The Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center (GPTEC) Evaluation Unit partnered with Seven Directions to host a three-day Evaluation 101 training that introduced participants to contemporary and traditional evaluation concepts to build the Tribal public health program evaluation capacity and empower Tribal data sovereignty and self-determination.

Designed for individuals with little to no experience in program evaluation, GPTEC’s training focused on key foundational evaluation concepts, including common evaluation designs, approaches, and types, the CDC Evaluation Framework, and developing an evaluation plan.

 

The Seven Directions training focused on applying the Indigenous Evaluation Framework, a Tribally developed framework that highlights proven traditional approaches and emphasizes community stakeholder engagement.

 

Fourteen participants representing nine (50%) of the Great Plains Area (GPA) Tribes attended, including department directors, program managers, and staff. Key outcomes include:

• Increased confidence in planning and implementing program evaluations. Prior to the training, participants were asked about their evaluation experience, with only three (3) indicating that they had previously planned or participated in an evaluation. By the end of the training, 100% of participants recognized evaluation as already part of their daily activities, which helped them identify and reconcile previously held assumptions and doubts concerning evaluation and their ability to plan and implement evaluation activities within their own programs.
• Increased ability to plan and implement program evaluations. By the end of the training, 100% of participants agreed that the knowledge, tools, and resources provided during the training would help them to respond to evaluation requirements within funding proposals, plan and implement evaluations that are meaningful to their communities, and utilize evaluation findings to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.
• Increased collaboration and partnerships. As participants shared their experiences and roles, the group recognized one another as valuable resources. By the end of the training, participants wished to formalize their collaborations into a group with regularly scheduled meetings, thus establishing a Great Plains Tribal Evaluation Community of Practice. GPTEC evaluation staff will facilitate group logistics and discussions, while Tribal staff set group goals, agendas, and activities. The first meeting is planned for July 2026.

 

---

 

 

USET OTPH Opioid Recovery Series

In 2026, the USET Office of Tribal Public Health partnered with four Tribal Nations to elevate culturally grounded approaches to substance use recovery and healing through the USET OTPH Opioid Recovery Series. The series created a space for public health officials, counselors, psychiatrists, social workers, clinicians, service providers, clinical administration staff, and Tribal leaders to share strategies rooted in traditional knowledge and evidence-based practices.

The impact of the series so far is clear: 100% of participants who completed post-event surveys following January and April webinars reported that the trainings were a good use of their time. Participants described leaving the sessions with practical tools, renewed perspective, and deeper understanding of how recovery efforts can be strengthened through culture and community.

So far, the series has brought together 34 individuals representing 14 different Tribal Nations.

January Webinar: Physical Healing through Medication Assisted Treatment (January 29)

Presenters from the Catawba Nation shared how physical healing can be supported through Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), an evidence-based approach that combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies. The session aimed to provide a holistic perspective, grounded in traditional teachings and clinical best practices, to help participants better understand, implement, and support MAT in their Tribal Nations.

One participant reflected on the importance of broadening the conversation around recovery:

“I also left with a strong reminder that recovery is not an individual journey. Families and communities need support too — through grief support groups, craft groups, and community reinforcements — and through ongoing education that helps people better understand the medication and the disease, reduce stigma, avoid enabling, and learn how to walk alongside someone in recovery with care and awareness, without unintentionally becoming a trigger.”

April Webinar: Emotional Well-Being through Healing of the Canoe (April 30)

The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe highlighted the role of emotional healing through Healing of the Canoe – a culturally grounded life skills and substance abuse prevention curriculum for Native youth. By sharing both traditional teachings and programmatic best practices, presenters equipped attendees with strategies to better understand, implement, and support prevention efforts within their own communities.

The session deeply resonated with participants, with one attendee sharing:

“Kids need and deserve an outlet to speak freely about substance abuse. This program is needed.”

The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) was recently recognized through the Wisconsin Public Health Association’s 2026 “Excellence in Advancing Policy” Award for work supporting Tribal public health systems, partnerships, and policy advancement across the Great Lakes region.

While the recognition was presented to Dr. Kade Lenz, the work reflects the collective efforts of Tribes, Tribal public health staff, epidemiologists, environmental health professionals, leadership, and community partners working together to strengthen public health infrastructure serving Tribes.

