Jemez Pueblo: Built and Social-Cultural Environments and Health Within a Rural American Indian Community in the Southwest

Much has been written about built and social-economic environments and their effects on urban health.1–7 A growing literature also proposes that community capacity and social capital8–15 play a role in reducing health risks. Another promising area of study is how cultural identity informs symbolic meanings of place and land, which affect health determinants.16,17 Rural populations, although they have received less study, present an opportunity for research because their social and cultural identities are largely based on land and place. In this brief, we present preliminary results of one such study in a tribal community, raising questions about the intersections of built and sociocultural environments and health. The Pueblo of Jemez is situated in rural New Mexico. More than 90% of its nearly 3400 members speak the Towa language. The unemployment rate is 27%, and 30% of all heads of households are not high school graduates. Most of those who are employed work in tribal services or in nearby cities.