2020 Health & Welfare News Stories
'We will get through this': Doctor reflects on the impacts of COVID-19 in Indian Country (Minnesota Public Radio) 12/31/20
A lab and a lamprey freezer bolster coronavirus response on the Umatilla reservation (Portland Business Journal) 12/31/20
Timeline: How the pandemic unfolded in Indian Country (Indian Country Today) 12/31/20
As companies build thousands of cell towers, Indigenous nations are faced with difficult choices (Texas Observer) 12/21/20
Native Americans in Philanthropy release report on Indigenous Community Leadership in Response to COVID-19 (Indian Country Today) 12/21/20
Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force elects new officer (Montana Public Radio) 12/18/20
House passes National Council of Urban Indian Health bill to extend Federal Tort Claims Act coverage to urban Indian health workers (Indian Country Today) 12/18/20
National Indian Health Board statement on U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Pfizer Coronavirus vaccine for use, distribution (Indian Country Today) 12/15/20
Why the U.S. is terrible at collecting Indigenous data (High Country News) 12/14/20
Ponca Tribe continues expansion with new clinic in Lincoln (Omaha Daily Records) 12/11/20
Deadline to spend COVID-19 relief funds has tribal nations on edge (High Country News) 12/10/20
Minnesota’s 'No Child Left Inside' program can address Native youth obesity (Indian Country Today) 12/7/20
Rapid City Journal's racist headlines on homelessness (Indianz) 12/7/20
Cherokee Nation receives $4.1 million grant for covid-19 testing, contact tracing (Siloam Springs Herald Leader) 12/6/20
Report: 'Native youth are medicine' (Indian Country Today) 12/2/20
California Native American Heritage Commission - CA Truth & Healing Council Webinar (Cal-Span)
Cherokee Nation launches connectivity survey and free mobile hotspot program (Indian Country Today) 11/30/20
Alaska receives $3.8M in tribal transit grants (The Cordova Times) 11/26/20
Doubling down on Native values (Indian Country Today) 11/25/20
‘They’ve been following the science’: How the Covid-19 pandemic has been curtailed in Cherokee Nation (Stat News) 11/17/20
NTUA expands broadband access for students, first responders using CARES Act funds (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 11/17/20
South Dakota tribes receive transit grants (Watertown Public Opinion) 11/17/20
Tribal food sovereignty brings new urgency during COVID-19 (Tri-State Neighbor) 11/16/20
Study explores role of traditional parenting class in strengthening Native American families (The Imprint) 11/8/20
Missing and murdered Indigenous women study committee releases recommendations (Arizona Public Media) 11/6/20
Tribal communities tackle resource shortage and isolation at home (SDSU Collegian) 11/3/20
New documentary on Indigenous food sovereignty (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 11/3/20
New COVID program at Cherokee Nation designed to help citizens with disabilities (Indianz) 11/2/20
Oklahoma tribes among first to receive FCC spectrum licenses (Tahlequah Daily Press) 10/30/20
How Indigenous communities in Canada organized an exemplary public health response to COVID (Scientific American) 10/30/20
In the face of #MMIWG, Indigenous women fight back (High Country News) 10/26/20
Phoenix Indian Medical Center temporarily puts labor & delivery services on hold (AZ Family) 10/26/20
Open Laser announces Native American non-profit sponsorship (Utah Business) 10/26/20
Native volunteers set up tipi camp to help address homelessness (Indianz) 10/22/20
Healing through activism: Campaign draws attention to missing and murdered Indigenous people (Michigan Radio) 10/22/20
Nesika Illahee, Native-focused affordable housing development in Northeast Portland, receives national award for excellence in affordable housing (Indian Country Today) 10/21/20
The unique problems facing Native American youths in the criminal justice system (Slate) 10/19/20
First Nations awards seven Changing Native Food Economies Awards to Native-led organizations and programs (Indian Country Today) 10/14/20
Muskogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band to host virtual program on racism (Tahlequah Daily Press) 10/13/20
New project aims to increase COVID testing for Native Americans (Spokane Public Radio) 10/13/20
Amy Coney Barrett and the fate of Native adoption law (Indian Country Today) 10/12/20
Tlingit and Haida receives federal public safety grants (Juneau Empire) 10/9/20
A Native American clinic gives doses of cultural healing during COVID-19 (U.S. News) 10/8/20
A victory for Native children’s rights to remain with family and tribe (The Seattle Times) 10/7/20
Host of 'This Land' podcast discusses injustices against indigenous people (The Purdue Exponent) 10/7/20
Hopi leader: Congress must act to save ‘life changing’ diabetes program (Arizona Daily Sun) 10/7/20
UArizona and partners work to increase colorectal cancer screenings among American Indians (Tuscon Local Media) 10/6/20
Hopi leader urges lawmakers to renew diabetes program (Indian Country Today) 10/2/20
MI tribes get grants to fight violence against women, curtail crime (Public Radio 90) 10/1/20
Nearly 3 in 10 Native American women work a front-line job, but they’re far from receiving equal pay (NBC) 10/1/20
Rez connectivity, human rights 'necessity' (Esperanza Project) 9/26/20
COVID relief helps tribes bring broadband to some Montana reservations (Montana Public Radio) 9/29/20
Indian Health Service receives 300,000 BinaxNOW COVID-19 tests for distribution (Indianz) 9/24/20
Panel: COVID-19 carries "tsunami impact" for Indigenous communities (Montana Public Radio) 9/23/20
Grappling with loss of life and connection, Native youth become leaders of tomorrow (Indianz) 9/23/20
Utah’s new Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls task force is finally coming together (The Salt Lake Tribune) 9/23/20
COVID-19 reveals deficiencies in IHS funding (Post-Bulletin) 9/23/20
Department of Justice and Oglala Sioux Tribe announce new partnership to combat domestic violence (United States Attorney's Office, District of South Dakota) 9/22/20
How Portland’s mutual aid supports local Indigenous communities (High Country News) 9/22/20
Review of Sheriff's Office use of force logs shows Native Americans involved at a higher level (Yakima Herald-Republic) 9/21/20
Indian Country housing wrapped in BIA red tape (Carlsbad Current Argus) 9/21/20
Vaccine trial triggers outrage from Lummi, Navajo tribes (Indian Country Today) 9/20/20
Federal coalition announces second summit on improving broadband access in Indian Country (Institute of Museum and Library Services) 9/17/20
Native American Youth and Family Center, Community Development Partners, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians break ground on new affordable housing in Portland, Oregon's Cully neighborhood (Indian Country Today) 9/15/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline receives grant to address surge in domestic violence (Indian Country Today) 9/15/20
Wyoming tribe's chair says tribal members were turned away from ER at pandemic's start (Billings Gazette) 9/14/20
CASA announces volunteer training (Tahlequah Daily Press) 9/13/20
More Choctaws Have Died of COVID Than Those Who Died of the Disease in Hawaii. Or Alaska. Or Wyoming. (Pulitzer Center) 9/9/20
Southern Ute tribe pursues justice with help from federal grant (The Durango Herald) 9/9/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline scales to address “a crisis within a crisis” (Indian Country Today) 9/8/20
Coalition of Indian tribes, foster youth group, and LGBTQ+ youth orgs file suit to fight Trump administration’s failure to count children in foster care (Indian Country Today) 9/4/20
Native youth navigate complex, contradictory jurisdictions (Indianz) 9/2/20
South Dakota Native Homeownership Coalition members showcase successful Native veterans homeownership models (Indian Country Today) 9/2/20
Request for Proposal: Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan Permanent Supportive Housing Apartment Complex Architectural and Engineering Design Services (Indian Country Today) 8/31/20
The erasure of Indigenous people in U.S. COVID-19 data (High Country News) 8/31/20
