A quote From chief Wilma Mankiller in her "Rebuilding the Cherokee Nation" asks Natives to focus on their strengths and wisdom; for those in the health field, it motivates them to create a vision of health parity and community wellness. In following her lead the authors share general information about the health of Natives, focus on the health of Native women and their risk factors for contracting HIV/AIDS, and offer a model for change--the Community Readiness Model (CRM). The authors believe the CRM will build a healthy environment that can develop culturally responsive HIV/AIDS interventions and preventions for Native women and their communities. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures, and 66 notes.)