Nike's Native American Diabetes Prevention Program

“You have a body, you are an athlete.”

In 2003 Nike, Inc. and Indian Health Services signed a Memorandum of Understanding, making Nike the only for profit company to do so with a U.S. agency. The MOU is a collaborative effort between Nike and IHS to promote healthy lifestyle choices in all American Indian communities. Their objective is to increase health information to Native Communities. Through a variety of programs, grants and initiatives Nike has sought to increase physical fitness in these communities. Nike's Native American Program is a multi-tiered program and includes NikeGo which works with Boys& Girls Clubs in Indian Country, WINGS of America that is a youth development program and the Native American Diabetes Prevention Program. In 2004 Nike was named American Indian Business Leaders Corporation of the Year for its work in Indian communities. For our purposes we will focus on their Diabetes Prevention Program.

The Diabetes Prevention Program is the brainchild of Nike's Sam McCracken. Sam McCracken a member of Montana 's Ft. Peck Tribes leads Nike's Native American Programs. Sam developed the idea of a Nike Native American Business Division and in July of 2000 Sam's idea had become a reality. Sam was able to bring business and community into one venture. Working with tribal diabetes coordinators Nike is able to provide products for community fitness programs and partners with those communities to provide mentoring and recreational events for the community. Diabetes programs can use Nike products as incentives to tribal members to become involved in exercise programs on the reservation.

This year 78 tribes have worked with Nike to purchase products such as water bottles, towels, wrist band, resistance bands and t-shirts at program pricing. The Nike logo and their products are used as an incentive to bring individuals into community fitness programs. The appeal of the Nike brand has helped programs grow in size and number.

Workshops have been held to teach tribal representatives health and wellness techniques that they can take back to their communities. The goal of the program according to McCracken “is to help those communities gain a better understanding of the importance of exercise at any age, particularly for those individuals with diabetes.” These “Train the Trainer” workshops began in February 2004 with 48 tribes from the Pacific Northwest taking part in a two day of workshop at Nike's Beaverton campus. The Train the Trainer program will be an invaluable tool to Indian communities in the future.

Sam McCracken's commitment to diabetes prevention was recognized by Nike in 2004 when Sam was awarded Nike's highest honor the prestigious Bowerman award in recognition for his work in Native American Communities.

For more information on Nike's Native American Programs contact Sam McCracken at sam.mccraken@nike.com

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