Red Star International and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board want to thank everyone who attended the National Tribal Forum for Excellence in Community Health Practice on August 30-31, 2016 in Spokane, Washington. Over 150 participants attended, representing over 30 tribes, 40 tribal and urban Indian organizations, and 12 federal, state and national programs and organizations. Click the link below to access forum presentations and information.

Forum Presentations

Building an indigenous community of practice in public health is a process of collaboration, cultivation and an intentional sharing of knowledge to achieve common goals. Read more about how we built a community of practice at the forum.

Read More

Red Star International, Inc.  was awarded a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to develop a public health institute to improve health among Native communities.  After completing a four-year examination of the potential roles for a tribal public health institute (TPHI) to improve health among American Indian and Alaska Native communities in the U.S.  The field of public health has identified public health institutes (PHIs) as an effective and complementary means of building local and state governmental infrastructure and capacity to improve health outcomes. A Native focused PHI could support the Tribal and Urban Indian public health stakeholders in much the same manner, but in a way that honors indigenous values and methodologies.  Learn more about the project process and outcomes, including what we learned from Tribal and Urban Indian stakeholders from across the nation.

Learn More

Since 2007, Red Star has operated as a Native-owned small business and social enterprise providing public health services with Tribal Nations and Organizations in the United States (U.S.).  In 2011, our work extended beyond the U.S. mainland to include partnerships in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand.  Given our geographic expansion, we reevaluated our current structure and made the decision to become a 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving indigenous communities internationally. Self-determination and the promotion of healthy and vibrant Indigenous communities are at the very heart of everything we do. Over the last seven years, profits have been reinvested back into communities through resources and services.  This type of reinvestment is what a non-profit is all about and reflects how Red Star operates.  It also aligns with our social objectives of strengthening the role of sovereignty to improve community health.  The communities we serve will benefit in the following ways:

• Reduce the financial burden of contract services by grant seeking.
• Foster international indigenous exchange to promote traditional practices, wellness models, and approaches to improving health.
• Increase the availability and accessibility to training, educational materials, resource guides, and other technical assistance.
• Develop innovative partnerships to achieve shared goals.

We are excited about the new year and our new direction!  We are grateful to the many organizations, communities, and individuals we have worked with since we started.  Our hope is to continue working together in new and innovative ways!