CATAWBA INDIAN NATION, S.C. – The National Native Network (NNN) traveled to the Catawba Indian Nation near Rock Hill, South Carolina to present at the United South & Eastern Tribes (USET) annual sub-grantee meeting on March 10, 2016.

The presentation allowed the NNN to connect with USET for the first time in a formal face-to-face meeting.  According to their website, USETinc.org “USET is an inter-tribal organization with 26 federally-recognized Tribal Nation members.  While defined as a regional organization USET has developed into a nationally prominent and respected organization due to its broad policy platform and influence on the most important and critical issues facing all of Indian Country.”

“The NNN recognizes USET’s strength and is excited to begin working with USET” said Joshua Hudson, NNN Program Manager with Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and member of the Bay Mills Indian Community. He continues “the goal is to connect the resources of the NNN with the great work in health and wellness that USET is doing.”

Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan Communications Specialist and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians member Mike Willette presented on the communications efforts of the NNN.  “Our communications efforts are a key component of the NNN” said Willette.  He continues “we have such great resources through our website, social media, webinars, and e-newsletters to operate as a platform to communicate to tribal organizations and health professionals about the importance of tobacco cessation and cancer prevention among our American Indian and Alaska Native population.  These are resources that are able to be shared all throughout Indian Country.”

The NNN currently has partners across the country with California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc; Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board; and SouthEast Alaska Rural Health Consortium.

More information is available at www.KeepItSacred.org.  The NNN can also be liked at facebook.com/KeepItSacred and be followed on Twitter @KeepItSacred.

###

The National Native Network is a network of Tribes, tribal organizations and health programs working to decrease commercial tobacco use and cancer health disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) across the U.S.  We offer technical assistance, culturally relevant resources, and a place to share up-to-date information and lessons learned, as a part of a community of tribal and tribal-serving public health programs.  The National Native Network is jointly funded by the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) under Cooperative Agreement #5NU58DP004979-03-00.  The Network is administered by the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and directed by a board composed of the California Rural Indian Health Board, Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, and SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.  The NNN has more information online at www.KeepItSacred.org.  The network can be liked at www.Facebook.com/KeepItSacred and can be followed on Twitter @KeepItSacred.