November is Native American Heritage Month and we are recognizing the contributions of our staff and the efforts made by ADHS to positively impact the health of our tribal members.
Efforts to establish a formal date recognizing the contributions, achievements, sacrifices, and cultural and historical legacy of Native Americans have spanned decades. The work began in the early 1900s by proponents Dr. Arthur Caswell Parker (a member of the Seneca Nation) and Reverend Red Fox James.
The efforts for a formal recognition continued up through 1976 when Senate Joint Resolution 209 authorized the proclamation of Native American Awareness Week from Oct. 10 to 16. It was later expanded to a full month in 1990.
The effort to establish Native American Heritage Month bears many similarities to the Native American experience. In the face of adversity and obstacles, tribal nations and their peoples’ persistence, resilience, cumulative knowledge, and efforts across generations have accomplished incredible things.
ADHS has a dedicated role for a tribal liaison who works directly with Arizona’s 22 tribal nations and that position was held for nearly 20 years by Michael Allison who helped ADHS foster these partnerships. Michael has since retired and we are excited to welcome Gerilene Haskon to the role.
In our next blog, learn more about Gerilene’s background and why she has taken on this role to promote public health within these communities.
