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This Blog includes news and announcements pertaining to the Urban Indian community across the nation.
Please join the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL) in partnership with the Administration for Native Americans at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Council of Urban Indian Health, Members of Congress for a Moment of Silence for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
September 16, 2019 (Washington, DC) – On Thursday, September 19, 2019, the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States will host a Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4153 (Rep. Ro Khanna), “Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act” in 1324 Longworth. NCUIH Board Vice President and CEO of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley Sonya Tetnowski will be testifying before the Subcommittee.
MEET TAYLOR FRANCISCO: 2019 YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBER
Yá'át'ééh, Shi ei Taylor Francisco yinishe. Hello, my name is Taylor Francisco and I am Navajo and originally from New Mexico. I am currently a Neuroscience and Behavior Major at Columbia University in New York City. I am also a member of the 2019 Youth Council for the National Council of Urban Indian Health. Our council aims to promote healthy coping skills and wellness for urban indigenous youth through our Indigenous Wellness Champion initiative. For me, what it means to be an Indigenous Wellness Champion is to share your knowledge of wellness and resiliency with your community. Wellness Champions also are always learning about new ways to improve their wellness in a holistic and culturally infused way.
"Since 2015, NCUIH and the Action Alliance along with NCAI, have worked to change the public conversation about suicide and promote resilience among AI/AN communities with the Annual National American Indian and Alaska Native Hope for Life Day on September 10. There is still much work to do to tackle this epidemic and we are proud of the NCUIH Youth Council’s important work on these efforts. Please join us in celebrating the resiliency of Indian Country by using the toolkit and encouraging youth to participate in our upcoming Indigi-Wellness Champion Campaign (Sept. 10 – 20)," said NCUIH Executive Director Francys Crevier.
Koolamaski/ Hello my name is Faith Bowman. I am from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Nation in Wisconsin and I am a member of the Inaugural Youth Council for the National Council of Urban Indian Health.
On June 30, 2015, the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), in partnership with the Action Alliance’s AI/AN Task Force, put forward a resolution at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota. The resolution, “Creating an Annual National American Indian and Alaska Native Hope for Life Day (Suicide Prevention Awareness Day),” was the outcome of a one-year collaborative effort by task force members.
My name is Shoshanna “Mah-Gah-Wah-See” Johnson and I’m a member of the Big Jim Band from the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Throughout my time on the Inaugural Youth Advisory Council, I’ve learned a lot about the importance of peer-to-peer support. Most of my friends and family members know that I work in suicide prevention so I’m very open to talking about mental health. It’s created a safe space for some of my friends to come to me for support whether it’s just being an open ear or helping them find resources specific to their needs. I’ve learned that it’s important for youth to know that being resilient does not mean that you still won’t face times in your life when you will have to deal with stress.
“The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) has long encouraged Members of Congress and the Administration to honor the United States trust obligations to Indian Country including American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) on and off reservations. For over 20 years, we have advocated for proper funding of IHS, which includes Urban Indian health care, the overall betterment of Indian Country and the rights of Sovereign nations. NCUIH agrees with the Broken Promises report that emphasizes the critical role of the 41 Title V Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) funded by Indian Health Service that provide 'the only affordable, culturally competent health care services available in urban areas.' The report accurately states that 70% of AI/ANs live in urban areas and ‘many of the recurring health problems faced by Native Americans, in general, are more acute for those living in urban areas.’ We look forward to working with the 116th Congress on incorporating suggestions on how best to provide full, guaranteed funding to IHS for Tribes and UIOs including outlining steps to ensure UIOs are able to do their critical work.”
On Friday, August 9, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) constitutional, overturning an October 2018 decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas that held ICWA unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, declaring that it creates a separate set of practices for a racial group. The Brackeen v. Bernhardt case was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where NCUIH joined nearly 400 Tribes and Indian organizations in filing an amicus curiae brief in support of ICWA’s constitutionality.
Join NCUIH's Youth Council for the Indigi-Wellness Champion Challenge! The launch of this campaign will occur on Tuesday, September 10th and will end on Friday, September 20th, 2019. This week is also important to American Indian/Alaska Natives since Tuesday, September 10th is the National Annual American Indian and Alaska Native Hope for Life Day, which is a day for community organizers take specific steps to change the conversation around suicide, initiate action for awareness, and foster hope in the effort to reduce or eliminate suicide in their community.