Weekly News, Funding, Resources, and Upcoming Events in Indian Country

June 4, 2020

Gold Exploration Could Devastate Rapid City Water Supply



Rapid Creek, originally called Mniluzahan, is a main source of drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and spiritual renewal for residents of Rapid City and surrounding communities. It was named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers one month ago on April 14 due to the threat of mining megaprojects posed by the prospecting permits. Read more here.

Prevalence of Bullying Among Youth Classified as LGBTQ Who Died by Suicide as Reported in the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003-2017



A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined the prevalence of bullying among LGBTQ youth. Researchers who combed through 15 years of national death records discovered that the odds of being bullied were nearly five times higher for LGBTQ young people who took their own lives than for others who didn’t identify as LGBTQ. “Bullying can be a deadly antecedent to suicide, especially among LGBTQ youth,” the authors conclude, noting that because LGBTQ information is not always reported, their statistics probably underestimated the problem. Read more here.

Call for Tribal COVID-19 Resources

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking to create a pool of resources which Tribes can access when planning or implementing their own COVID-19 response.  To this end, NIHB is asking Tribes to share with us any tools, operational plans, guides, policies, communication products, etc. that has helped your Tribe combat this pandemic.  The materials can be de-identified, if needed. These resources will be placed online within NIHB’s COVID-19 Tribal Response Center alongside other community health materials. We hope this aids Tribes to build on successes and support each other in the collective effort to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Indian Country. 



To submit any materials or resources, please email Courtney Wheeler ([email protected]). If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Wheeler. 

Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment

Due by Friday, July 3, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce Building Tribal Provider and Patient Capacity for Addressing Opioid Misuse Prevention and Treatment made possible through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The funding will provide an opportunity to increase the level of programming, research, policy development, coordination, and/or communication between Tribal programs, leadership, community, and key partners involved in addressing the health consequences of the opioid epidemic. Read more here.

ONAC Women Entrepreneur Survey

The Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition, Inc. (ONAC) is asking for help in reaching out to Native women entrepreneurs. They have developed a survey to better understand the realities faced by Native women business owners. With this information, ONAC will be better able to advocate for Native women in efforts to help close the women's wealth gap. This link can be shared widely to any Native woman business owner. Read more here.

Three Funding Opportunities for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Programs

Funding for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias programs is available for Tribal public health departments and governments:

NIHB is Seeking Indigenous Knowledge on Blood Lead Level Testing

 

NIHB is working in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase the capacity of rural and non-urban Tribal communities for identifying and addressing elevated blood lead levels in Tribal children. To accomplish this, NIHB seeks to engage Tribal representatives and health professionals in 20-minute key informant interviews. The interviews will ask Tribal Health Directors or programmatic staff to describe their programs or operational plans in place for blood lead level testing and their current knowledge of lead exposure risk factors. Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Sara Zdunek at [email protected] or 202-507-4077.

COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Contact

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

NIHB Webinar: Public Health and Clean Air Presented by the National Tribal Air Association

Today! Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET

Click here to register!

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar: Public Health and Clean Air. This webinar will be presented by the National Tribal Air Association and will describe the importance of clean air to public health; the basics of the landmark federal law regulating air quality, the Clean Air Act; and how Tribes can work with the Environmental Protection Agency and other partners to monitor air quality on Tribal lands.

This webinar is hosted as part of the Climate and Health Learning Community. The learning community is focused on knowledge exchange, and members are encouraged to share information and build relationships with each other and the presenters. The webinar is open to the public. Read more here.

COVID-19: Innovations in Nutrition Programs to Address Food Insecurity

Today! Thursday, June, 4, 2020 at 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Among the public health challenges that accompany the devastating loss of employment for tens of millions of Americans as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic is an alarming increase in food insecurity. The USDA’s most recent food security report, published in September of 2019, indicated that 37.2 million Americans were food insecure. In response to these challenges, governments are adapting their current nutrition programs and exploring innovative ways to help feed the vulnerable during the pandemic. Register here.

COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season

To expand awareness and understanding of the guidance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Preparedness Directorate is holding four webinars. The webinars will allow emergency managers an opportunity to discuss how the guidance can assist jurisdictions review and modify their plans given the constraints and limitations of the ongoing pandemic. Read more here.

PPE Disinfection and Battelle

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 4 PM ET

Please join US Fire Administrator Keith Bryant, John Koerner from the Office of the Health and Human Serivces Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and CAPT Joselito Ignacio of the U. S. Public Health Service as they discuss PPE use, disinfection, decontamination, and the use of the Battelle Decontamination system for PPE disinfection. Register here.

Substance Use During a Pandemic: Two Public Health Crises Collide

Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

The second Mental and Behavioral Health webinar will explore substance use and misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic in American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) communities. The discussion will include general background on substance use; how feelings of anxiety, fear, stress and/or worry during the current global pandemic may contribute to increased use; resources and coping mechanisms that may help; and treatment and harm reduction strategies that could help those struggling with addiction. Register here.

Registration open for ALL Injury Prevention and Surveillance Discussion Sessions

Join the National Indian Health Board for a series of conversations on injury surveillance and prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native communities! These meetings are opportunities for you to share your insights and expertise on Tribal injury surveillance and to be heard by your peers, the National Indian Health Board, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tribal service providers, public health practitioners, and subject matter experts are invited to share their insights and expertise at 1.5 day sessions in Spring and Summer 2020. All are welcome to participate.

Registration is now open for ALL SESSIONS:



You can register for all sessions here: https://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3ygWaqFd8dCuxBb .

Space is limited to 50 participants per session, so sign up today! You can also register for our email list to stay up to date .

Have questions? Please contact Nina Martin ( [email protected] , 202-548-7299) or visit our website for more information.