Leaders of the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona met with the Indian Health Service in February 2016 as part of the negotiating process for a self-governance compact. Photo from Tohono O'odham Nation Self Governance / Facebook
The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona has signed a self-governance compact with the Indian Health Service. Beginning July 1, the tribe will take over most administrative and clinical operations at the Sells Service Unit. The agreement is the first of its kind in the Tucson Area of the IHS. “With this self-governance compact with the Tohono O’odham Nation, there will now be self-governance activities in all 12 IHS Areas for the first time which is a great accomplishment for the tribe and IHS. This is a clear realization of the vision of tribal leaders, Congress and the federal government in upholding the federal policy of self-determination,” Mary Smith, the leader of the agency, said in a press release. The Tohono O’odham Nation Legislative Council approved the compact on June 14. Chairman Edward Manuel said the tribe will be able to improve the quality of care for its people. "After many months of work with our self-governance team of the Nation and intense negotiations with IHS, we are ecstatic that the Legislative Council passed the health compact that now clears the way for the Nation to assume responsibility for its own healthcare," Manuel said in a press release. The compact covers most of the programs, services, functions and activities within the Sells Service Unit except for a few that the IHS will continue to handle. The self-governance program at the IHS includes 354 of the 567 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., according to the agency.
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