The American Lung Association proudly partners with Tribal leaders and organizations to raise awareness about lung health and devise community-informed, effective ways to address disparities. Here are some highlights of these impactful partnerships:

 

Janna Vallo is from the Pueblo of Acoma. She is the Commercial Tobacco Control & Prevention Coordinator under the CDC Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country Program at the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC).

 

Janna currently chairs the New Mexico Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals, the New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco, and the Southwest Tribal Tobacco Coalition. Janna provides interactive facilitation, networking, technical support, and training opportunities for Tribal communities seeking to build their knowledge around Commercial Tobacco Prevention, while respecting traditional and sacred uses of tobacco.

Although the pandemic gave us a challenging year, AASTEC was able to reach out to all their local tribal partners, as well as national tribal partners, to provide monthly virtual presentations around commercial tobacco. They provided technical assistance as requested to tribes around commercial tobacco and COVID-19. They also created packets for tribal casinos to positively encourage them to maintain their smoke-free status, with the hopes of them making it a long-term policy. AASTEC worked to embrace the change to a virtual platform that allowed us to network and collaborate nationally to grow the efforts around commercial tobacco cessation and prevention. They consider this work continuous and fun!

Janna Vallo,
Commercial Tobacco Control and Prevention Coordinator
Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center,
Albuquerque, New Mexico

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The Wellness Strategies for Health (WSH) Program focuses on chronic disease prevention through policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change. The WSH team has three CDC-funded projects: Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC), Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH), and a contract with the State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) Program.

GHWIC and REACH focus on increasing access to healthy foods and beverages, increasing opportunities for physical activity, and reducing tobacco use. Both also work to increase referrals and access to chronic disease prevention programs and services.

GHWIC and REACH support regional projects at six THOs selected through a competitive application process. Partners are the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Copper River Native Association, Maniilaq Association, Norton Sound Health Corporation, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation, and Tanana Chiefs Conference.

The WSH Program also partners with the SOA on the Campus Healthy Food (CHeF) Project through its SPAN grant. CHeF focuses on increasing the number of healthy food and beverage options available at ANTHC facilities and making it easier for people to choose those options. As a way to show support for essential hospital staff and to encourage healthy food choices at a time when campus food service is limited due to COVID-19, the CHeF Project distributed lunchboxes filled with pre-packaged healthy snacks and thank you messages to ANMC housekeeping and laboratory staff.

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To learn more about the WSH Program and partner activities, please visit our website.

Bigfoot has been helping the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board’s (NPAIHB) Tribal Epidemiology Center spread the word about how to stay safe from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

In his first appearance in March 2020, Bigfoot stressed the importance of protecting our Elders and staying home to stay safe. Since then, his guiding presence has brought important messages to the NW Tribes wrapped up in a bit of fun.

Last fall, Bigfoot started making personal appearances at all the NPAIHB Tribes to encourage mask wearing and to spread some joy despite the pandemic. Wearing his extra LARGE mask, he was enthusiastically received by all.

In early 2021, besides his Stay Safe messages, Bigfoot began encouraging people to get vaccinated culminating in his appearance on a “tattoo” after vaccination. These tattoos were also distributed to all the Tribes served by the NPAIHB for distribution at vaccination events.

In his most recent appearance, Bigfoot has been seen taking his children to be vaccinated, encouraging parents to take care of their children and communities!

 

Like our Tribes, Bigfoot is committed to protecting those who came before him and nurturing those who come after.

 

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Over the past year, the Paths (Re)Membered Project has worked on a variety of projects to support the health of Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ (2SLGBTQ+) people. (We use Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ or 2SLGBTQ+ throughout this briefing to refer to individuals who identify as gender-diverse (not cisgender) or have a minority sexual orientation.) Paths (Re)Membered activities have included founding a Trans & Gender-Affirming Care ECHO, publishing monthly podcasts and blog posts, hosting regular community events and trainings for staff and partners, working with northwest tribes to build capacity for affirming environments in clinics and community spaces, and completing a 2SLGBTQ+ Pride and Connectedness Online Survey.

In January of 2020, NPAIHB Delegates approved the resolution “Support for Quality Care and Improved Health Outcomes for Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ People.” In response, the NPAIHB Paths (Re)Membered Program founded the Native Advocacy Workgroup for Trans Health and worked with them to collectively create a Strategic Vision and Action Plan focused on Trans & Gender-Affirming Care in Indian Health Service, Tribal and Urban Clinics (I/T/U).

In its role creating the Strategic Vision and Action Plan, NPAIHB listened and consulted with stakeholders including 2SLGBTQ+ community members, healthcare providers, policymakers, and community and program leaders. This strategic plan supports the I/T/U clinics as they begin to provide gender-affirming care to their patients by emphasizing the following four goals:

1. Develop and pass protective policies at the federal, tribal, and local levels;
2. Ensure affirming clinical environments for gender-diverse patients;
3. Ensure best practice care for Indigenous gender-diverse patients; and
4. Improve I/T/U health systems support for initiatives focused on the wellness of gender-diverse community members.

View/Download Strategic Vision and Action Plan (PDF 738 KB)

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For more information about the Strategic Vision and Action Plan or to learn more about the NPAIHB Paths (Re)Membered Program, please contact Morgan at mthomas@npaihb.org or 850-748-3458.

In September 2020, UIHI released a grant opportunity, Supporting the Sacred: Womxn of Resilience, for Native femme-identifying survivors of sexual violence who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The individuals who applied shared their stories with us and allowed us to be a small part of their healing journey. For that, we are beyond grateful.

To show our appreciation and love for this community, we created care packages full of medicines, jewelry, and other self-care items purchased from Indigenous-owned and operated businesses including Sister Sky, Eighth Generation, Haípažaža pȟežúta, Red Lake Nation Foods, and NativeWorks Jewelry Store.

 

Each care package was a display of the respect and care we have for our relatives who have survived sexual violence and who chose to trust us with their story so we can better serve our community.

 

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