Protect Indian Child Welfare Act Campaign partners applaud lawsuit challenging data collection withdrawal in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System Final Rule (Indian Country Today) 8/28/20
New Mexico In Depth: Hospital violated rights of Native mothers amid COVID-19 (Indianz) 8/24/20
Cherokee Nation working to improve access to broadband (Indian Country Today) 8/21/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline: Mental health effects of historical trauma (Indianz) 8/20/20
Data shows disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among Native Americans (Indianz) 8/20/20
Native Sun News Today: Native women lead 70-mile ride (Indianz) 8/18/20
Telehealth is vital to the future of Alaska health care (Anchorage Daily News) 8/18/20
UA receives grant to improve access to cancer screenings in Indigenous communities (Arizona Public Media) 8/18/20
Nisqually Indian Tribe expected to get $70,000 grant for dental services (Nisqually Valley News) 8/18/20
Forced assimilation fed school-to-prison pipeline (Indian Country Today) 8/16/20
Indigenous and Black Lives Matter activists join forces in Oregon (High Country News) 8/14/20
Black, Choctaw judge: Being harassed was 'one of the best learning experiences' (Indian Country Today) 8/13/20
Federal Medicaid policy provides much-needed resources for Native communities (Indian Country Today) 8/12/20
BIA opens cold case office in Albuquerque (Albuquerque Journal) 8/11/20
To' Kee Skuy' Soo Ney-Wo-Chek' Progress Report - Year 1 of Study on M.M.I.W. in Northern California (Turtle Talk) 8/8/20
Native, Black voices rise in shared quest for justice (The Oregonian) 8/7/20
Broken pipes, broken promises (The Oregonian) 8/6/20
Alaska CEO's legacy is renowned model for tribal health services (Indian Country Today) 8/6/20
Reservation libraries provide internet lifeline (Indian Country Today) 8/5/20
CARES Act money helps tribes address affordable housing and homelessness (Alaska Public Media) 8/4/20
House committees approve Gallego bills to end copays and improve care for Native veterans (Indian Country Today) 8/3/20
Yurok Tribal Court, Sovereign Bodies Institute release progress report on pivotal project (Indian Country Today) 7/30/20
Senator Hoeven holds oversight hearing on safely reopening Bureau of Indian Education schools (Indian Country Today) 7/30/20
The DIGITAL Reservations Act: A practical answer to tribal connectivity today (Institute for Local Self-Reliance) 7/28/20
Bay Mills Indian Community hosts second annual Noojimo'iwewin: A VAWA and ICWA training (Turtle Talk) 7/29/20
Navajo criminal investigator to head DOJ 'missing and murdered' initiative (Taos News) 7/28/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline: Domestic and dating violence (Indianz) 7/27/20
How can America get Native health right? (Berkeley Public Health) 7/23/20
Navajo & Hopi Families fund lifts relief effort to new heights (Navajo Times) 7/23/20
Task Force briefing on Protecting Native American Children (Indianz) 7/23/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline: Stacking up the numbers (Indianz) 7/21/20
In northern Wisconsin, Potawatomi farm addresses health risks and food shortages among Indigenous people (Green Bay Press Gazette) 7/21/20
A bridge of repair for Native and Black America (Indian Country Today) 7/20/20
Wisconsin's Native American tribes see results from aggressive action against COVID-19 (The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism) 7/20/20
CASA seeks volunteer advocates to help local children (Tahlequah Daily Press) 7/20/20
Cronkite News: Congress urged to reauthorize diabetes program for Native Americans (Indianz) 7/20/20
Fort Peck Tribes, Montana state to host mass testing in wake of rodeo (Indian Country Today) 7/19/20
Bronx woman works to help Native American New Yorkers thrive in NYC (Bronx Times) 7/14/20
Pandemic complicates tribes' quest for data sovereignty (KUNC) 7/13/20
First North Dakota tribal youth services pact deemed 'sustainable' (The Bismarck Tribune) 7/13/20
What the landmark Supreme Court decision means for policing Indigenous Oklahoma (Slate) 7/10/20
