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- By Native StoryLab
Indian Country enters 2026 with renewed urgency around sovereignty, health equity, and accountability.
On the next episode of Native Bidaské, Levi Rickert sits down with A.C. Locklear (Lumbee), CEO of the National Indian Health Board, to ask what it will take to preserve and strengthen Indian health in the year ahead. The conversation airs Dec. 5 at 12 PM ET, and it’s one tribal leaders, advocates, and community members won’t want to miss.
In 2025, the National Indian Health Board helped secure key policy wins that will shape the wellbeing of Native nations for generations. Under Locklear’s leadership, NIHB established a tribal sovereignty coalition, safeguarded thousands of Indian health jobs, and advocated for the appointment of a senior advisor on Tribal health at the federal level. These weren’t small victories — they were structural. They reinforced systems that protect Native people, voices, and rights.
But success won’t happen on its own. Locklear says continued advocacy, education, and unity across nations are critical to keeping Indian health at the front of national decision-making. Tribal sovereignty isn’t a given — it’s defended. Funding isn’t automatic — it’s fought for. That’s where this discussion becomes more than an interview. It’s a look at what Indian Country must do to protect our people in 2026 and beyond.
On this episode, viewers will hear where policy is headed, where the biggest risks remain, and how Indian Country can continue pushing forward. Locklear joins Native Bidaské not just as a CEO, but as a leader, advocate, defender, and warrior for Native health. If you care about the systems that care for our communities, this conversation belongs on your calendar.
Indian health needs champions. This episode brings you one of them. Tune in — and carry the conversation forward.
Join us for this conversation on Native Bidaské
Date: Friday, December 5th, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. MT / 9:00 a.m. PT
Streaming on: Facebook, YouTube, and the Native News Online website
Help us defend tribal sovereignty.
At Native News Online, our mission is rooted in telling the stories that strengthen sovereignty and uplift Indigenous voices — not just at year’s end, but every single day.
Because of your generosity last year, we were able to keep our reporters on the ground in tribal communities, at national gatherings and in the halls of Congress — covering the issues that matter most to Indian Country: sovereignty, culture, education, health and economic opportunity.
That support sustained us through a tough year in 2025. Now, as we look to the year ahead, we need your help right now to ensure warrior journalism remains strong — reporting that defends tribal sovereignty, amplifies Native truth, and holds power accountable.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Your support keeps Native voices heard, Native stories told and Native sovereignty defended.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher