September 2023
NASH RANCH MUD RUN IS CONQUERED BY THE REDDING RANCHERIA REDDING RANCHERIA
Health and Wellness are an important aspect of the work we do here at the Redding Rancheria. It is embedded into our culture to care for ourselves as well as others. We regularly promote and include our tribal member’s and employees in health & wellness events. As they journey towards a better version of themselves, we know that having others to encourage you and are on the same paths, truly makes a difference in achieving their goals. One of the events we sponsor and encourage them to participate in is the Nash Ranch Mud Run! WHY DO WE DO THAT???? We know that healthy living can be fun, it can be exciting, and it can be whatever works for us as individuals. The Mud Run is challenging, its muddy, and it is FUN FOR KIDS & ADULTS!!! Nothing beats getting down and mucky with your team. Working together and doing what it takes to overcome and reach the FINISH LINE! We are proud to play our part! We cannot wait until next year!
REDDING RANCHERIA WELCOMES “LEADERSHIP REDDING CLASS OF 2024.” REDDING RANCHERIA On Thursday, September 21, the Redding Rancheria welcomed the Leadership Redding Class of 2024 to share the history of the Redding Rancheria. Our Chief Executive Officer Tracy Edwards welcomed the class with a traditional native greeting! In a traditional greeting, one would introduce their great grandparents, grandparents, and parents. People’s perceptions of you are based on the deeds of your ancestors. Tracy Edwards, dressed in full traditional regalia, took questions, shared her experience growing up and working for the Redding Rancheria. Tracy introduced the award-winning documentary “With the Strength of our Ancestor’s”, which gives a detailed history of the foundation of the Redding Rancheria Tribe, the building of the first casino, and many more historical events for the tribe. Michael Kelly, Administrative Assistant for the Cultural Department, gave a presentation on the art of basket weaving and even shared examples that are almost 150 years old. Michael shared many different types of baskets and the purposes behind them. The class got to see, touch, and smell, actual basketry. The morning concluded by taking a walk along the Redding Rancheria Interpretative trail. This well maintained trail ebs and flows along “Clear Creek”. The same place that fed the past tribal members still provides for the current generation. Along the trail, you will find signs that tell the stories of the local animals in the area. At the end of the trail comes the Redding Rancheria Arbor! A special place created for ceremonies and rites of passage! We are honored to have Leadership Redding visit us each year. The support and connections made through Leadership Redding have helped the tribe as well as our community! Leadership Redding is the BEST CLASS EVER!
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SMALL CHANGE DONATION –HAPPY VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE
WIN-RIVER RESORT & CASINO
Thank you for all of our Guests at Win-River Resort & Casino for helping us donate to different non-profits and schools. Each month we are able to offer a donation because of your support and caring hearts. For the month of September, we awarded $2345.57 to the Happy Valley Little League! Here is to helping our youth achieve their dreams and more! We are proud to play our part!
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WELCOME TO THE TRIBE –DR. SARA NOPWASKEY REDDING RANCHERIA TRIBAL
Born and raised locally, I attended Simpson University for my undergraduate and received my Master’s Degree from Samuel Merritt University. I have worked in medicine for almost 20 years and originally started my career in medicine as an LVN. My bachelor’s is in psychology and I have a passion for mental health as well as primary care. I love singing and playing music, hiking, biking, and being outside. It is important for me to be a part of a team who is dedicated to serving others as well as one who supports a healthy work-life balance. I believe I have found that here at the Rancheria and am so grateful to be a part of this organization.
WELCOME TO THE TRIBE –DR. VILLALOBOS REDDING RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH SYSTEM “I’m originally from Woodland CA but have lived in Redding for the last 23 years. My wife and I have two young girls who attend RSA and UPREP. I completed medical school at Medical College of Wisconsin and residency here in Redding in Family Medicine. I specialize in HIV medicine but also enjoy urgent care and dermatology. My hobbies include running, reading, and traveling. I’m excited to be joining the Rancheria family!”
