Details
By Elyse Wild and Kaili Berg
March 10, 2025
Last week, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs advanced 10 bills that strengthen tribal water rights; a study from the University of New Mexico looked at burdens faced by Native American elders when accessing healthcare; and the federal government marked a dozen IHS offices across Indian Country for closure.
Here is our weekly round-up of health equity news.
Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.
Studies: Maternal Health, Healthcare Workers, Elders
A recentstudy by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health examined the impact of Indian Health Service access on maternal care quality for Native American and Alaska Native women.
Analyzing data from 12,920 women who gave birth between 2016 and 2020, the study found that those with IHS access reported higher quality carecompared to those without.
Specifically, among uninsured Native women, IHS access was associated with a 16%increase in pre-pregnancy care utilization and a 7% point increase in prenatal care usage.
However, the study also revealed that more than half of the participants did not receive high-quality pre-pregnancy care, and fewer than half received high-quality postpartum care.
Additionally, while Medicaid was the most common form of insurance, it did not consistently ensure high-quality care before, during, and after pregnancy.
A recentstudy from George Washington University highlighted the need to break down data for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups in the U.S. health workforce.
These communities include manydifferent ethnicities and languages, but they are often groupedtogether in research and policy, hidingimportant differences.
The study found that some groups, like Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, andcertain Southeast Asians, are underrepresented in healthcare jobs, especially in leadership roles.
The study also found fewer AANHPI professionals in mental health, which could limit culturally appropriate care. Researchers recommend better data collection to address these gaps and improve health equity.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico are working to improve health care for Native American elders.
Assistant Professor Elise Trott Jaramillo, PhD, from the College of Population Health, studies how age and gender affect healthcare access in these communities.
Herresearch found that older Native women often juggle caregiving duties with their own health needs, facing challenges like transportation and accessibility.
Native men aged 55-64 tend to navigate health systems alone, often without regular care or established provider relationships.
Openings
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde haveopened Main Street Recovery, a new residential treatment facility in Sheridan, Oregon, to support Native Americans dealing with addiction and substance abuse.
The center offers a living environment with on-site, comprehensive treatment, integrating Western medicine with Native practices.
Features include sleeping quarters, counseling spaces, a workout room, and plans for cultural additions like a sweat lodge.
The facility began accepting clients in late February 2025, with typical stays expected to be six months or longer.
Legislation
Last week, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairsadvanced 10 bills to strengthen water rights, expanding water infrastructure in tribal communities in California, New Mexico, Nevadaand Montana. Water remains a pressing environmental health challenge in Indian Country, with some sources stating that 48% of households on reservations lack clean water access.
Limited access to clean wateris linked toa number ofnegative health outcomes, including a higher risk of infection and mortality rates. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), contaminated drinking water hasbeentied to high rates of infant diarrheal disease on the Fort Apache reservation in Arizona.
As well, the Senate Committee advanceda bill that would authorise the Indian Health Service to provide tribes and tribal organizations with veterinary services, including spaying and neutering of dogs and cats. The billis aimed at mitigating the spread of diseases from animals to humans, such as rabies. Reservation communities have high populations of stray animals. According to IHS data, around 4,800 tribal members are hospitalized each yearon the Navajo Nation alone from dog bites.
DOGE Cuts
Adozen IHS buildingsacross India have been flagged by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for closure. The buildings in questionarelocated in six IHA service areas, including Bemidji, Navajo, California, Oklahoma, Nashvilleand Phoenix. The total cost of the annual leases on the facilities is around $1.9 million, with individual leases ranging from $22,240 to $1.07 million. It is unclear why the facilitiesare targeted for closure.
Can we take a minute to talk about tribal sovereignty?
Our mission draws from the warrior spirit that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations — the same spirit that drives us to stand guard over tribal rights through relentless investigation and fearless reporting.
Sovereignty isn't just a concept – it's the foundation of Native nations' right to govern, protect our lands, and preserve our cultures. Every story we publish strengthens tribal sovereignty.
Unlike mainstream media, we center Indigenous voices and report directly from Native communities. When we cover land rights, water protection, or tribal governance, we're not just sharing news – we're documenting our living history and defending our future.
Our journalism is powered by readers, not shareholders. If you believe in the importance of Native-led media in protecting tribal sovereignty, consider supporting our work today.