GLITEC Success Story: First Annual Great Lakes Area Tribal Public Health Conference

In August 2026, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC), a program of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc., in collaboration with the Great Lakes Area Tribal Health Board, hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Area Tribal Public Health Conference at the Oneida Casino Hotel in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This conference brought together Tribal leaders, health directors, public health professionals, community members, and state and national partners from throughout the Bemidji Area and across the U.S. to advance Tribal public health systems and strengthen relationships through leadership, innovation, and collaboration.

Building on the success of GLITEC’s previous Opioid Conferences, this conference expanded its focus to reflect the breadth of public health priorities across Tribal Nations. Programming was organized around four tracks:

Behavioral health
Data infrastructure
Indigenous wellness
Public health capacity

Through keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and trainings, the gathering supported public health capacity among Bemidji Area Tribal Nations, Urban Indian Organizations, and Tribal organizations. The conference fostered collaborative spaces where knowledge keepers and knowledge seekers could share ideas, build relationships, identify priorities, and learn about projects, programs, and approaches that support Tribal public health.

Across the 4 tracks, 20 presentations addressed topics including public health law and policy, naloxone use and overdose prevention, emergency preparedness, traditional crafting as a pathway to healing and wellness, and Tribal data use and access. The range of programming reflected the interconnected nature of public health for Tribal Nations. As one attendee shared, “I love how many topics are covered here: public health is health, environmental health, policy, behavioral health, substance use, nutrition, [and] art!”

The inaugural conference welcomed 182 attendees, with representation from 21 Bemidji Area Tribal Nations, seven regional and national Tribal organizations, all three state health departments within the Bemidji Area, and three federal organizations. This broad participation created opportunities to strengthen relationships among Tribal, state, regional, and federal partners while keeping Tribal public health priorities at the center of the gathering.

Attendee feedback also highlighted the practical value of bringing people together to exchange knowledge and approaches that can be taken back to their communities. One participant noted:

“I always learn something new to implement in our program or on our reservation.” Participants also emphasized the importance of the perspectives centered throughout the conference, with another attendee describing the gathering as providing “excellent information” and “invaluable Native perspectives.”

The Great Lakes Area Tribal Public Health Conference created an important regional space for collaboration, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and collective action to advance the health and well-being of Tribal communities. Attendee feedback reinforces the importance of continuing to create spaces where Tribal communities and public health partners can learn from one another, share approaches that are working in their communities, strengthen relationships, and build public health capacity across the Bemidji Area.

GLITEC extends its sincere appreciation to the attendees, presenters, partners, and communities whose participation made the inaugural Great Lakes Area Tribal Public Health Conference a success. We look forward to building upon this gathering in the years ahead.