The original deadline for comments was December, 19, 2018 but thanks to Tribal advocacy, this deadline has been extended for 90 days and comments will now be due on Friday, March 15, 2019.
Specifically, HHS seeks Tribal input on:
The consultation mechanisms that work and those that do not;
What HHS can do to improve its activities to ensure an effective and meaningful Tribal Consultation Policy
Comments can be sent to:
Stacey Ecoffey, Principal Advisor for Tribal Affairs
Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave SW Room 620-E
Washington, DC 20201
email: Consultation@hhs.gov
FBI Seeks to Identify Rightful Owners in Cultural Artifacts Case: The efforts to identify and repatriate the cultural property-which included approximately 500 sets of human remains looted largely from Native American burial grounds-is ongoing, and the FBI is now publicizing the case, along with an invitation-only website detailing the items, in the hopes of gaining further assistance from governments around the world and from Native American tribes.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will no longer honor teams with Native mascots. "In honoring Washington and Kansas City's football teams, we became part of the problem. Our organization won't honor racism anymore." Read the full article here.
The healing power of heritage, Interventions rooted in Indigenous traditions are helping to prevent suicide and addiction in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
The hidden health inequalities that American Indian and Alaskan Natives face, the IHS is the primary health care provider for most American Indians. It is responsible for providing health care under historical treaty agreements between the federal government and tribes.
APSAC Statement on Family Separation at the US-Mexico Border
After careful review and consideration, the Board of Directors of The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children is releasing a statement on the abhorrent practice of separating children from their parents in the name of border security. This link will take you to the full text of the statement.
We urge you to share this statement wherever possible and to cite this statement in your own advocacy efforts when contacting media or members of congress.
Following the Netflix release of 13 Reasons Why in 2017, many mental health, suicide prevention, and education experts from around the world expressed a common concern about the series' graphic content and portrayal of difficult issues facing youth. Resources and tools to address these concerns were quickly and widely disseminated in an effort to help parents, educators, clinical professionals and other adults engage in conversations with youth abou the themes found in the show.
In advance of the release of season 2 - SAVE (Suicide Awareness Vioices of Education) brought together a group of 75 leading experts in mental health, suicide prevention and education as well as healthcare professionals to develop tools to help encourage positive responses to the series. In just a few short months, this group has developed a toolkit providing practical guidance and reliable resources for parents, educators, clinicians, youth and media related to the content of the series (suicide, school violence, sexual assault, bullying, substance abuse, etc.)
To access the Toolkit, use this link.
