PRESS RELEASE: NCUIH Honors Representatives Raul Ruiz, M.D. and Don Bacon, Senators Markwayne Mullin and Ben Ray Luján

NCUIH recognized the Members of Congress for their work in advancing the health of Native people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2024) –  The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) presented four Congressional Urban Indian Health Champion Awards to Members of Congress for their efforts to advance urban Indian health during its 2024 Annual Conference: Sustaining Traditions: Culture, Identity, Health.

Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA-25), Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), were recognized as Members of Congress who have demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership in advocating for the advancement and improvement of urban Native health and health care. These individuals have gone above and beyond in their efforts to champion legislation, policies, and initiatives that promote the health, welfare, and rights of urban Native peoples, and have a proven track record of collaboration, bipartisan cooperation, and effectiveness in advancing legislative agendas that address critical issues relating to urban Native health. NCUIH thanks the awardees for their dedication to upholding the federal trust and treaty obligation to provide healthcare services to all American Indian and Alaska Native people, regardless of where they reside.

Pictured: Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D. with NCUIH CEO Francys Crevier, and UIO Representatives from California.

Pictured: Homles Whalen, Senior Counsel for Senator Markwayne Mullin with NCUIH CEO Francys Crevier, CEO of the Indian Health Care Resource Center Carmelita Skeeter, and NCUIH President-Elect Robyn Sunday-Allen.

Pictured: Calli Shapiro, Senior Policy Counsel for Ben Ray Luján with NCUIH Board Member Dr. Linda Son-Stone, and NCUIH CEO Francys Crevier.

Pictured: Representative Don Bacon with Cheryl Carlberg, Omaha Clinic Director at the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, and NCUIH Staff.

About NCUIH

The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) is a national representative advocating for the 41 Urban Indian Organizations contracting with the Indian Health Service under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. NCUIH is devoted to the support and development of quality, accessible, and culturally competent health and public health services for American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban areas.

NCUIH respects and supports Tribal sovereignty and the unique government-to-government relationship between our Tribal Nations and the United States. NCUIH works to support those federal laws, policies, and procedures that respect and uplift Tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government relationship. NCUIH does not support any federal law, policy, or procedure that infringes upon or in any way diminishes Tribal sovereignty or the government-to-government relationship.

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NCUIH Contact: Meredith Raimondi, Vice President of Policy and Communications, mraimondi@ncuih.org, 202-417-7781