On Day 4 of Tribal Public Health Week, we highlight a truth that defines our work at the National Indian Health Board (NIHB): Public health is advocacy, and advocacy is public health.
This year’s theme from the American Public Health Association, “Advocacy Starts Here,” reflects a reality that Tribal Nations have long lived. In Indian Country, advocacy doesn’t just happen in hearing rooms or on Capitol Hill. It starts with stories. It starts in communities. It starts when a water line breaks, when care is denied, when a community organizes to protect their land – and when leaders rise to demand better.
The NIHB Mission: Policy Backed by People, Public Health Powered by Sovereignty
NIHB serves all 574 federally recognized Tribes through a powerful dual mission: to strengthen Tribal public health systems and to drive policy change that respects and restores Tribal sovereignty.
We are on the ground with Tribes building chronic disease prevention programs, developing emergency response plans, and supporting behavioral health systems. At the same time, we’re in the halls of Congress, testifying on the need for full Indian Health Service funding, fighting to protect Medicaid access, and pushing federal agencies to include and invest in Indian Country.
Because when Tribal Nations are left out of national health policy, Native lives are put at risk. And when Tribes lead, health equity becomes possible.
When Funding Fails, Communities Feel It
One clear example: NIHB recently lost our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding, which supported vital Tribal environmental health programs. This funding loss didn’t just affect an organization, it cut support for Tribes working on clean water, air quality, and climate change impacts.
It’s a devastating reminder that advocacy is essential – to keep funding in place, to hold systems accountable, and to ensure that Tribal Nations are never an afterthought in national public health priorities.
Advocacy That Delivers
In the past year, NIHB has:
- Mobilized national action to protect Tribal Medicaid access
- Partnered with Tribal leaders to bring Tribal priorities to the White House and Congress
- Supported Tribes in responding to climate threats, opioid misuse, and youth mental health crises
- Raised alarms about underfunding – and demanded the full resources promised under trust and treaty obligations
- Equipped Tribal public health departments with tools to grow capacity, lead programs, and serve their people
Every win we’ve secured started with a community need, and every need met took advocacy to achieve.
Health Sovereignty is Health Justice
For Native people, advocacy is rooted in sovereignty – the right of Tribal Nations to govern their own health systems, define their priorities, and lead their own solutions. NIHB’s work sits at the crossroads of national influence and grassroots empowerment, and we’re committed to holding that space with humility, determination, and deep respect for our partners in Tribal health.
Take Action with Us
This Tribal Public Health Week, we invite you to stand with us:
- Share your voice on social media with #TribalPublicHealthWeek2025 and #NPHW2025
- Call on lawmakers to fully fund Indian health and restore support for Tribal environmental health
- Follow NIHB for updates and action alerts – and join us in moving public health policy forward
- Support Tribal leaders and youth advocates who are the frontlines of change in their communities
Because advocacy starts here – in the stories we tell, the policies we shape, and the future we fight for.
