NCUIH Supports Native Community and Voter Engagement at Native Health’s National Voter Registration Day Event in Phoenix

On September 19, 2024, Native Health in Pheonix, Arizona hosted Frybread for the Future Fest, an event focused on building community and registering Arizona residents to vote. Over 500 people were in attendance and approximately 30 eligible voters registered to vote. During the event, which was hosted at the site of the former Phoenix Indian Boarding School, participants were able to check their voter registration, browse an Indigenous Market, speak with staff from Native Health and Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona, get free Native Vote swag, and enjoy homemade frybread and ice cream. The event also had traditional performances by local Tribal members. Native Health hosts hundreds of similar events each year, which play an important role in building community and provide a space for community members to stay connected to traditional cultural practices.

NCUIH staff, Chelsea Guitierrez and Emily Larsen, provided support for the event, assisting in set-up, handing out t-shirts, and clean up.

Native Health Designated as First IHS Voter Registration Site

On March 5, 2023, President Biden announced agency actions to make the voting process more accessible in alignment with recommendations made by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). This included a new initiative at the Indian Health Service (IHS) piloting “high-quality voter registration services across five different IHS facilities before the end of 2023”. The first facility to be announced under this pilot program was Native Health.

NCUIH Advocacy on Voting Efforts

In partnership with the National Urban Indian Family Council (NUIFC), NCUIH has been working with UIOs, like Native Health, to Get Out The Vote and increase Native voter participation in the 2024 election cycle. Voter information, including a social media toolkit can be found here.