The Blackfeet Nation in Montana has announced they are welcoming visitors after closing down their borders in summer 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the economic impacts of the closures, the Tribe made the decision to protect their elders and safeguard their people during the first waves of the pandemic. They have since led an intensive and successful vaccination campaign, immunizing almost 85% of their people, including over 90% of adults. Read more here.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) invites Tribal Leaders and authorized designees to the 16th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation on August 17-20, 2021. The consultation will be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The consultation testimony sessions are open to federally-recognized, Tribally elected and appointed leaders or their authorized designee to provide oral testimony. Tribal Leaders may also submit written testimony by September 20, 2021. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) has developed a quality improvement survey to gather input and information from Tribal Health Directors on COVID-19-related challenges that their respective Tribes and Tribal organizations experienced from July 2020 to February 2021. NIHB is requesting Tribal Health Directors to please consider completing the survey and share any information. Through the survey, NIHB is seeking to understand what has occurred and what is currently taking place on the COVID-19 front lines in the Tribal communities we serve. There is much to learn from our experiences over the past year and NIHB stands ready to listen, learn, and act, according to the wishes of the Tribes.

One of the goals of The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevention and Control Capacity Building Program is to “develop and/or adapt existing materials to inform Tribal health professionals about important components of infection prevention and control (IPC)”. To support this endeavor, NIHB is in the process of compiling current materials and plans which Tribal Health Organizations and Systems currently use or have used. NIHB is seeking assistance with gathering information about existing infection control learning materials and/or infection control response plans. Recognizing that many Tribes and Tribal organizations have set an example in their response through great planning, NIHB requests that anyone willing to share their materials to please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected].

Those interested are invited to participate in one in-depth interview with NIHB staff on the following topics, including but not limited to:

We expect each interview to last between 45 to 60 minutes, and will be conducted over Zoom or phone. At the end of these sessions NIHB will compile general themes from the additional interviews to inform a white paper that will help guide future CDC injury prevention surveillance activities for AI/AN communities.

If you are interested in participating in an interview, please contact Nina Martin at [email protected] or 202-548-7299!

Job descriptions are available at www.nihb.org.

Today! Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) in partnership with Arizona State University School of Social Work are excited to announce the NIHB Behavioral Health Learning Event. Sessions will occur online via Zoom and will focus on suicide prevention, substance abuse, domestic/intimate partner violence prevention, and topics related to the COVID-19 crisis. NIHB will be offering Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) for the following: NAADAC, NASW, APA, and NBCC. For any questions, please contact Chyna Locklear at [email protected]. To register for this free event, read more here.

The American Public Health Association is hosting an environmental health webinar with their Tribal Public and Environmental Health Think Tank in partnership with the National Tribal Toxics Council. Presenters will: 1) provide an overview of how the amended Toxic Substances Control Act presents opportunities for the protection of subpopulations, including Tribal communities, 2) discuss Tribal exposures to chemicals through the practice of traditional lifeways and increased risk of health disparities from chemical contaminants, and 3) highlight a framework for addressing Tribal health concerns through risk assessments that consider Tribal lifeways and traditional practices. Register here.

Infectious Disease Preparedness Learning Community Informational Webinar

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB), is developing an Infectious Disease Preparedness Learning Community (IDPLC) that will meet once a month to discuss guidelines, best practices, and lessons learned for the prevention and control of present and future infectious disease outbreaks in Tribal communities as well as guidelines and strategies shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The learning community is focused on knowledge sharing and attendees are encouraged to share information and build relationships with each other. Submit questions ahead of time so presenter(s) have time to review them. Please come prepared to ask questions or share your own insights and experiences. Read more here.

This series of sessions hosted by the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC) features traditional Native American storytelling, along with time for discussion on what can be learned from the stories, as well as the ways these stories can be incorporated by Native American providers into their work with patients. Register here.

This year, the Twelve6 Strategies’ theme for their Suicide Prevention Summit is “Seeking Healing During COVID-19 for the Black and Native American Communities,” which focuses on increasing attendees’ understanding of the experiences, needs, and wisdom of Black and Indigenous people about suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Read more here.

The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) invites you to join Indian Country ECHO for Grand Rounds on Gender-Affirming Care in Indigenous Communities. Dr. Hannah Wenger, Dr. Jennie Wei, and Dr. Frances Grimstad will share an introduction to affirming care for gender-diverse (trans, genderqueer, Two Spirit, and other identities) patients, including why affirming care is important, how to provide care in a primary care setting, and success stories of providing gender-affirming care in I/T/U facilities. CE will be available. To join the Grand Rounds, click here at the time of the event. Click here to add the event to your calendar.

Please join the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), for an Infectious Disease Preparedness Learning Community (IDLC) webinar on how viruses, bacteria, and fungi can cause illnesses and spread diseases. Webinar attendees will gain knowledge on the following:

Information provided can assist Tribes in educating their citizens on the basics of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites and how it can spread and cause illnesses. Read more here.