Dear Tribes and Tribal Members,
In April, I had the opportunity to attend the Tribal Self-Governance Conference, where I joined Tribal Delegates from across Alaska and the Lower 48 in meeting with leadership from the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These meetings are a critical opportunity to ensure the voices of our Tribes are heard at the highest levels—and to speak directly on the issues that affect our people.
During the IHS Tribal Consultation, I spoke on behalf of our region about the importance of protecting the Medicaid program. As many of you know, Medicaid is essential to sustaining the services provided at our health facilities throughout Alaska. Any proposed cuts to this program could devastate our ability to provide care and force reductions in services our people rely on. I asked IHS leadership directly:
- What is IHS doing to advocate with Members of Congress to preserve the 100% federal match for the Indian health system?
- What efforts are underway to secure an exemption from any proposed mandatory work requirements that could harm Native beneficiaries?
TCC’s Executive Director of Health Services, Jacoline Bergstrom, also brought forward concerns about the impacts of ongoing U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) reorganization efforts. While we appreciate that many IHS positions have been exempted from cuts, other critical agencies like HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC, and NIH have not been as fortunate. Several of our co-signers have already experienced grant terminations that leave serious gaps in their programs.
Jacoline emphasized how lean the Alaska Area already operates, and how hiring freezes and workforce reductions make it even harder for Area and Headquarters staff to push out funding or manage necessary administrative work.
These issues matter because they directly affect the stability and continuity of the care we provide to our communities. TCC will continue to advocate at the federal level to ensure that funding and workforce resources remain in place to support our health and wellness.
As the seasons shift and the snow continues to melt, we also enter a period where the risk of flooding increases for many of our communities. Please know that TCC’s Emergency Response Team is active and prepared to respond if flooding does occur. We stand ready to assist our Tribes as needed. For information on how to prepare, please visit page 4 of this newsletter.
Mahsi’ Choo,
Chief Brian Ridley
Tanana Chiefs Conference