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WELCOME TO THE TRIBE –DR. SHARMA
REDDING RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH SYSTEM “It is an honor and a privilege to work for Redding Rancheria as a Family Medicine Physician. I would love to share a bit more about myself. I have always had a passion for underserved care, which is derived from my background. My mother came to the United States with $100 in her pocket and two daughters. Initially, we had no health insurance and struggled to find affordable healthcare. Witnessing these experiences as a child further fueled my passion for pursuing medicine. I went to medical school at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. I enjoyed learning about specialty care and by working at a world-renowned facility; I was able to see cuttingedge medicine in action. However, my passion was underserved medicine, which is why I chose a Family Medicine Residency at MetroHealth Hospital with Case Western Reserve University. As a resident, I continued to learn about issues plaguing our society while serving as a leader within my community. I want you to know that I am extremely invested in not only the health of my patients, but also the community in which they reside. I have worked diligently to foster leadership in those around me and nurture the qualities of a good Family Physician. Growing up with domestic violence and poverty at a young age has allowed me to empathize with others and taught me the importance of creating a strong foundation of support for my patients. As a Family Physician, I prioritize communication and shared decision-making while combining research, education, and humanity in order to deliver hands-on, compassionate care. As someone who has been a part of the underserved population, I know how difficult it is to seek care and I am so grateful that you are entrusting me with the gift of caring for you and your families.” 5
RETURNING OF ANCESTRAL ARTIFACTS REDDING RANCHERIA It is my hope not to dwell on the long-ago anguished cries of my ancestors when advocating for the return of their remains to present-day tribal members. Rather, I want to hear my ancestors’ voices in song because they have finally received their due. Such were my thoughts during a recent trip to UC Berkeley where I had come to argue for the repatriation of my ancestral tribal members. Institutions like Berkeley acquired these remains and artifacts through purchase, gifts or the work of faculty such as archaeological digs. I still struggle to understand why my ancestors were not afforded respectful burial, many of them going back to the 19th or early 20th centuries. I try to understand why their remains are still stored in boxes on shelves or stuffed into closets like old forgotten souvenirs or keepsakes. A universal right of all people dating to ancient times is burying their own according to the traditions of their culture and faith. Governments or ruling authorities do not deny loved ones this fundamental symbol of respect for those who have passed away, with rare exceptions such as during wartime or political upheavals or as gestures of dire punishment and contempt. Yet, California Native Americans continue to be denied this basic right by our state university systems. Four years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom formally apologized to the state’s First People “for the many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect California inflicted on tribes.” California is making progress toward improving its relationship with the state’s tribal nations. Yet, on one vital issue, little or no progress has been made: the repatriation of incredibly vast numbers of Native American human remains and artifacts in the possession of state universities in continuing violation of decades-old federal and state laws. The federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), passed in 1990, requires return of human remains and items to appropriate tribes. A California counterpart, CalNAGPRA, was enacted in 2001. Yet, as we learned from three state audit reports released in 2020, 2021 and this past June, the UC and California State University systems have done precious little to honor the laws’ requirements. The CSU system has returned only 6% of the almost 700,000 remains and objects in its possession, according to the auditor’s most recent report.
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RETURNING OF ANCESTRAL ARTIFACTS REDDING RANCHERIA Some CSU campuses have not even completed the inventory process. Others have returned a few collections, but not followed the NAGPRA process. The CSU and UC systems are not alone in breaking federal law. Harvard University, the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History and other prestigious institutions continue delaying the return of ancestral remains and artifacts.Whether the obstinate refusal to comply with NAGPRA or CalNAGPRA is due to lack of funding or staff, fear about losing control of research, misplaced academic or scientific fervor,or dismissiveness of the laws and rights protecting Native Americans, the underlying message to me and other tribal people is that we don’t have the same fundamental right to bury our dead as others. The mentality that Native Americans are somehow “less than” permits the grave robbing and looting of human remains and the despoiling and plunder of countless sacred sites. It is this same mentality that spawned the creation of oppressive boarding schools and forced cultural assimilation. It also resulted in the denial of citizenship for Native Americans and our right to vote, and the uninformed sterilization of Native women through the ’70s. Trust in the sincerity of the state’s apology to its First People cannot occur until the remains are returned for proper interment. It is long past time to expedite the return of human remains held by the UC and CSU systems so healing and celebration can finally be realized in California Indian Country. wJack Potter Jr. is tribal chairman of the Redding Rancheria Tribal Council, a federally recognized tribe of the Pit River, Wintu and Yana people. THIS IS AN OP-ED that appeared in the Sacramento BEE Newspaper 7
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Join us for an 8-week relapse prevention support group
FUN IN RECOVERY Fun in Recovery is a weekly psychotherapy style group focusing on relapse prevention, healing from addiction, and maintaining a healthy, sober lifestyle!
Topics include: Grounding, Self-Care and Coping Skills Healthy Relationships and Communication Relapse Prevention Planning and Goal Setting Wednesdays at 2:00 – 2:50 PM 3184 Churn Creek Road Redding CA 96002 For start dates, and to register for the next session talk with your provider
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REDDING RANCHERIA’S EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
Jennifer Woolf
Please help us Congratulate
She is a person who makes
Jennifer Woolf, she is the
you feel like you have been
Employee of the month for
heard, and takes genuine
September 2023! Jennifer
interest in others. We
received this award for
appreciate Jennifer Woolf
the following reasons.
for professionalism and
She has a warm, positive
dedication to the Redding
disposition with new and
Rancheria Tribal Health
old colleagues and adds
System and the Rancheria
ample humor to most
as a whole! Thank you for
interactions. Jennifer
proudly playing your part!
demonstrates a high level of adaptability to schedule/
September 2023
staff changes. She takes new protocols or assigned support roles in stride.
Congratulations Jennifer!!!
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it” -Helen Keller
Open to all Churn Creek Recovery Patients
When: Thursdays Seeking Safety is an 8-week trauma-informed psychotherapy style group treatment for substance abuse with safety as the primary goal Topics may include: o Grounding & Mindfulness o Asking for Help o Compassion o Recovery Thinking o Red and Green Flags o Commitment o Healthy Relationships o Healing from Anger o Creating Meaning
9:00 – 9:50 am
Where: Churn Creek Healthcare 3184 Churn Creek Rd. Redding, CA 96002
For start dates, and to register for the next session, talk with your Recovery Provider today!
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Attention Business Owners DEAR REDDING RANCHERIA TRIBAL MEMBER Many of you own your own business and know that advertising is very important. We are dedicating a page just for you to advertise. Send in your business card for us to feature you in our monthly newsletter. This will help all readers know that your business is important to us and help you gain more customers.
Contact Maria Orozco at 530-242-4516 or at Maria.Orozco@reddingrancheria-nsn.gov