From February 10 to February 13, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) hosted the 2025 Executive Council Winter Session (ECWS). The ECWS furthers the government-to-government relations by gathering members of U.S. Congress and the Administration alongside Tribal delegates and organizations. The ECWS came at a critical turning point as Indian Country responds to the new Trump Administration’s recent actions.
On Wednesday, February 12, National Indian Health Board (NIHB) Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) A.C. Locklear II appeared alongside National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) CEO Francys Crevier and NCUIH Vice President of Policy and Communications Meredith Raimondi for a panel on Healthcare Priorities. Locklear emphasized the importance of the federal government’s trust and treaty obligation to Tribal Nations, including the duty to provide healthcare.
NIHB staff attended several plenaries and sessions at ECWS. Plenaries featured remarks from members of Congress supporting the importance of working with Indian Country, including Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN), Representative Chuck Schumer (D-NY), among several other strong allies. Members of NIHB also attended the State of Indian Nations hearing from NCAI President Mark Macarro about the “I end how I started, by declaring as confidently as I’ve ever declared anything that the state of Indian nations is strong. We have all we need to face whatever is coming. It’s in us but we need to do it together.”
