At A Glance
To increase opportunities for physical activity in Native American communities, the Coeur d'Alene tribe in Plummer, Idaho, launched the Pow Wow Sweat program with a series of aerobic videos featuring traditional dances with a modern twist. From the launch in July 2016 to July 2017, the video campaign gained more than 10,000 followers and likes on Facebook and more than 100,000 views on YouTube. The tribe provides no cost ready-to-use videos online and on DVD for people to use in their own communities.
Public Health Challenge
In 2015, 64% of Native American adults in Idaho were overweight or had obesity, which put them at risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, according to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Regular physical activity can help control weight, but fewer than half of Native American adults in Idaho met aerobic physical activity guidelines, compared to almost 60% of non-Hispanic white adults. Historically, the Coeur d'Alene tribe has lacked access to community physical activity programs. Like many rural areas, tribal communities have fewer prevention services that encourage physical activity.
Approach
CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program established the REACH hnqhesnet (Coeur d’Alene for “It Is Our Wellbeing”) team to increase physical activity opportunities for Native Americans. The team created the Pow Wow Sweat program and three videos, which feature dancers from the Coeur d’Alene and other tribes. The series includes a warm-up video, six traditional Pow Wow dances, and a cool-down video. By creating a forum on social media for people who want to be active and learn traditional Native American dances, Pow Wow Sweat quickly gained traction.