This Blog includes news and announcements pertaining to the Urban Indian community across the nation.
Today, the House passed H.R.1319 American Rescue Plan Act, the COVID-19 relief package. On March 6, the Senate passed the plan with a 50-49 vote. The bill includes $6.1 billion for Indian health programs with $84 million for urban Indian health and two years of 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage coverage (FMAP) to Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) for Medicaid services for IHS-beneficiaries. The bill is set to be signed into law by President Biden no later than March 14.
Like many other communities of color, Indigenous people across America have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus because of historical health disparities, lack of basic resources in some parts of the country and poorly funded Indigenous health care.
When the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma began receiving its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in December, tribal leaders knew exactly who would be getting the first shots.
Washington, D.C. (February 8, 2021) Today, 26 House Representatives called on Congressional leaders to prioritize expanding resources for urban American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in the COVID-19 budget reconciliation.
Washington, D.C. (January 21, 2021) – On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed a series of Executive Orders including the cancellation of the Keystone XL (KXL) oil pipeline.
Washington, D.C. (January 13, 2021) – Today, the National Council of Urban Indian Health Chief Executive Officer Francys Crevier (Algonquin) released the following statement:
President-elect Joe Biden nominated New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. If confirmed, she would be the first Native person to hold a Cabinet-level position and the first to lead Interior.
Washington, D.C. (December 16, 2020) – The Indian Health Service (IHS) began the allocation process for the COVID-19 vaccine to IHS facilities, Tribal-facilities and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs). As part of the 1A distribution process, initial doses from IHS are for Indian Health Care Providers and residents of long-term health centers. Since the start of the pandemic, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) has advocated for the vaccine distribution to include all of Indian Country, including urban Indian populations.
Cold-chain and two-dose requirements for promising vaccine candidates pose serious challenges for Native American communities without reliable electricity or transportation.
On the Hopi Nation in northeastern Arizona, the remote nature of its communities and transportation obstacles present logistical challenges to the tribe's pandemic response. Here, homes line the top of the village of Shungopavi, one of three villages on Hopi's Second Mesa. Hopi Tribe