The Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently visited tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico. He focused on exploring the steps that these communities are taking to lessen the chronic diseases like diabetes and liver disease among the Native American and Alaskan Native populations. This topic has always been a primary area of interest and concern for Kennedy. Despite this, observers noted that he did not publically speak about a specific Native health initiative that incorporates traditional remedies and diet to manage disease rates.
The initiative in question, named Healthy Tribes, was hit hard due to the recent wave of job cuts in the field of federal health. Leaders from the Native community express their struggle to understand the contrast between Kennedy’s discourse and his actions. Uncertainty persists regarding the surviving leadership and the future direction of the program, established 11 years ago as a part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Healthy Tribes, which annually managed funds amounting to $32.5 million, has been profoundly impacted by these losses. The funding cuts to this program are viewed by tribal leaders and health professionals as the latest breach in the federal government’s treaty obligations to tribal communities. This includes their commitment to provisions like healthcare under the Indian Health Service along with education, and public safety for the members of the 574 federally recognized tribes.
The federal budget has consistently been inadequate to satisfy these requirements, causing tribal governments to rely heavily on extra grants and schemes such as Healthy Tribes. However, the recent round of layoffs has deepened concerns over the future of much-needed funding and services. A case in point was reflected in an automated response from an email sent to Dr. Julianna Reece, the program director, who confirmed that she had been placed on leave and would be leaving the agency shortly thereafter due to the workforce reduction.
The changes are described as a ‘betrayal of trust’ by Native leaders. US law mandates government consultation with tribes on decisions impacting them. However, these conversations have been deficient according to tribal chiefs, who have raised concerns to the Trump administration that such consultations are not being conducted. In extreme cases, tribes are even in a position to file lawsuits against the U.S. government for not fulfilling its legal duties.
Unfortunately, queries related to the austerity measures taken towards Healthy Tribes were met with silence from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An email from the department informed AP that this month’s workforce reductions did not impact the Indian Health Service, and there are no current plans to merge any of its departments.
Research data underlines that the life expectancy of Native Americans is shorter compared to other racial groups, and they also have higher death rates due to chronic illnesses. It is in this context that funding from Healthy Tribes is utilized to support programs like GATHER in Seattle. GATHER aims at incorporating traditional tribal medicinal practices into healthcare.
According to Esther Lucero, the President of Seattle Indian Health Board, her team meets bimonthly with the CDC and other recipients of Healthy Tribes grants to discuss project progression and to ensure grant compliance. However, making contact with key figures has become problematic in the wake of the recent layoffs. The Native communities hence are forced to defend against efforts to cut programs that may be considered DEI initiatives.
And, they aren’t alone in their struggle. Policy experts, lawyers, and oversight agencies are assisting these communities by indicating areas where the government might be falling short of its responsibility. It is Dalmar who says, ‘Native people possess a distinct political power.’ However, he’s also noted that there are policymakers who consider tribes as a challenge rather than seeing them as potential partners, which augments their struggle.
Following the Trump administration’s massive workforce reduction, clarification had to be sought by several tribal chiefs from newly appointed federal officials about services to tribes. The foundational concern is that these services are not race-based, but are rather tied to the political status of tribal nations. This is an essential distinction that needs understanding and respect from all relevant bodies to ensure the preservation of rights and interests of the Native communities.