Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Neil W. McCabe | In the Chumash language, “Haku Haku” means a welcoming hello to you.... read more read more
SANTA YNEZ, Calif. - Army Reserve Medical Command Soldiers began a series of two-week rotations supporting the health clinic operated by the Santa Ynez band of the Chumash Indian Tribe here that continues through the summer of 2014.
The Soldiers are assigned to the 4215th U.S. Army Hospital, and two of its subordinate units, the 7202nd Medical Support Unit and the 2290th U.S. Army Hospital, said Lt. Col. Jack F. Thompson, an Army and civilian dentist, who led the Soldiers on this rotation. Both the 4215th USAH and the 7202nd MSU are based in Richmond, Virginia. The 2290th USAH is based in Alexandria, Virginia.
Thompson said the Soldiers included other dentists, a doctor, nurses, medics and dental assistants, all contributing to the clinic’s mission of providing healthcare members of the Chumash tribe and local residents.
The partnership with the clinic is part of the Pentagon’s Innovative Readiness Training program that pairs reserve military personnel with communities in need, he said. The nonprofit Walking Shield coordinates with the Department of Defense its IRT missions involving Native American communities.
“There is a local population here, uninsured and under-served,” he said.
“We are providing medical and dental treatment, including screenings and some lab work,” he said. “On the dental side, we are providing both emergency and sustaining care—extractions, periodontal work and identifying further needs for further treatment.”
The Army Reserve Soldiers examined and treated patients with medical concerns inside the clinic’s COW, or Clinic On Wheels, a truck with an examination room and medical equipment that the clinic supports as part of its community outreach, he said. During the Walking Shield missions, the COW is parked in front of the clinic.
“The humanitarian missions are my favorite part of being in the Army,” the Iraqi War veteran dentist said. “I’ve done it all over the world.”
Ron G. Sisson, the clinic’s executive director, said clinic staff, and the tribe’s health board joined him in gratitude for the work of the Soldiers.
“It is an honor having the troops at our clinic, continuing our commitment to providing high quality health and dental care services to our native community and the under-served general public,” Sisson said. “We hope to continue working together for many years to come.”
Spc. Malikah Y. Byrd, an Army dental hygienist with the 7202nd MSU, said she was glad she was selected for the IRT assignment.
“I graduated from my dental training in October, and this is my first chance to use my training in my specialty with live patients,” said the native of Newport News, Virginia.
Tonia Archuleta, the clinic’s administration manager, said the band of Chumash, established in 1901, is one of 522 federally-recognized tribes.
The Chumash nation once had a population of more than 100,000 American Indians and a 7,000 square mile-territory that covered a huge swath of central California, she said. Today, the 137-acre reservation is the home of 2,500 tribe members.
Traditionally, the Chumash lived in domed homes, built with branches, reeds and with whalebone reinforcements, she said. The largest of the homes housed 50 people.
Archuleta said the tribe was renowned for its “tomol” canoes. Long boats made of planks and pine tar that the Chumash would use for war and commerce—and for religious journeys around the islands off the Santa Barbara, California coast.
Alexandra James, a Chumash tribe member and an outreach worker at the clinic, said the tribe is working to revive its culture, including the rediscovering of S(h)amala, the traditional dialect of the Santa Ynez band of Chumash.
James said words and phrases from S(h)amala are now incorporated into clinic programs, such as the “Ma sumawts a aqniwilas” program. The phrase means: healthy mindset, and the program uses Chumash religious and cultural lessons to help tribe members work together to live the “Good Road of Life.”
A more basic return of the language is in the “Haku, haku,” a welcoming hello, greetings used by clinic staff and patients and included in the clinic’s signage.
Archuleta said the clinic was founded by Rosa Pace, a registered nurse and member of the tribe.
It started in a single room, and then moved to a double-wide mobile home, she said.
William R. Wyatt, the tribe’s executive director, said although Pace is retired, her example and legacy are still part of the clinic.
“Rosa Pace is a very quiet and warm person with a welcoming smile,” he said.
“Her passion was tribal government and the expanding programs on the reservation,” he said. “It was through her devotion to her tribe that she single-handedly built this clinic program into what it is today.”
The tribal executive director said in the beginning, the clinic was exclusive to Chumush tribe members, but now it is open to the public.
Wyatt said opening up the clinic is more than a public service, but also a way to integrate the Chumash with members of the communities outside the reservation. “It has become one of the more respected public health clinics in the county.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2014 18:20 |
| Story ID: | 131372 |
| Location: | SANTA YNEZ, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 405 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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