Dear NIH Family,

The National Institutes of Health expresses gratitude and appreciation for the contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) during National Native American Heritage Month (NNAHM). Throughout the month of November, we honor the diverse histories of AI/AN peoples and reaffirm NIH’s commitment to improving the health and advancement of AI/AN peoples.

This year, the theme of NNAHM is Developing Native Leaders to Create a Better Tomorrow. NIH is committed to building a strong community of AI/AN researchers and expanding scientific knowledge to improve the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. On November 18, the NIH Tribal Health Research Office will host a guest lecture by Dr. Melissa Walls, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who will describe trajectories of early life course substance use, mental health challenges, and enduring mental health among Indigenous people in North America.

For additional information about NNAHM, as well as other information concerning the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s (EDI) Native American Portfolio, please visit the Native American Portfolio Page, as we continue to build a community that includes and celebrates diversity and inclusion 365 days a year. Stay informed by connecting with EDI on social media to learn about diversity-related initiatives at NIH. I encourage all of us to support the work of the EDI Native American Portfolio to ensure NIH is truly inclusive.

NIH remains committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity in our research and workspaces. Through the important work of EDI, we continue our goal of fostering an environment where diverse talent is leveraged to advance health discovery and innovation.

Sincerely yours,

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director

Do you have a story idea for us? Do you want to submit a guest blog? If it's about equity, diversity, or inclusion, please submit to edi.stories@nih.gov.

For news, updates, and videos, follow or subscribe to EDI on: Twitter, Instagram, Blog, YouTube.