How the 'only family' argument is used against Indigenous families (High Country News) 7/9/20
Black Lives Matter for Freedman Descendants of the Five Civilized Tribes (The Oklahoma Eagle) 7/7/20
Mary Annette Pember: Catholic Church took $30 million in trust funds from Indian students (Indianz) 7/7/20
This court case could weaken WA's Indian Child Welfare Act (Crosscut) 7/6/20
Indian Health Service takes down 'racist' poster but disavors link to coronavirus (Indianz) 7/6/20
Eastern Washington tribal liaison for missing and murdered Indigenous people on hold (Yakima Herald) 7/6/20
Contact tracing for Native Americans in rural Arizona (The New England Journal of Medicine) 7/2/20
As Arizona coronavirus cases surge from early reopening, Indigenous nations suffer not only more COVID-19 but also the blame (Bozeman Daily Chronicle) 6/30/20
Washington tribes sue insurance group for virus coverage (The Seattle Times) 6/29/20
'End of an era': American Indian Services closes after 49 years (Bridge Magazine) 6/29/20
Rusty Pickens and Geoffrey Roth: Rural Oklahoma needs Medicaid now (Indianz) 6/29/20
Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic response to Alaska Congressional Delegation regarding the reality of racism (Alaska Native News) 6/27/20
Montana lawmakers discuss proposals to further address missing Indigenous people (Montana Standard) 6/27/20
'Wear your mask, do your part': Tribal citizens in New Mexico bear brunt of coronavirus (Indianz) 6/26/20
Editorial: Strengthen law enforcement work to help Native American women (Omaha World-Herald) 6/22/20
The first Americans can help find a path to healing in America (Indian Country Today) 6/22/20
Mishigamiing Journalism Project starts at Record-Eagle (Traverse City Record-Eagle) 6/21/20
Drive for social justice must not leave behind native communities (Las Vegas Sun) 6/16/20
A hospital's secret coronavirus policy separated Native American mothers from their newborns (ProPublica) 6/13/20
Shawn Terry: Approval of State Question 802 leads to healthy generations of Native Americans (Tulsa World) 6/12/20
COVID-19 exposes inadequate funding levels at Indian Health Service (Indianz) 6/11/20
In Apache, we say ‘Ndąą Diłhił’í bi’idąą da’ilįį’ (Black Lives Matter) (Indian Country Today) 6/9/20
Shoshone-Bannock transgender inmate makes history with legal fight (Indian Country Today) 6/9/20
Neurologists on the front lines: The burden of COVID-19 on Native American communities (Neurology Today) 6/4/20
Fertile Ground advocacy campaign continues to drive native-led policy change (American Heart Association) 6/4/20
'Stunning' rates of child hunger, education and death in Indian Country (Indian Country Today) 6/3/20
Disparity, disease, and drinking water: COVID-19 and safe drinking water access in Indian Country (Environmental Law Institute) 6/3/20
Childhood inequities worst for black and Native American communities, report says (PBS) 6/2/20
The sheer brutality that Black and Native men face (Indian Country Today) 6/1/20
Congressional letter to Indian Health Service re: Faulty PPE sent to Navajo (Turtle Talk) 5/29/20
'Am I cutting out again?': Missing and murdered task force off to shaky start amid COVID-19 challenges (Indianz) 5/28/20
COVID-19 hinders accurate Census count in Indian Country (Indianz) 5/27/20
COVID-19 Response and Recovery Policy Briefs published by Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and Native Nations Institute (Native Nations Institute - University of Arizona) 5/26/20
Nebraska State Patrol study: Boys make up majority of missing Native Americans (Omaha World-Herald) 5/23/20
Opinion: Wado to Cherokee foster parents (The Claremore Daily Progress) 5/22/20
Native American farm working to keep community fed during pandemic (Modern Farmer) 5/16/20
Healthcare. Housing. Infrastructure. Indian Country's 'status quo is in a bad spot' (Indian Country Today) 5/15/20
Missing persons cases decline on Flathead Reservation (Lake County Leader) 5/15/20
Coronavirus in Indian Country: Latest case counts (Turtle Talk) 5/15/20
Pipe dreams: Could coronavirus finally bring water to rez? (Navajo Times) 5/14/20
