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North Sound ACH

North Sound Accountable Community of Health

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Tribal Sovereignty

Sovereignty is a legal term for a fundamental yet complex political agreement – meaning to have the authority to self-govern. Since our founding, North Sound ACH embeds Tribal Sovereignty as a core value and organizing principle in our work to achieve health equity, belonging, and a thriving region.

Non-governmental organizations and agencies benefit from having a groundwork understanding of tribal sovereignty and how it impacts the daily lives of American Indian/Alaska Natives, in order to better understand where their organization can address the inequitable health disparities of the original inhabitants of the U.S.

How We Do the Work 

  • – A staff Tribal Liaison
  • – A seat on our Board of Directors for each tribal nation in our region – eight board seats in total
  • – A Tribal Alignment Committee within our board 
  • – Strong partnerships with Native-led organizations in our region such as: Northwest Washington Indian Health Board, Setting Sun Circle, Coast Salish Youth Coalition, and others.

How We Work Together

North Sound ACH staff and our Board of Directors commit to ongoing collaboration with tribal nations through consultation, decision-making power, joint projects and more.

  • – Asking for a tribal welcome for each Partner Convening
  • – Supporting the Intertribal Youth Council Coalition 
  • – Tribal Relations training by county 
  • – Expansion of the Dental Therapy program at Skagit Valley College with Didgʷálič Center (Swinomish Wellness Center) – The Root of Dental Care podcast episode
  • – Tribal Wellness Film Series – with Setting Sun Circle, each tribe chose the topic they wanted to showcase about their health and well-being

A land acknowledgement is an important initial step that organizations can take in recognizing the true history of the U.S. and the resiliency of Native populations, despite historic and current extreme disparities in Native communities. North Sound ACH adopted a land acknowledgement statement in 2018 – created collaboratively and in partnership with the Tribal Alignment committee, organization leadership, and the Tribal Liaison.

We acknowledge, with humility, that the land of the North Sound ACH region today is the territory of the People of the Salish Sea. Their presence is imbued in the waterways, shorelines, valleys, and mountains of the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish People, since time immemorial.