Tribal Public Health Conference – A 7th Generation and Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Collaboration

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Top 10 Art Winners

A Theme Shaped by our Community

2026 Theme: “The Vision for Generational Healing, Health, and Wellness”

Every year, our conference theme reflects the ideas, experiences, and vision that continue to shape the future of public health. This year, the theme will be revealed through two powerful sources of inspiration: featured artwork and the voices of our speakers.

Together, these creative and thought-provoking perspectives will help define the conversations, connections, and shared vision at the heart of this year’s conference. As we gather to learn from one another, we invite you to discover the story behind this year’s theme—and consider how you can help bring it to life.

Stay tuned as we unveil the theme for this year’s conference.

Featured Art Winners from TPHC 2026

TPHC 2026 Featured Art Title: “Dance On My Shoulders”

It depicts a young father giving a piggy-back ride to his son who is dressed in Choctaw young men’s regalia, with their grandmother ensuring his hat doesn’t fall. The subtle background is of an elder warrior’s gaze and woman carrying water. Social dancing for Chahtas harkens back to a time of healing, prayer, and sharing stories of love, war, and hope. Elders guide us with the vision of correctness and reverence to keep traditions alive, healthy, and fulfilling.

View the Previous Winners of our Annual 7G Awards

The 7th Generation (7G) Awards are a cornerstone of our annual public health conference, recognizing the individuals whose work is making a meaningful difference in communities across our region. Each year, we are proud to honor leaders, advocates, and practitioners who exemplify excellence, innovation, and dedication in public health.

TPHC2022 Venue Change Official Statement

Dear 2022 honored guests and attendees,

Our Tribal Public Health Conference 2022 theme, “Community: Rising to a Changing Public Health Climate,” aptly describes our experiences living through a global pandemic. For the past two years, our tribal communities have had to adapt, adjust, and rise to the challenges of a constantly changing public health climate brought about by the pandemic; yet the challenges presented opportunities for serving in innovative and creative ways. The challenges also provided opportunities to listen to our communities and respond to their needs. We at Southern Plains Tribal Health Board have had to do the same. We have been adapting, adjusting, listening, and responding, so we can continue to serve our tribal communities and partners in ways consistent with our core values of servant leadership, accountability, respect, innovation, excellence, and integrity.

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As part of our commitment to “rise to a changing public health climate,” we will be switching our 2022 Tribal Public Health Conference from a hybrid (combination of in-person and virtual presentations) to a completely virtual conference. Due to the ongoing global pandemic and the uncertainty that accompanies it, our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our tribal communities and partners; a virtual conference allows us the best opportunity to attain this priority. Rest assured: you can still expect the same high standard that is synonymous with SPTHB conferences. Our Tribal Public Health Conference 2021 was our first-ever virtual conference, and, based on the attendance and feedback, it was a success. We expect our Tribal Public Health Conference 2022 to be just as, or even more, successful.

We look forward to your attendance and participation, as together, as a community, we continue “rising to a changing public health climate.”

Nicolas Barton
SPTHB Executive Director

Tracy Prather
SPTHB-OKTEC Director

Meet Your Keynotes

Dr. Henrietta Mann

Founding President of the Cheyenne an Arapaho Tribal College (Retired) (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes)

Henrietta Mann was the first individual to occupy the Endowed Chair in Native American Studies at Montana State University, Bozeman, where…

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson

President/CEO, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (Orutsararmiut Traditional Native Council in Bethel)

Valerie Nurr’araaluk Davidson serves as President/CEO and oversees the Consortium’s governance and strategy for statewide Tribal health services that serve the…

Past Talks Spotlight

Jeremy Fields

Founder, Thrive.Unltd (Pawnee, Crow, Chickasaw)

Throughout my years working in American Native communities, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the power of relationship. From the...

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Ronnie Trentham

Seven-Time Cancer Survivor

Ronnie Trentham is a seven-time oral, head and neck cancer survivor who has spent over ten years speaking to and encouraging thousands of people across several states by telling his survivor story...

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Dr. Jeff Linkenbach

Director, The Montana Institue

Dr. Jeff Linkenbach is Founding Director & Research Scientist at The Montana Institute, who has developed national award-winning research-based programs to change norms...

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