordination). We recommend continuing research on MVCs specifically in American Indian reservations and communities. Specifically, more research is needed on dispatch issues (e.g., cell phone coverage and dispatchers’ ability to pinpoint MVC sites) because this is study respondents’ single highest area of concern, and the whole EMS response hinges on successfully placing a call for help. And, examples of productive inter-jurisdictional coordination need to be identified since tribes report vastly different experiences with this aspect of EMS system functioning. Two statistically significant findings merit further study, namely: a) heightened concern about response times and hospital access among responders from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska (compared with other regions); and b) higher optimism on all aspects of EMS response from study participants who work for tribal governments versus participants without that affiliation. Finally, it is important for researchers to communicate clearly about the geographic areas covered under “American Indian reservations and communities” in order to improve characterization of road safety and EMS issues.
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    Geography and the rule of law in the making of two American Indian Reservations: a geographic study of law as a social system
    (2008-08) Shockey, Frank Clinton
    This study explores the use of Niklas Luhmann's theory of social systems in the geographic study of law. Describing law as the communication of congruently generalized normative expectations allows access to the spatiality contained within the operations of the legal system. This exploration takes place in the context of a legal system whose self-description, the so-called "rule of law," orients it toward the observation and coding of every possibility of experience. Topically the focus of this study is on the legal system's expansion into the lands and lives of indigenous people and on the making of two American Indian Reservations, the Red Lake Reservation and the White Earth Reservation, in nineteenth-century Minnesota. The conception of unorganized territory as "Indian Country," the cession of Indian lands and creation of tribes and reservations as legal entities, and the allotment of reservation lands to individual Indians in severalty provide comparative material. In addition to reformulating the geographic study of law as a study of law as a social system, the methodology allows the history of federal American Indian law to be described with emphasis on the use of space. Like time, space has been an integral medium for the legal system's infiltration of indigenous peoples' societies, as this study shows.
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    Pedestrian Crossings and Safety on Four Anishinaabe Reservations in Minnesota
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2020-11) Lindsey, Greg; Hourdos, John; Dirks, Peter; Duhn, Melissa; Qi, Yunlei; Singer-Berk, Lila; Petesch, Michael
    The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has identified Native American as one of six priority populations in the state that face disproportionate risks as pedestrians. This report summarizes results from observations of pedestrian crossing behaviors on four Anishinaabe reservations in northern Minnesota. The University of Minnesota Traffic Observatory (MTO) video-taped and classified pedestrian crossings at 10 intersections identified by Tribal transportation managers as high priority because of perceived risks. Across the intersections, pedestrian crossing volumes during daylight hours ranged from 3 per day to 136 per day. The percent of pedestrian crossings that involved interactions with vehicles ranged from 9% to 54%. Tribal transportation managers from the Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, and Mille Lacs Bands, MnDOT, county engineers, and the investigators collaborated to identify countermeasures to address risks to pedestrians. Proposed countermeasures varied by intersection and included vegetation removal and line-of-sight improvements, new lighting, crosswalk improvements, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons with advanced warning signs, ADA-compliant ramps, pedestrian education programs, realignment of intersections, and at one intersection a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. Prospects for implementation of countermeasures vary by intersection and reservation and are contingent on Tribal and transportation agency budgets, state and county plans for roadway improvements, and categorical grant programs such as Minnesota's Transportation Alternatives Program. Some countermeasures are being implemented, and MnDOT is extending the approach to additional reservations.
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    Understanding Roadway Safety in American Indian Reservations: Perceptions and Management of Risk by Community, Tribal Governments, and Other Safety Leaders
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-10) Quick, Kathryn; Narváez, Guillermo
    The focus of this study is roadway safety in American Indian reservations. We provide new sources of data and policy- relevant findings to address the unusually high rates of roadway fatalities and injuries among American Indians. Qualitative methods were used to generate and analyze data from people with the most direct knowledge of and responsibility for reservation roadway safety. Four case studies were conducted in partnership with the tribal governments of the Red Lake, Fond du Lac, Leech Lake, and Mille Lacs reservations; these data sources include fieldwork (90 days), interviews (n=102), focus groups (n=8), and short surveys (n=220). These data are triangulated with data from FHWA’s 2016 nationwide survey of tribes and states (n=196). Key findings from this extensive data analysis are: 1. Pedestrian safety is a critical, yet under-recognized issue on reservations. This is unequivocal across all data sources and differentiates reservations from rural areas in general. 2. Reservation road engineering and repair are very high priorities according to both tribe and state governments. 3. Reckless driving is a multi-faceted concern, including not only impaired driving but also cell phone distraction and speeding. 4. Education and enforcement to increase seatbelt and car seat use are named as high priorities in the national survey. 5. Tribes need better cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies. Priorities include addressing data quality and sharing issues better inter-jurisdictional cooperation for infrastructure and enforcement. The study concludes with recommendations to improve roadway safety in reservations and for further research.
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    Using GIS to Improve Tribal Safety: Applications, Trends, and Implementation Dimensions
    (Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2018-09) Horan, Thomas; Hilton, Brian; Robertson, Joseph; Mbugua, Joseph
    Traffic safety is a significant transportation and health concern among tribal travelers. Among Native American populations, motor vehicle-related injuries are the leading cause of death for ages up to 5- 34 years old. Over the last three decades, the number of fatal crashes on Indian reservations increased dramatically, while nationally they have declined. Moreover, several recent reviews have noted that potentially effective approaches have been hampered by a lack of timely data and robust tools to guide appropriate strategies in Tribal lands. This study investigated the potential of new advances in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to enhance the collection, availability and use of transportation safety related information. This investigation resulted in development of several promising GIS applications for tribal use, identified spatial analytic approaches to understanding tribal safety trends, and explored a framework for considering GIS implementation within the context and culture of Tribal independence and governance.