Introduction
The Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) is a public health research, epidemiology, and technical assistance organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities across the United States. Established as a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB), UIHI works to address health disparities, strengthen Indigenous public health infrastructure, improve health data collection, and promote culturally responsive health programs. Its work combines Indigenous knowledge, community-based research, epidemiological analysis, evaluation, and public health education to support evidence-based decisions that benefit Native communities.
UIHI is particularly recognized for its commitment to Indigenous data sovereignty, culturally grounded research, chronic disease prevention, and the development of public health resources. Through research projects, technical assistance, training, and community grant programs, the organization supports urban Native-serving organizations in designing and implementing initiatives that reflect the needs, cultures, and priorities of the communities they serve.
Key facts about Urban Indian Health Institute
-
Organization name: Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI).
-
Parent organization: Seattle Indian Health Board.
-
Headquarters: 611 12th Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98144, United States.
-
Primary focus: Indigenous public health, epidemiology, health equity, research, and data sovereignty.
-
Main beneficiaries: Urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities and organizations serving these populations.
-
Core activities: Public health research, data analysis, health education, technical assistance, training, and community grantmaking.
History and Background
Origins and Organizational Development
Urban Indian Health Institute was established as a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board, a community health organization serving urban Native populations. UIHI operates within the broader network of Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs), which support public health research, surveillance, disease prevention, and health information services for American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Unlike many Tribal Epidemiology Centers that primarily serve tribal communities within specific geographic regions, UIHI focuses on the health needs of urban AI/AN populations nationwide. Its work recognizes that Native people living in cities may experience distinct barriers to healthcare, culturally appropriate services, accurate demographic representation, and access to public health resources.
Evolution of Its Public Health Work
Over time, UIHI has developed research, data, and community-support activities that address emerging public health priorities. Its work includes chronic disease prevention, COVID-19 information and response, health data quality, violence prevention, community health profiles, and culturally appropriate health communication.
The organization also supports urban Indian organizations through grants, evaluation assistance, training, and technical guidance. These activities help community organizations build sustainable programs while strengthening the evidence available to policymakers, public health practitioners, and Indigenous communities.
UIHI’s approach emphasizes that Indigenous communities should participate meaningfully in determining how information about their populations is collected, interpreted, shared, and used. This principle is central to its work on decolonizing data and advancing Indigenous-led public health research.
Mission and Purpose
UIHI’s mission centers on improving the health of urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities through Indigenous-led research, accurate data, culturally grounded public health initiatives, and community capacity building.
Core Objectives
-
Advance Indigenous data sovereignty: Promote Indigenous authority, participation, and decision-making in the collection, interpretation, management, and use of health data.
-
Address health disparities: Identify and help address differences in health outcomes, healthcare access, and public health services affecting urban Native populations.
-
Strengthen public health infrastructure: Support urban Indian organizations in developing sustainable programs, evaluation systems, and community health initiatives.
-
Promote chronic disease prevention: Encourage prevention, education, management, and wellness programs addressing conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.
-
Improve health information: Produce research reports, community health profiles, data visualizations, and public health resources that help communities understand health needs.
-
Provide technical assistance and training: Build the skills of public health professionals and community organizations in research, evaluation, data interpretation, and health communication.
-
Support culturally responsive healthcare: Integrate Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and community priorities into public health programming.
Commitment to Indigenous-Led Research
A defining feature of UIHI’s approach is its recognition of research and data as Indigenous values. Rather than treating communities solely as sources of information, the organization emphasizes community knowledge, participation, cultural context, and the responsible use of data.
This approach helps address the underrepresentation or misclassification of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in public health datasets. More accurate information can support better resource allocation, more appropriate interventions, and improved understanding of health inequalities.
Governance and Structure
Organizational Structure
UIHI operates as a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board and functions as one of the Tribal Epidemiology Centers supported by the Indian Health Service (IHS). Its organizational structure combines public health research expertise with community-focused program delivery and technical support.
Its multidisciplinary workforce includes professionals working in areas such as epidemiology, research, data analysis, evaluation, communications, design, and public health programming. The organization reports having more than 25 professionals, with a high proportion of staff identifying as American Indian and/or Alaska Native.
Leadership and Oversight
UIHI’s leadership operates within the wider organizational structure of the Seattle Indian Health Board.
-
Abigail Echo-Hawk, MA (Pawnee): Director of Urban Indian Health Institute and Executive Vice President of the Seattle Indian Health Board.
-
Esther Lucero, MPP (Diné): President and Chief Executive Officer of the Seattle Indian Health Board.
The organization also uses program-specific review processes to guide funding decisions. For its Community Grants Program, applications undergo eligibility screening, substantive review of project proposals and budgets, technical assessment, and consensus-based decision-making involving the grants committee and UIHI leadership.
