Chehalis Tribe
Chehalis Tribe
Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center
21 Niederman Road
Oakville, WA 98568
(360) 273-5504
Webpage: http://wwwchehalistribe.org
ABOUT THE CLINIC
Mission
To work for a safer and healthier environment by providing quality healthcare to the community in an environment that respects human privacy and dignity while promoting individual/family wellness, and by supporting a meaningful interaction with the community to enhance clinic development and to meet changing health care needs.
Location
The Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center is located on the 4,438 acre Chehalis Reservation in southwest Washington State. The Chehalis Reservation is situated approximately 26 miles southwest of Olympia and 6 miles northwest of Centralia. The City of Oakville is adjacent to the northwest corner of the reservation.
Services/Programs
The Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center is a full-service family practice clinic that has been serving Chehalis tribal members since 1979. Services are provided from a newly constructed, modern 17,400 sq ft facility built in 2006. The facility has 12 exam rooms, triage and trauma area, digital radiology services, and a large dental clinic.
The Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center provides ambulatory health services to tribal and community members living on or near the reservation. Services include Ambulatory Medical Services, Dental Services, Women’s Health, Diabetes prevention and treatment, Contract Health Services, Medical Records and WIC Program. Specialized women’s health services include reproductive care, and breast cancer outreach and screening. Quarterly mammography screening is offered onsite. The clinic’s RPMS data system for 2009 shows a user patient count of 1,278 with a total of 4,136 encounters.
The Chehalis Tribe constructed a 50,000 sq ft Community Center in 2009. The Community Center adds to the health services available to tribal members by providing a multitude of programs and events that foster community health and physical activity. The facility has a 1,767 sq ft swimming pool, two gymnasiums, a workout room, and educational classrooms for both children and adults. The large facility provides gathering space for many tribal events including basketball tournaments, youth activities, and community health fairs.
Patients
The enrolled tribal population is 833 and the Indian population living on or near the reservation is 3,625.
ABOUT THE TRIBE
History
The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation is a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in rural southwest Washington State. The Chehalis Indian Tribe originally occupied a large area within the Chehalis River Basin stretching from the foothills of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The tribe has been located on a reservation within the Chehalis River watershed since 1850, although important historic and archeological sites are scattered throughout the tribe’s aboriginal area. Chehalis is a collective name for several tribes that lived on the Chehalis River. The name “Chehalis” means sand, originally referring to a village near the present-day town of Westport, and later came to be applied to the river and the people living upriver.
The Chehalis did not sign a treaty but by executive order in 1864 land was set aside for a Chehalis Reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation was formed and approved by the federal government in 1939 and its constitution was amended in 1973.
Government
The Chehalis tribal governing body is the General Council, which is comprised of all enrolled members 18 years of age and older. The Business Committee, a five-member body elected by the General Council for two-year terms, oversees tribal administration and business. The Business Committee is composed of the Tribal Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Fifth Council Member.
Tribal Departments and Businesses
The Chehalis Tribe provides a wide variety of public services to the community including Law Enforcement, Corrections, a Tribal court system, Medical/Dental Services, Head Start/Early Head Start, Elders meals and center, Vocational Rehabilitation, Education, Planning, Natural Resources, cultural and heritage programs and mental and behavioral health services including substance abuse counseling.
The Chehalis Tribe operates several successful entertainment enterprises including the Great Wolf Lodge Resort in Grand Mound, WA, the Lucky Eagle Casino, and the Eagles Landing Hotel. The tribe also owns and operates three convenience stores, two with a gas station; a fast food restaurant, a cigarette stamping business and two construction companies. The Chehalis Tribe has a total of 1,498 employees.
Other Information
Members
Total enrolled population in 2010 is 833.
Other Offices and Programs
Housing
The Chehalis Reservation is home to 661 individuals, most of which are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. According to the 2000 Census, the Chehalis Reservation has a total of 215 housing units, six percent of which are vacant. Of the total housing units, 139 are single-unit structures, 25 are multi-unit structures, and 51 are mobile homes. Fifty-eight percent of the housing units were built before 1980.
The Chehalis Tribal Housing Authority (CTHA) was created in 1978 in response to the tremendous need for housing for members of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. As the Tribally Designated Housing Entity for the Chehalis Tribe, CTHA receives annual Indian Housing funds from the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). CTHA’s housing stock includes 60 rental units and 7 mutual help homes. CTHA also operates a homebuyer program aimed at helping Native Americans purchase their own homes. Currently they have two homebuyers purchasing homes through CTHA and are looking to add more Native homebuyers.
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