Summary

The importance of Tribal public health data collection lies in its contribution to identifying and measuring trends over time to promote the overall health and well-being of Tribal communities. At present, while national-level data exists, it is almost always presented in aggregate (at times, to protect Tribal affiliation). This effectively erases community-level trends embedded within the data, including Tribal specific outcomes. Indian Health Service (IHS) data is a valuable source of Tribal health data but is limited and often outdated. State-level data is at least equally problematic, with rampant racial misclassification, variable quality, and the lack of data access without data-sharing partnerships. Investments into Tribal data capacity and infrastructure can empower Tribes and support the public health data systems needed to guide their public health efforts while respecting Tribal data sovereignty and culture.