STAC and DTAC Host Their Fourth Quarter Meetings in Rapid City, South Dakota

Last month, Tribal leaders and federal partners met in Rapid City, SD, to attend the Direct Service Tribal Advisory Committee (DSTAC) and Health and Human Services Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (HHS STAC) 4th quarter meetings. Tribal leaders on STAC and DSTAC from all 12 IHS areas met with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, IHS Director Roselyn Tso, and the principal leadership of HHS operating divisions to discuss Tribal priorities for HHS.

At the meeting, after two years of collaboration and consultation with Tribes, Secretary Becerra signed the updated HHS Tribal consultation policy. During the meetings, NIHB staff also had the opportunity to visit the Pine Ridge Reservation, home of the Ogalala Sioux Tribe. Attendees visited the Thunder Valley Community Development Complex and the Wounded Knee School district and learned about local initiatives funded by HHS operating divisions that advance health equity and well-being for Lakota people. Attendees also visited the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and toured the Pine Ridge Hospital, a 45-bed facility serving a Lakota Indian population of more than 17,000 and the largest hospital in the Great Plains Area. Site visits like these share valuable experiences and stories that inform the NIHB Government Relations team’s work with partner organizations, technical assistance to Tribal leaders, and advocacy for Indian Country.

Tribal Advisory Committees (TACs), like STAC and DSTAC, are advisory bodies consisting of members of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes. TACs provide advice, recommendations, and input on policy and program issues with implications for AI/AN healthcare providers and patients across various operating divisions within HHS. TACs are powerful tools to help the federal government collaborate with Tribes and Tribal communities throughout the US and serve as a vehicle at the beginning of the policy formulation process.

NIHB provides support and policy expertise to TACs, and the organization also helps to nominate and place Tribal leaders on TACs. If you are interested in joining and serving on a TAC, you can email Garrett Lankford at [email protected] for more information. You can also click this link for additional information on TACs.