U Law researcher aids in Navajo Nation's fight against COVID-19 (University of Utah) 5/13/20
Rural matters--Coronavirus and the Navajo Nation (The New England Journal of Medicine) 4/24/20
Chippewa Cree man's shooting by police raises questions, calls for dialogue (Indian Country Today) 5/13/20
Chuck Hoskin: By sharing, we multiply our blessings (Indianz) 5/11/20
Pandemic broadens use of telemedicine in Indian Country and beyond (Indian Country Today) 5/9/20
Ghosts of 1918 pandemic haunt Bering Straits villages as they face COVID-19 without water or sewer (Alaska Public Media) 5/7/20
COVID-19 and Indian Country: A legal dispatch from the Navajo Nation (Northwestern University Law Review) 5/5/20
Lawmakers: Clinics serving Native people are teetering (Indian Country Today) 5/5/20
MMIW national day of awareness (Indian Country Today) 5/5/20
Uniting online for missing Native women, girls (Indianz) 5/5/20
How Minnesotans can address homelessness among the state's American Indians (MinnPost) 5/4/20
Native communities ask Nevadans for help during pandemic crisis (Reno Gazette Journal) 5/3/20
Nathan Tanner: Taking responsibility for the inequality facing the Navajo Nation (The Salt Lake Tribune) 4/28/20
'We are being born Indian and dying white' (Indian Country Today) 4/27/20
New research on COVID-19 infection rates in Indian Country (Turtle Talk) 4/25/20
AZ Rep. proposes federal malpractice insurance for urban Indian health facilities (Arizona Public Media) 4/24/20
Richardson cuts through red tape to reach Diné families (Navajo Times) 4/23/20
Seneca Nation awarded $326,000 grant to connect health care providers with patients (The Dunkirk Observer) 4/21/20
Lloyd Omdahl: Coronavirus exposes price of bigotry (The Bismarck Tribune) 4/19/20
StrongHearts Native Helpline: Sexual violence in Indian Country (Indianz) 4/17/20
Arizona: 16 percent of COVID-19 deaths are Native Americans (Indian Country Today) 4/13/20
Op-Ed: Two women fighting to prevent COVID-19 from destroying rural Alaska (Radio Kenai) 4/10/20
Urban Indians are largely invisible from COVID-19 reporting (Indian Country Today) 4/8/20
Announcement: New Indian Country Resource Page at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute website (TLPI)
Indian Health Service set to get 15-minute tests as numbers continue to rise (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 4/7/20
Map of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Indian Health System (Turtle Talk) 4/7/20
Washington state tribes, allies mobilize to gather medical protection needed in coronavirus fight (The Seattle Times) 4/3/20
Letters: A nurse's perspective of COVID-19 (Navajo Times) 4/2/20
Judge: Rosebud tribal members have treaty claim for health care (Argus Leader) 3/31/20 (See Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. United States)
'It is also our tradition to protect our people,' the canoes will wait (Indian Country Today) 3/30/20
COVID-19 pandemic highlights urgent need for housing on Wind River (Wyoming Public Media) 3/27/20
'Be good to each other' (and share a virtual coffee) (Indian Country Today) 3/27/20
Fatal encounters between Native Americans and the police (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis) 3/25/20
Misrepresenting traditional knowledge during COVID-19 is dangerous (High Country News) 3/23/20
Urban couple helps community amid coronavirus crisis (Indianz) 3/23/20
Washington State American Indian Health Commission COVID 19 resources (Turtle Talk) 3/20/20
Surviving the coronavirus crisis: Diné perspectives (Navajo Times) 3/19/20
NCAI COVID-19 in Indian Country press release (Indianz) 3/18/20
Indian Health Service can give COVID-19 tests, $40M allocated to tribes (Great Falls Tribune) 3/17/20
COVID-19 resources for Indian tribes (Turtle Talk) 3/12/20
Bill to improve health care for urban Indian veterans advances on Capitol Hill (Indianz) 3/11/20 (See 116th Congress H.R. 6237)
Teaching public health during a pandemic (Indian Country Today) 3/11/20
Cultural barriers challenge Native Americans seeking cancer treatment (The Salt Lake Tribune) 3/11/20
