Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research

Today is OU Giving Day!

Your support is critical to building a stronger foundation for Tribal policy research. At the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research, we are expanding the depth, reach, and relevance of our work across key policy areas impacting Tribal Nations.

We invite you to support this work! Your gift helps advance our research and expand our impact in service to Tribal Nations.

Visit GiveSooner.org and give to the Native Nations Center Support Fund.

OU Giving Day is tomorrow! Your support is critical to building a stronger foundation for Tribal policy research. At the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research, we are expanding the depth, reach, and relevance of our work across key policy areas impacting Tribal Nations.

This work is shared through platforms like Sovereign Reports, Sovereign Snapshots, and SovereignCast, elevating Tribal priorities and informing decision-making. Explore our research at ou.edu/nativenationscenter/research.

We invite you to support this work on OU Giving Day tomorrow. Your gift helps advance our research and expand our impact in service to Tribal Nations.

Visit GiveSooner.org and give to the Native Nations Center Support Fund.

is 4 days away! Next Tuesday, on April 14th, we invite you to support policy research informed by Tribal priorities

Your support of the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research Support Fund directly contributes to ethical, community-centered research that responds to the needs and priorities of Tribal Nations.

Visit GiveSooner.org and give to the Native Nations Center Support Fund.

OU Giving Day is next Tuesday!

We invite you to join us on Giving Day to support Tribal policy research grounded in Tribal priorities that strengthen sovereignty and governance.

🔗 Visit: https://www.GiveSooner.org
➡️ Select Native Nations Center Support Fund

Advance our work. Support Tribal policy research. Make next week count.

SOVEREIGN REPORT! The Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research invites you to explore our new Sovereign Report!

This report examines how the Indian Health Service Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program is structured and administered, with a specific focus on how PRC affects access to cancer care for Tribal citizens. It outlines core PRC program elements—eligibility, delivery areas, authorization timelines, funding constraints, and coordination with non-IHS providers—and analyzes how these factors shape cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Drawing on federal audits, tribal testimony, and national and Oklahoma-specific cancer data, the report identifies points along the cancer care pathway where delays and gaps are most likely to occur. It concludes by presenting tribally driven, sovereignty-centered policy options to strengthen PRC processes and improve timely access to cancer care.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
A Senate committee hearing was held on February 4, 2026, for the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act of 2025 (S.699), which proposes extending the time for non-IHS care authorization from 72 hours to 15 days. This signals that the federal government and IHS recognizes the importance of tribal health programs and improving PRC access and delivery.

Read the full report here: https://ou.edu/nativenationscenter/research//prc-and-cancer

Happy Holidays from the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research!

As we reflect on this season, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Tribal Nations, partners, researchers, and community members we are honored to work alongside. This time of year reminds us of the importance of community, reflection, and renewal as we close out the year and look ahead to new beginnings.

May this holiday season bring you peace, rest, and moments of connection, and may the New Year be filled with good health, strength, and continued collaboration.

With warm holiday wishes,
The NNCTPR Team,
Tana Fitzpatrick, Director
Evelyn Cox, Research Project Manager
Grace Fox, Tribal Healthcare Policy Analyst
Quanah Yazzie, Office Manager

The Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research is proud to highlight our Tribal Healthcare Policy Analyst, Grace Fox, who recently completed the Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) National Training in Federal Way, Washington. The week-long, community-based training brought together 30 Indigenous professionals to strengthen organizing skills rooted in Indigenous knowledge and relational accountability. Grace engaged fully in the intensive sessions, built meaningful connections across Indian Country, and returned with new insights that directly support the NNCTPR’s mission.

During the training, Grace visited the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Seattle, where she met with Tribal leaders and key partners in Indian health, including Chief Sena Davis-Yesslith and A.C. Locklear. These conversations opened opportunities for future collaboration and sparked new directions for research aligned with our ongoing work. We are grateful for Grace’s commitment and look forward to integrating the knowledge gained into our projects and partnerships.

Way to go Grace!i

OU Adds First Tribal Healthcare Policy Analyst to Support ICON Grant The University of Oklahoma’s Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research recently named Grace Fox as its first tribal health care policy analyst, expanding the center’s efforts to support tribal decision-making through nonpartisan, research-driven policy analysis.

SovereignCast is officially live! Created as a gathering place for conversation, the podcast brings together leaders, experts, and community members to talk through emerging issues and opportunities. Every episode plants a seed—helping grow understanding grounded in sovereignty and the futures Tribal Nations are shaping.

In this episode of SovereignCast, we take a grounded look at the fast-growing conversation around data centers and security and what it may mean for Tribal Nations. As Tribal Nations across the country are trying to understand where AI is headed, tribes are weighing proposals, fielding questions about energy consumption and natural resources impacts, and how it will impact their lands, laws, and citizens. We let our curiosity explore these considerations and more.

Tracy Pearl, J.D., John Hassell, Ph.D., together with Evelyn Cox, Ph.D., and moderator Tana Fitzpatrick, J.D., discuss why AI’s rise has raised new environmental and legal concerns in data centers and what tribes could consider when approached about data centers. Throughout the episode, we hear both the cautions and the opportunities, such as how to evaluate impacts on water and energy and how open-source AI can support tribal data privacy, in an effort to inform tribal governance and policy. For leaders and community members navigating these fast-moving issues, this conversation offers practical insight rooted in sovereignty and long-term thinking.

For curious listeners, a resource list of the information discussed can be found on our website. Keep an eye on the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research’s website for future SovereignCasts on a variety of topics.

Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Learn more about SovereignCast: https://www.ou.edu/nativenationscenter/sovcast

On Friday, November 14th, 2025, Evelyn Cox, NNCTPR Research Project Manager, presented her research, “AI and Tribal Nations: A Literature Review for Cultural Considerations and Potential Impact,” during the 2025 ASIS&T Annual Meeting Pre-Conference Symposiums in Crystal City, VA. She shared research and findings in the morning in the form of a lightning talk at the “Past Meets Future: Human-AI Interaction, Digital Humanities, and Cultural Heritage Symposium” and then in the afternoon through a short paper presentation at the “Information Behavior Research and Practice in the Age of Human Centered Artificial Intelligence (SIG-USE) Symposium.”

Check out her latest Sovereign Snapshot here: https://www.ou.edu/nativenationscenter/research/sovereign-snapshot-ai-in-a-tribal-context

https://nativenewsonline.net/health/new-native-nations-center-for-tribal-policy-research-analyst-will-examine-cancer-disparities-in-oklahoma-tribes

New Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research Analyst Will Examine Cancer Disparities in Oklahoma Tribes The University of Oklahoma’s Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research recently named Grace Fox as its first tribal health care policy analyst.

New Sovereign Snapshot from the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research!

Evelyn Cox, Ph.D., MLIS, explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges for Tribal Nations — from governance and data sovereignty to cultural protection and innovation.

"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technology that poses potential opportunities and risks for federally recognized Indian Tribes (Tribal Nations or Tribes) and their citizens. With AI’s seemingly increasing integration into various aspects of society, nations worldwide—including Tribal Nations—are assessing its impact on the changing landscape. This Sovereign Snapshot provides an overview of the literature and publicly available data related to AI and Tribes. This article compiles data from publicly available sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, grey literature, law reviews, humanities publications, tribal journals and magazines, and websites, among other sources. Together they provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of existing literature on this topic."

Read the full publication: https://www.ou.edu/nativenationscenter/research/sovereign-snapshot-ai-in-a-tribal-context