Indeed, many researchers believe that both the chronic stress caused by colonization and forced assimilation and the rapid and drastic shift to a carbohydrate-heavy diet driven by government food commodities are major factors in the disease's disproportionate impact on these communities.

The Osages came from the sky, among the stars. In contrast to the blue-black vastness of the cosmos, they called themselves “Little Ones.” When the Little Ones decided they would descend to earth and become a people, after receiving guidance from four celestial beings, they followed the lead of young Golden Eagle.