GLITEC serves Tribes and urban Indian communities across Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Chicago through a wide range of public health initiatives focused on improving health outcomes and strengthening Tribal public health capacity. Over the past several years, GLITEC staff and partners have worked to advance initiatives related to Tribal data sovereignty, emergency preparedness, environmental health, chronic disease prevention, dementia and brain health, maternal and child health, infectious disease response, and community-driven public health planning.

Much of this work has focused on strengthening collaboration between Tribes, state health departments, federal agencies, universities, and national public health organizations while ensuring Tribal voices remain central in decisions impacting Tribal Nations. This includes efforts supporting Tribal epidemiology infrastructure, regional emergency preparedness coordination, culturally grounded community health assessments, environmental health initiatives, and improved access to Tribal public health data.

GLITEC has also supported work related to Tribal Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) development, data use agreements, public health workforce development, and technical assistance for Tribal health departments and programs. Across projects, the emphasis has remained on building sustainable systems that respect Tribal sovereignty while supporting community-driven public health priorities identified by Tribes themselves.

In addition to regional work, Dr. Lenz serves on the National Tribal Toxics Council under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). Through this role, he contributes to national conversations surrounding environmental health, toxic exposures, chemical safety, and environmental justice impacting Tribal Nations.

In February 2026, Dr. Lenz met with OCSPP leadership and staff at EPA Headquarters in Washington DC, to discuss Tribal environmental health priorities and emerging public health concerns impacting Tribes. Discussions included environmental exposures, chemical safety considerations, public health infrastructure needs, and the importance of Tribal representation in national environmental health decision-making processes.

For GLITEC, the Wisconsin Public Health Association recognition represents more than a single award. It reflects the growing visibility of Tribal public health leadership and the importance of investing in Native-led public health systems that are culturally grounded, community-driven, and responsive to the unique needs of Tribes.

The recognition also reflects the strength of the broader team at GLITEC and GLITC. Recent recognitions across the organization include:

• Amber Hoon, LPN and GLITEC Program Director for Dementia and Brain Health, receiving the 2025 Bemidji Area Health Warrior Award from the National Indian Health Board.
• Kade Lenz, PhD, MPH and GLITEC Program Director for the IHS Cooperative Agreement, being honored with the 2025 40 Under 40 in Public Health Award from the de Beaumont Foundation as the first awardee from a Tribal organization.
• Will Funmaker, MBA, MLT(ASCP)CM, GLITEC Director and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Area Tribal Health Board, being recognized among Wisconsin’s Most Influential Native American Leaders for 2026 by Madison365.

Together, these recognitions reflect the depth of expertise, collaboration, and commitment across the organization and the Tribes served by GLITEC and GLITC. They also highlight the growing national recognition of Tribal public health leadership and the importance of supporting Native-led solutions to improve health outcomes for future generations.

 

Kade Lenz, PhD, MPH
Program Director – IHS Epidemiology Cooperative Agreement; Interim Program Director – TECPHI
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC), Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc.

---

 

TECs Role in Public Health Authority and Tribal Data Sovereignty

On February 13, 2026, the National Indian Health Board hosted a panel discussion titled, “Public Health Authority: Sovereignty in Action”. Panelists included:

• Yvette Roubideaux, MD, MPH, (Rosebud Sioux), Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy at the Colorado School of Public Health;
• Sheena Lambert, MPH (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Public Health Director, Public Health & Human Service Division; Director of the ECBI Medical IRB;
• Chief Marilyn “Lynn” Malerba (Mohegan Tribe);
• Carrie Field, MPH, Senior Research Analyst, National Indian Health Board, and
• Victoria Warren-Mears, PhD, RDN, FAND, Director of the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (NWTEC).

Public Health Authority and Tribal Sovereignty

The panel discussed how Tribes and TECs use public health authority as an expression of sovereignty. Tribal sovereignty is a Tribe’s inherent right to self-govern, and protect or enhance the health safety, and welfare of its citizens. Public health authority is the authority to protect population health and safety, which includes access to HIPAA-protected health data to surveil disease and evaluate health interventions. Panelists discussed how Tribes and TECs use public health authority to improve the health and well-being of Tribal communities.

