2026 Annual Conference Awards: Nominations Now Open

NCUIH is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Annual Conference Awards, recognizing leaders whose service and vision strengthen Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) and uplift Native communities nationwide.

Each year at our Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., we honor individuals who are advancing Urban Indian health through leadership, advocacy, innovation, and long-standing commitment to community. Award categories include:

• UIO Staff Member of the Year
• UIO Visionary Award
• Urban Indian Legacy Award
• Tribal Leader Impact Award

Past honorees have included frontline staff improving access to care, executive leaders expanding culturally grounded services, and Tribal leaders whose advocacy strengthened partnerships across the Indian Health System—Indian Health Service, Tribal, and Urban. These awards recognize not just titles, but impact.

You may nominate Urban Indian Organization staff, executive leaders, Tribal leaders, or partners whose work has advanced Urban Indian health. If someone in your network is building stronger systems, protecting community health, or shaping the future of Native health policy, we encourage you to submit a nomination.

Award recipients will be recognized at the 2026 NCUIH Annual Conference alongside leaders from across Indian Country, where we gather to share strategies, elevate community priorities, and move this work forward together.

Nominations close Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Help us recognize the leaders who are strengthening Urban Indian health—submit your nomination today.