Partnerships and Collaboration
UIHI collaborates with urban Indian organizations, tribal-serving nonprofits, public health agencies, researchers, and other community partners. These relationships help identify local health priorities, share public health expertise, and develop interventions suited to the circumstances of individual communities.
Its collaborative model is particularly important because urban Native communities differ in geographic location, cultural practices, demographics, healthcare infrastructure, and available services. Programs are therefore encouraged to reflect local circumstances rather than follow a single uniform model.
Funding and Grants
UIHI’s funding activities combine public health initiatives supported by external funders with grant programs that provide financial assistance to eligible urban Native-serving organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supported its chronic disease prevention work, while the Indian Health Service supports the broader Tribal Epidemiology Center network. Specific funding sources vary by program and grant cycle.
Community Grants Program
UIHI’s Community Grants Program supports culturally grounded chronic disease prevention and health promotion initiatives among urban American Indian and Alaska Native populations. It aims to strengthen community public health infrastructure and encourage the use of Indigenous methodologies, frameworks, and evaluation practices.
The program includes the following opportunities:
Sage Grants
Sage Grants support public health programs focused on chronic disease prevention and management. For the 2026–2027 funding cycle, eligible organizations can receive awards of up to $67,836. Proposed activities should demonstrate how Indigenous cultural knowledge and community priorities will inform chronic disease education, prevention, management, or survivorship.
Sweetgrass Grants
Sweetgrass Grants support smaller, culturally grounded public health initiatives. For the 2026–2027 cycle, UIHI lists awards of up to $10,000, with the program page describing up to four grants. Eligible projects may preserve traditional wellness knowledge, develop health education activities, or promote Indigenous approaches to chronic disease prevention and management.
Decolonizing Data Grants
Decolonizing Data Grants support cultural restoration, Indigenous data stewardship, and collaborative partnerships. The Community Grants Program page lists awards of up to $5,000 for eligible projects. Applicants should consult the official program page for the latest application status and requirements.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
Eligibility varies by funding opportunity, but UIHI’s community grant programs are primarily intended for organizations serving urban Native communities.
Eligible applicants for the 2026–2027 Sage and Sweetgrass opportunities may include:
-
Urban Indian Organizations or Title V programs as defined by the Indian Health Service.
-
Organizations belonging to the National Urban Indian Family Coalition.
-
Certain nonprofit urban Indian organizations with majority urban Indian leadership and board representation and a mission focused on public health services for urban Native populations, subject to program-specific review.
Applicants may be required to submit an application, project work plan, budget worksheet, and budget justification. Participation in evaluation activities, technical assistance, or community-of-practice meetings may also be required, depending on the grant.
For the 2026–2027 Sage and Sweetgrass funding cycle, the published application deadline is November 30, 2026. Organizations should verify the current guidance, eligibility criteria, and submission instructions directly with UIHI before applying.
How Grant Funding Can Be Used
Allowable expenses depend on the grant’s specific rules. Under the published Sage and Sweetgrass guidance, eligible project costs may include:
-
Personnel expenses and salaries associated with project activities.
-
Travel required for program implementation.
-
Supplies and services needed to carry out approved activities.
-
Certain indirect costs, subject to the applicable grant conditions.
These opportunities generally do not permit grant funds to be used for clinical care, research, or the purchase of furniture, equipment, or clinic and patient supplies. Applicants should review the relevant request for applications (RFA) to confirm all restrictions before preparing a budget.
Funding Sources and Sustainability
UIHI’s chronic disease prevention initiatives have received support from the CDC, including its National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Its role in federally supported public health initiatives has included distributing subawards, providing training and technical assistance, and supporting evaluation.
Grant funding enables participating organizations to develop programs tailored to local needs. However, individual awards are program-specific, and funding amounts, eligibility conditions, and application deadlines may change between cycles.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
UIHI works with urban Native-serving organizations to address chronic diseases and improve community wellness. Program priorities have included diabetes prevention, heart disease and stroke prevention, healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco-use reduction, and culturally appropriate health education.
The organization encourages grantees to integrate Indigenous knowledge and locally relevant practices into their programs. This helps connect public health recommendations with the cultural traditions and lived experiences of the people participating in them.
Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC)
Through the CDC-supported Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country initiative, UIHI has contributed to efforts to reduce chronic disease and strengthen wellness programs among American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
During the 2019–2024 funding cycle, UIHI provided subawards and support for organizations working on chronic disease prevention. Its activities included training, technical assistance, evaluation support, and community grantmaking. Program areas included obesity, commercial tobacco use, diabetes, and heart disease and stroke.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Decolonizing Data
UIHI develops research and resources addressing the quality, representation, and responsible use of Indigenous health data. This work is intended to help communities exercise greater authority over how information about their populations is collected, interpreted, and shared.
