National Nutrition Month
Eating corn, beans, squash, and other traditional foods can help promote resilience and prevent chronic illness.
In observance of National Nutrition Month, share an educational resource highlighting the benefits of 15 traditional foods (PDF, 462 KB, 15 pp) from across Indian Country.
Also, remind people in your community that nutrition counseling is covered as a preventive care benefit.
Additionally, download the Indigenous Food Is Medicine Toolkit (PDF, 4 MB, 58 pp) to learn how nutrition education classes, produce prescription programs, and medically tailored grocery boxes and meals are advancing health and healing in tribal communities.
Excerpt from the American Indian Cancer Foundation’s resource highlighting the benefits of 15 traditional foods.
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Three Sisters Stew
“Three sisters” refers to corn, beans, and squash—crops that are often planted together because they mutually benefit one another.
Try this Three Sisters Stew recipe from Running Strong for American Indian Youth for a balanced, nutritious meal featuring traditional foods.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of yellow squash
- 1 cup of hominy
- 1 cup of yellow corn
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small onion
- 2 cups of cooked lima beans
- 3 tomatoes
- 3 cups of vegetable stock or water
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 1 tsp of cumin
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the garlic and onion in some olive oil.
- Add the squash, hominy, corn, lima beans, tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, and vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 1 hour.
- Top with cilantro.
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Colorectal cancer prevention
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Vice Chairman Shane Thomas is featured in Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe’s colorectal health video.
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March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and this year, Blue Beads Day is March 19.
Both observances highlight the importance of routine tests to find and remove abnormal growths in the colon and rectum before the growths become cancerous.
Often, colorectal cancer shows no signs or symptoms in its early stages. That’s why screening is crucial.
Colorectal cancer disproportionately impacts American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Do your part to promote colorectal cancer screening by sharing:
Also, let everyone know that colorectal cancer screening is covered as an essential health benefit for adults ages 45–75.
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Awards for research in AI/AN men’s health
Submit nominations by May 31 for the Dr. Eric D. Bothwell Awards in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Men’s Health.
The awards promote scholarship to improve the physical and mental health of AI/AN men and boys. One award will recognize an early-career researcher. The other award will go to either a graduate-level student or someone who has completed a graduate-level program within the past year.
Award winners will be recognized at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo, to be held November 1–4, in San Antonio, Texas. Each winner will receive:
- $500 to partially support travel to the APHA meeting
- Complimentary registration for the APHA meeting
- At least 2 years of complimentary APHA membership
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Support for relative/kin caregivers
The term relative/kin caregiver refers to an adult who has assumed responsibility for the child of an extended family member or close friend. This type of caregiving is a longstanding practice in many tribal communities and a core principle of the Indian Child Welfare Act that prioritizes placement with extended family.
Relative/kin caregivers may be eligible for resources that promote positive outcomes for children in their care. To increase awareness of those resources, share the National Indian Child Welfare Association’s tip sheet (PDF, 488 KB, 5 pp) with service providers who help caregivers:
- Enroll children in health care coverage
- Access food assistance or tribal-specific financial support
- Explore respite care options
- Access other assistance through the local Area Agency on Aging or Title VI Native American Aging Program
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American Indian College Fund scholarships
Deadline: May 31
Learn more about American Indian College Fund scholarships
American Indian and Alaska Native students are invited to apply for merit-based scholarships. Eligible applicants include:
- High school seniors who plan to pursue higher education
- Students enrolled in certificate, undergraduate, or graduate programs at tribal and non-tribal colleges and universities
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CMS ITU trainings
The National Indian Health Board, in partnership with CMS, will provide training to help Indian Health Service, tribal health programs, and urban Indian health programs (ITUs) maximize their ability to access third-party resources through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Marketplace.
The training is intended for business office staff, benefits coordinators, patient registration staff, and billing and coding professionals. Registration links will be provided as they become available. Planning is in progress.
Upcoming ITU trainings by IHS Area
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Billings: March 9–20, virtual
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Portland: March 9–20, virtual
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California: April 15–16, in person
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Albuquerque: April 22–23, in person
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Navajo: May 13–14, in person
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Phoenix: May 18–29, virtual
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Great Plains: June 24–25, in person
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Oklahoma: July 22–23, in person
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Bemidji: September 14–25, virtual
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Nashville: September 14–25, virtual
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CMS Quality Conference
March 16–18
Baltimore, Maryland, with the option to attend virtually
Register for the CMS Quality Conference
The theme of this year’s CMS Quality Conference is “Make America Healthy Again: Innovating Together for Better Health.” Leaders, providers, researchers, advocates, and partners committed to improving health care quality and outcomes are encouraged to attend.
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Native American Child and Family Conference
March 16–19
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Register for the Native American Child and Family Conference
The Native American Child and Family Conference offers training opportunities to improve and promote services provided by Head Start, Early Head Start, and childcare program staff. This year’s conference theme is “Strong Start, Strong Spirit: Uplifting Our Native Children Through Indigenous Education.”
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Protecting Our Children Conference
March 29–April 1
Oklahoma City and virtual
Register for the Protecting Our Children Conference
The 44th annual Protecting Our Children Conference theme is “Uniting Our Voices for Our Children, Culture, & Communities.” Sponsored by the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the conference is geared toward social service providers, legal professionals, tribal leaders, federal program staff, and advocates for children.
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Tribal Public Health Conference
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April 7–9
Oklahoma City
Register for the Tribal Public Health Conference
The theme for this year’s Tribal Public Health conference is “The Vision for Generational Healing, Health, and Wellness.” Attendees will explore healing and wellness across lifespans and generations.
The conference will cover topics such as:
- Environmental health and emergency management
- Culturally adapted public health
- Data and epidemiology
- Oral health
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Conference art: “Dance on My Shoulders” by Kevin Tushka
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2026 Tribal Self-Governance Conference
April 7–9
Chandler, Arizona
Register for the TSG Conference
Federal partners, tribal leaders, tribal officials, and people who work closely with tribal communities are encouraged to attend this year’s Tribal Self-Governance (TSG) Conference. Note, TSG was formerly known as the Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium.
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U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit
April 14–17
Tucson, Arizona
Register for the summit
The theme of the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit is “Coming Home: Indigenous Data Governance by Us for Us.” Tribal and Indigenous leaders, Indigenous community program staff, Indigenous data-focused scholars, and policy experts are encouraged to attend. Note, sessions scheduled for Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, are open only to Indigenous people.
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Annual NCUIH Conference
April 27–30
Washington, DC
Register for the NCUIH conference
This year’s National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) conference will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Urban Indian organization (UIO) staff, health care professionals, policymakers, community leaders, and advocates are encouraged to attend. The day before the conference, NCUIH will offer training for UIO boards of directors. Additionally, UIOs are invited to participate in Capitol Hill Day, April 30.
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Native American Healthcare Conference
June 16–17
Temecula, CA
Register for the Native American Healthcare Conference
Attend the 16th annual Native American Healthcare Conference to explore treatments, technology, and future trends of tribal health care. The conference encourages those who work in the greater health care industry to attend, as well as a wide range of professionals in related industries.
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Contact us
Do you have news to share? Send it to CoveringIC@kauffmaninc.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming newsletter. Contact us with other comments or feedback, too.
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About the newsletter
Covering Indian Country is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Division of Tribal Affairs to share resources and community stories with the people who connect tribal communities to health care coverage.
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