- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The Tribal Medical Supplies Stockpile Access Act, legislation that would guarantee the Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal health authorities, and other Indian organizations will have access to the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has been reintroduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representatives Tom Cole (R-OK), Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus. The Strategic National Stockpile is a federal repository of drugs and medical supplies that can be tapped if and when a public health emergency exhausts local supplies.
Currently, tribal health authorities, including IHS, have limited access to the Strategic National Stockpile, and that access is not guaranteed.
“Tribes have been exercising self-governance and self-determination for hundreds of years, and tribal governments have proven time and again that we have the ability to self-govern,” said Tehassi Hill, Oneida Nation Chairman in a statement. “Given the dramatic health disparities in our communities, it is beyond the pale that we still do not have direct access to the lifesaving resources from the national stockpile. I am grateful for Senator Baldwin’s decision to support this bill. She has always been a vocal defender of our sovereignty and used her time in the Senate to address long-standing inequities such as those that would be remedied by the Tribal Medical Supplies Stockpile Access Act.”
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS), Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus.
The bill is also supported by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic demands that our tribal communities in Wisconsin have direct access to critical medical supplies, medications, and equipment that can save lives,” said Baldwin in a statement. “The Tribal Medical Supplies Stockpile Access Act will support our Native communities, prevent supply shortages, and reduce health disparities that this pandemic has exposed.”
The Tribal Medical Supplies Stockpile Access Act is supported by the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Council of Urban Indian Health, United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund, Seattle Indian Health Board, and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