Tribal Epidemiology Centers

Dr. Warren Mears discussed the work and role of Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) in public health. The public health authority of TECs differs from the inherent authority that Tribes have as sovereign nations. TECs were granted public health authority through the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 2010 (25 U.S.C. §1621m). This allowed for TECs to access data, data sets, monitoring systems, delivery systems, and other protected health information to perform 7 core functions:

1. Collect data relating to, and monitor progress made toward meeting, each of the health status objectives of IHS, the Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations in the Service Area.
2. Evaluate existing delivery systems, data systems, and other systems that impact the improvement of Indian health.
3. Assist Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations in identifying highest-priority health status objectives and the services needed to achieve those objectives, based on epidemiological data.
4. Make recommendations for the targeting of services needed by the populations served.
5. Make recommendations to improve health care delivery systems for Indians and Urban Indians.
6. Provide requested technical assistance to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations in the development of local health service priorities and incidence and prevalence rates of disease and other illness in the community.
7. Provide disease surveillance and assist Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian communities to promote public health.

Access to Public Health Data

Both Tribes and TECs are federally authorized to access health data for public health surveillance; however, only Tribes can enact and enforce laws regarding public health. This includes laws and policies like vaccination requirements, safety regulations in occupational services, food inspections, and quarantine for infectious outbreaks. TECs work at the direction of and in support of the Tribes they serve.

Even with recognized public health authority, Tribes and TECs have difficulty accessing data from federal and state agencies. In a March 2022 Government Accountability Office report, officials found a lack of federal policy for TECs to access Health and Human Services data, resulting in agency officials not recognizing federal legal requirements to provide data and a lack of guidance for TECs to request data under federal law.

Despite the obstacles TECs and Tribes face in accessing data, NWTEC works with state and federal partners to access data on behalf of the Tribes we serve. We work closely with the Indian Health Service to access and utilize patient registration information to reidentify American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/ AN) people in state and federal datasets, providing accurate statistical analysis for the Tribes we serve, helping increase the public health capacity of Tribes.

Building Lasting Relationships with Tribes

“You, as tribal leaders, can expect us to support important tribally driven intiatives at your request,” said Warren-Mears. To build lasting relationships with Tribes, it is important that Tribes lead strategic planning, and TECs recognize and uphold Tribal Sovereignty. Over the last several years, NWTEC has been working towards data modernization. This has improved and changed how TECs provide services to Tribes, including the use of cloud-based tools and decisions about the use of artificial intelligence (AI). One priority for NWTEC in modernization was to ensure we followed our member Tribes’ lead in developing a strategy and policy. At NW Tribes’ direction, we are building infrastructure to benefit Tribes, including: the update of our data governance policies and data sharing agreements to better align with Tribal sovereignty, the services we provide, and to adapt to each Tribe’s needs; on-demand Tribal access to area-level data through a cloud-based tool called the NW Tribal Data Hub; and pausing the use of AI at the direction of our Tribal partners.

AI and the Future of Tribal Sovereignty

AI is the next challenge or opportunity for tribal data sovereignty. While AI could increase capacity for Tribes to provide healthcare, economic stability, and governance, without appropriate oversight, data use policies could impact Tribes’ data sovereignty and environmental resources. Each Tribe will need to make decisions about how or whether to contribute data to AI training models. Lack of contribution could lead to erasure, underrepresentation, and even misrepresentation in AI systems; however, contribution to the data sets could lead to exploitation, surveillance, and ownership issues. Tribes have an opportunity to gain control over their data through the Tribal development of AI systems; however, Tribes will have important decisions to make about how they want to protect sovereignty and benefit from emerging technology. TECs play a role in providing technical assistance to Tribes as they navigate the impacts of AI in their communities.

Dr. Victoria Warren-Mears holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in home economics from Washington State University and a doctorate in nutrition sciences from the University of Washington. She also completed a certificate of investigation in human subjects at Oregon Health & Science University. For the last 19 1/2 years she has had the honor and privilege of serving the 43 federally recognized tribes of Idaho, Oregon and Washington as the Director of the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center. Victoria has worked in Public Health for most of her career. She is passionate about the ethics of tribal data sovereignty, tribal public health systems, and providing support to tribes in public health practice and research, particularly community-based participatory research.

---