Driving While Indian: Washington considers study to monitor racial bias by state patrol (Indian Country Today) 3/6/20
Lawmakers urge Azar to release Indian Health Service report on sexual abuse (PBS) 3/4/20
High-speed internet coming to Navajo housing development (Albuquerque Journal) 3/4/20
Utah lawmakers vote to study violence against Native women (Indian Country Today) 3/4/20
'I just want our Native people to...get their own place' (Indian Country Today) 2/29/20
Sinema introduces bipartisan bill improving infrastructure in tribal communities (Indian Country Today) 2/28/20
'We've got to pay attention': Omaha Tribe declares emergency amid health and safety crisis (Indianz) 2/24/20
Lawmakers pressure U.S. Indian Health Service to release sex abuse report (PBS) 2/24/20
How a white evangelical family could dismantle adoption protections for Native children (Vox) 2/20/20
'This really signifies the need in the community': Native firm expands counseling services (Indianz) 2/20/20
Wisconsin tribal leader calls for 'sharp focus' to treat opioid abuse (Indian Country Today) 2/19/20
State of the Tribes address: Native Americans face down opioid epidemic (Wisconsin Public Radio) 2/18/20
Local Native American tribes receive more than $930K in HUD grants to support affordable housing (The Desert Sun) 2/18/20
Idaho votes to take first official action on missing, murdered Indigenous people crisis (Idaho Statesman) 2/12/20
Reviewing NPR's expanding coverage of Native American communities (NPR) 2/10/20
Court focuses on Native idea of family (Santa Fe New Mexican) 2/9/20
Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force hears from public, talks resources, jurisdiction, community engagement (Great Falls Tribune) 2/7/20
ProPublica: Law enforcement in Native villages under scrutiny (Indianz) 2/5/20
'All hands on deck': Indian Country diabetes program faces loss of funding again (Indianz) 2/4/20
Key committee approves Sinema-backed bill helping Native American veterans access earned benefits (Indian Country Today) 2/3/20
Striving to make Indigenous women, girls feel safe in Alaska (Indian Country Today) 2/3/20
Broadband could be a 'game changer' for many rural, tribal communities (Indian Country Today) 2/3/20
A 'resurgence' in Indigenous reproductive justice (Indian Country Today) 1/31/20
Naabi approves Navajo control of Medicaid (Navajo Times) 1/30/20
Morongo Band brings custom fire engine to the community (Indianz) 1/29/20
Oklahoma legislation seeks to prevent missing, murdered Native Americans (The Oklahoman) 1/26/20
'Hiapsine' by Gabriel Ayala #MMIW (Indianz) 1/24/20
Native vets struggle to get promised health care (Indian Country Today) 1/24/20
Three Blackfeet Nation members sue Indian Health Service (Montana Public Radio) 1/23/20
A well of grief: The relatives of murdered Native women speak out (Pulitzer Center) 1/13/20
This South Seattle treatment center has been helping Native people beat substance use disorders for more than 30 years. So why is it closing? (The Seattle Times) 1/21/20
NEPA and the Sioux San (Indianz) 1/21/20
Minnesota sending black, Native American prisoners to solitary confinement at higher rates than whites (Minneapolis Star Tribune) 1/17/20
Sinema increases access to broadband for rural and tribal communities in Arizona (Indian Country Today) 1/15/20
Medical insurance bypasses Native Americans in New Mexico (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 1/14/20
'A Return to Tradition': Red Lake Nation hosts annual health and wellness gathering (Indianz) 1/13/20
Repeal of ACA would devastate Indian Country, says Walker River Paiute Tribal chairman (Reno Gazette Journal) 1/9/20
National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition announces ten-year strategic plan and receives $10M grant (Indian Country Today) 1/8/20
Native Americans fight historical discrimination to lower diabetes, obesity rates (Indianz) 1/7/20
A boost for nutrition and White Earth Nation (Minneapolis Star Tribune) 1/6/20
Glacier County sues Indian Health Service claiming $1.8 million in unpaid bills (Montana Public Radio) 1/6/20
Cowlitz Tribe added to crime information program (Centralia Daily Chronicle) 1/6/20
