About CRIHB
The California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) is a network of Tribal Health Programs and their Tribal Governments formed to provide a central focal point in the American Indian health field in California for planning, advocacy, funding, training, technical assistance, coordination, fundraising, education, development and for the purpose of promoting unity and formulating common policy on American Indian health care issues.
PURPOSE
We are committed to the needs and interests that elevate and promote the health status and social conditions of the American Indian People of California.
CRIHB does this by providing advocacy, shared resources, training and technical assistance that enhances the delivery of quality comprehensive health related services.
Guided by the wisdom of the seven generations, we strive to protect and preserve our land, culture, and traditions, ensuring that our future generations inherit a healthy and thriving environment, rich with the legacy of our ancestors.
Vision
We envision culturally revitalized, self-sufficient Tribal communities where every member thrives in mind, body, and spirit. These communities promote holistic health and healing by weaving together Traditional and Western practices, fostering environments where individuals make responsible choices and treat one another with respect.
Indian youth are confident, active, and deeply connected to their culture, language, family, and elders. Our communities are empowered to work effectively within both tribal and non-tribal systems, embracing cultural diversity with competence and pride.
CRIHB plays a vital role in this vision by proactively supporting collaboration through shared funding, services, and staffing to meet identified needs—and by amplifying the collective voice of California Tribal communities to strengthen advocacy and improve access to quality healthcare.
Values
- Quality of Care: We support tribal health programs in delivery of quality comprehensive healthcare
- Customer-Orientation: We must never lose sight of the people we serve. Our services must be available, accessible, and acceptable to them.
- Culturally Competent Health Care: We strive to integrate the best of both traditional medicine and western medicine within the context of our respective Indian cultures.
- Traditional Health Practices: We value the return to our traditional health practices and the adoption of these into our personal and community health programs.
Self Determination
- Tribal Sovereignty: We are the “First Nations”. We have a rich history of Tribal selfgovernance, with our own customs and laws and organizational structures, which we administer within the context of applicable State and Federal laws, in a government-to government relationship.
- Leadership: Which has enabled us to survive, persevere, and develop as a people.
- Unity and Shared Inter-Tribal Pursuits: We are learning how to work together and collaborate more effectively. We have learned to set aside our own Tribal differences in order to pursue common legislative and programmatic goals through advocacy, coordinated actions and joint ventures.
- Consensus Building and Collaboration: In our own organizational participation and in our collective legislation and advocacy activities.
- Indians Helping Indians: Politically, we have accomplished this through the expression of self-determination. Professionally, we are committed to the recruitment, training, placement, and development of professional and non-professional personnel who are Indigenous. As a community we support each other in creating economic development opportunities to support our Tribal Health Programs.
Traditional Culture
Cultural Heritage: It enables us to preserve our integrity as independent societies. This includes:- Respect for our Selves
- Respect for each Other
- Respect for our Families
- Respect for our Youth
- Respect for our Elders
- Respect for our Tribes
- Harmony in our Lives
- Our Land
- Life Experiences