Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Ahead of the next legislative session this month, Arizona Democratic state lawmakers held a town hall at the end of December on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP). KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (Pascua Yaqui/D-AZ), chair of the Arizona legislature’s Indigenous Peoples Caucus, made no promises. “We will not have solutions for you today.” But she and others spent three hours listening. Reva Stewart (Diné) believes families are repeatedly asked to relive their trauma by testifying with no results. “Listening without action has become a pattern. Legislation without enforcement is not protection. Taskforce without authority or accountability are not solutions. Meetings without funding are not justice.” Roxanne Barley (Cocopah) complained that criteria changed for the state’s Turquoise Alert, originally designed to notify the public of Indigenous disappearances. Of the five alerts in 2025, only one was for a Native American – a teen in Yuma. “That was the lie that we were promised, that was the hoax that we were told.” But State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie (Diné/D-AZ) explained how lawmakers negotiated and compromised. “And that is the ugly truth of politics.” Alaska state health officials are still recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns, despite a recent, controversial change in federal guidance. The virus has historically seriously impacted Alaska Native communities. Alaska Public Media’s Rachel Cassandra has more. Hepatitis B is a virus spread through bodily fluids and from mother to baby during childbirth. Historically, Alaska has had high rates of hepatitis B, especially among Alaska Native people. In the 1970s, widespread infection led to high rates of liver cancer in Alaska Native children. State Epidemiology Chief Dr. Joe McLaughlin says screening and vaccinations have helped reduce rates of hepatitis B in the state. And McLaughlin says the vaccine is still important in Alaska, which has struggled with high rates of chronic hepatitis B. “This universal birth dosing helps to ensure every baby receives protection, regardless of their location or access to care or any follow-up challenges that they might have, this approach has definitely helped reduce disparities in hepatitis B outcomes across Alaska for decades.” Public health experts credit the vaccine with dramatically lowering the risk of developing chronic hepatitis B, serious liver diseases, and liver cancer. For over three decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all babies across the country get the vaccine at birth. Then, last month, the CDC narrowed its guidance, recommending the vaccine only for infants born to women who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown. The guidance says women who test negative should consult with a health care provider before vaccinating their newborn, but McLaughlin emphasizes that the CDC also acknowledged that each state has to consider its own hepatitis B rates and risk factors. “Alaska, where the rates are nearly three times the national average, clearly falls into a higher-risk category as a state in general. And our data support continuing universal birth dose vaccination to protect infants in Alaska.” Health insurers have said they will continue to cover the hepatitis B vaccine.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, January 6, 2026 — The Pleiades star cluster ushers in winter story season