Its broader data-related activities include:
-
Developing community health profiles and public health reports.
-
Examining racial and ethnic data collection and reporting practices.
-
Creating data visualizations and accessible research resources.
-
Supporting community-centered research and evaluation.
-
Promoting more accurate representation of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in public health information systems.
COVID-19 Public Health Resources
UIHI has published COVID-19-related information and resources for tribes, urban Indian organizations, and Native communities. Its work has included information about COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, public health response, and the quality of race-specific data.
These activities reflect the importance of reliable data and accessible health communication during public health emergencies, particularly when communities face barriers to accurate representation in official statistics.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Work
UIHI also contributes to work addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis. Its resources include training and tools for law enforcement on collecting race and ethnicity data for American Indian and Alaska Native people, alongside materials intended to support meaningful action.
This work highlights the relationship between accurate demographic information, public safety, visibility, and the development of appropriate responses to violence affecting Indigenous communities.
Training, Technical Assistance, and Public Health Capacity Building
UIHI provides technical assistance to organizations seeking help with public health programming, evaluation, data interpretation, data visualization, data acquisition, budget consultation, and survey development.
Its training activities have covered chronic disease prevention, community needs assessments, Indigenous evaluation, and health communication. These services help community organizations strengthen their technical capacity and make more effective use of available health information.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
UIHI’s impact can be understood through its contributions to community grantmaking, public health infrastructure, Indigenous data practices, and culturally grounded prevention programs.
Community Grants for Chronic Disease Prevention
UIHI’s Community Grants Program has provided funding to urban Native-serving organizations to develop and sustain public health initiatives.
For the 2020–2021 funding cycle of the Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country initiative, UIHI reported distributing $553,561 to six urban Native organizations for chronic disease prevention. The listed awardees included NATIVE HEALTH in Phoenix, the American Indian Community House in New York, the Minneapolis American Indian Center, the Native American Health Center in Oakland, the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, and the Sacramento Native American Health Center.
This funding illustrates how a national public health initiative can support locally delivered programs while accounting for the differing needs of urban Native communities.
2026 Sweetgrass Grant Awardees
In May 2026, UIHI announced its 2026 Sweetgrass Grant awardees. The announcement highlighted six organizations receiving support for culturally grounded public health programming. One example was Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which continued its Storykeepers Lodge: Well Wisdom documentary project.
The project involves recording interviews and a panel discussion with Elders, preserving and sharing traditional wellness knowledge, and using these materials to promote culturally grounded chronic disease prevention and management. This example demonstrates how grant-funded activities can combine cultural preservation, intergenerational knowledge sharing, and public health education.
Improving Public Health Data Quality
UIHI’s work on Indigenous data sovereignty and public health reporting addresses the challenges created when American Indian and Alaska Native populations are undercounted, misclassified, or inadequately represented in datasets.
More accurate information can help public health organizations understand community needs, identify disparities, and design interventions based on stronger evidence. It can also improve the ability of Indigenous communities to participate in decisions affecting their health and well-being.
Strengthening Community Organizations
Through grants, training, and technical assistance, UIHI helps urban Native-serving organizations improve program planning, implementation, and evaluation. This support can strengthen their ability to identify priorities, develop measurable objectives, assess results, and pursue sustainable approaches to community wellness.
The organization also encourages collaboration between community groups and public health partners, enabling local knowledge and professional expertise to inform program design.
Long-Term Significance
UIHI’s contribution extends beyond individual grants or research reports. By combining Indigenous-led research, community funding, public health education, and data capacity building, it supports a broader approach to health equity.
Its work reinforces the importance of culturally appropriate interventions, community participation, accurate data, and sustainable public health infrastructure. Although the effects of individual programs vary and require evaluation, these activities provide resources for urban Native communities to address health priorities in ways that reflect their own knowledge and circumstances.
Conclusion
The Urban Indian Health Institute is an important Indigenous public health organization working to improve health outcomes among urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities in the United States. As a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board and a Tribal Epidemiology Center, it combines epidemiological research, Indigenous data sovereignty, chronic disease prevention, technical assistance, training, and community grantmaking.
Its Sage Grants, Sweetgrass Grants, and Decolonizing Data Grants provide opportunities for eligible organizations to strengthen public health programming, preserve Indigenous knowledge, and address locally identified health needs. Its wider initiatives also contribute to health data quality, public health preparedness, and culturally responsive health communication.
For nonprofit organizations, urban Indian health programs, researchers, and public health professionals, UIHI offers a relevant example of how Indigenous-led research and community-based funding can support health equity and stronger public health systems.
Organizations interested in its research, programs, or funding opportunities should consult the official website for current information.
For more information, visit here.
