Chairman’s Message

December 13, 2007

Hello, my name is Reno Keoni Franklin. I am an enrolled member of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians. Our reservation, Tsu Nu Nu Shinal (Huckle Berry Heights) was established in 1916. My family comes from the villages of Du ka shal and Aca Sine Cawal Li. I was raised in a traditional Kashaya family, and I’ve been taught since birth how to use traditional tools in order to make it through this life.

For the last five years, I have served on the Sonoma County Indian Health Project Board of Directors. I have served two years on the CRIHB Board of Directors as a delegate for Sonoma County Indian Health Project. I have also served as a member of the CRIHB Executive Committee. I am thankful for the guidance and knowledge that past Chairs and other Board Members have shared with me. I will continue to use their wisdom to assist me with decisions I make as Chair of CRIHB.

I am a graduate from Santa Rosa Junior College, where I received my Associate degree in Fire Science. I have spent many years protecting our land as a Fire Fighter/EMT, and I am proud to say that many hours of my life have been spent serving my own Indian community.  This is a task that I take very serious still today.

I currently work for my Tribe as a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Fire Management Officer. I take the protection of our Tribes cultural resources very serious and have traveled to Washington DC to educate congress and the senate on the issues that tribes face in funding needs for cultural and historic preservation.

It is an honor to have been chosen to serve as CRIHB’s Chairman to the Board Directors.  As your Chairman, I plan to focus extra attention ensuring the reauthorization of both the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, H.R. 1328, and the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (which currently provides $150 million per year to tribal communities for treatment, education and prevention efforts), to bring an Tribal Epi-Center back into the sate of California and to aid the efforts to build two California Youth Regional Treatment Centers. California has historically been under funded, as the Chairman, I will use the position to highlight areas where we are unfairly under funded and focus additional attention on those areas.

I look forward to working with fellow board members, and the opportunity that I will have to continue to serve my Tribe, the Tribal Health Programs throughout the state of California and bring our California Native voice to the national health policies makers. I have an open door and am always available to any of you if you would like to discuss Indian health issues or bring Indian health concerns to my attention.

Reno Franklin

Chairman