Tribes and Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHP) are critical public health partners of CDPHE. As a Colorado state agency, CDPHE interacts with Tribes on a government-to-government basis, coordinates with the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, and works to engage the American Indian/Alaska Native population throughout the state on issues of public and environmental health. The Tribal Relations Unit at CDPHE promotes sovereignty-affirming practices and builds partnerships with Tribes and Native communities to improve health outcomes in Colorado.
CDPHE approaches work with Tribal partners according to these values:
- Respecting and honoring Tribal sovereignty rights
- Practicing and encouraging cultural humility
- Actionable and ethical movement to address health inequities among Indigenous populations in Colorado
- Empowering Indigenous Voices and perspectives in public health in Colorado
- Ongoing partnership and collaboration with Tribes and Native communities
In 2011, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment entered into a Tribal Consultation Agreement with the two Ute Tribes in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Colorado Department of Human Services are also signed onto this agreement.
Tribal Governments in Colorado
Additional Resources
- Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs
- Denver Indian Health and Family Services
- Urban Indian Health Institute
- The Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC)
For more information or about Tribal partnerships at CDPHE, please contact CDPHE_TribalPartners@state.co.us or Rachel Bryan-Auker, CDPHE Tribal Liaison, at rachel.bryan-auker@state.co.us.