From Vision to Practice: Seeing Our Native Patients at Feather River Tribal Health
- Redbud Resource Group
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
In January, at the Feather River Tribal Health center, a circle of healthcare providers formed at the end of a long day. Not the kind of circle you rush through, but one you settle into, shoulder to shoulder, letting the room grow quiet. Voices moved one at a time. Some carried gratitude. Some carried honest discomfort- the kind that surfaces when you realize how much you were never taught. All spoke with resolve. We listened as providers named what they would carry back with them: into their exam rooms, into their notes, and back into those critical moments where trust with patients is either built or broken.
This circle marked the closing of our newest program Seeing Our Native Patients (SONP), a culturally grounded training program that empowers healthcare providers in seeing, serving, and standing with Native patients. Sitting there, it was difficult not to feel the deeper truth of what this work represents. It isn't training for the sake of information, and it isn't a checklist of “cultural competence.” It's a commitment to relationship, to accountability, and to the safety and dignity of our people.
Beyond the impact we saw in participants, this workshop also carried special meaning for the Redbud team. Feather River Tribal Health (FRTH) serves the Tribe that Redbud’s co-founders, Taylor Pennewell and Madison Esposito, and our Program Coordinator, Crystal Brown, all come from. FRTH holds deep responsibility for the health of our Tribal communities, and it was powerful to witness their staff lean into the work with openness, humility, and care.
Sometimes impact shows up in big, visible moments. Other times it appears more quietly, in small shifts that change how a patient feels when they walk through the door. One participant shared:
“Since your training with Redbud I started wearing the provided badge buddy with your emblem and several patients have commented and connected with cultural specific conversations.”
That is what we mean by seeing our Native patients. It isn't performative, and it isn't abstract. It's a tangible shift in how care is experienced, and a real invitation for Native patients to be met as whole people.
We often say a land acknowledgment is the first step. The same is true in healthcare. Recognition matters, but it is what comes next that changes outcomes.
When providers understand the realities Native communities have endured and continue to navigate, they are better prepared to recognize risk, respond with humility, and connect patients with culturally grounded supports that strengthen safety and wellbeing. SONP is designed to build that foundation in ways that are practical, relational, and accountable.
Through SONP we support clinical teams in building a stronger understanding of:
The historical and present-day context shaping Native patients’ lived realities
How that context connects to disparities and negative health outcomes
The strengths and protective factors already present within Native communities
The provider’s role in connecting patients to community assets, cultural supports, and Native-led resources
How to show up as an advocate and liaison as Native patients navigate Western medical systems
SONP is designed for clinical teams in Tribal Health Centers, Indian Health Service facilities, urban clinics, and other medical systems serving Native populations. Each training is customized to reflect place-based history, local tribal healthcare systems, and the priorities and best practices of the community being served.
We are currently building our 2027 SONP schedule and welcome inquires from clinics, programs, and organizations interested in bringing this training to their teams.
To join the waitlist, visit the newly launched SONP page and complete the request form:
If you are a Tribal clinic, an Indian Health Service facility, an urban clinic, or a medical system serving Native patients, we would be honored to connect and explore whether SONP is a good fit for your team.
Thank you to Feather River Tribal Health for hosting us, for choosing to learn together, and for the care you provide Native patients and families each day. We are grateful to be building this future alongside you.
Stay Connected
To stay updated on our work, visit the Medical Education & Research page: link
To learn more about SONP or to request a training for your team, visit: link
If this work resonates with you, consider sharing this post or making a donation to support Redbud's effort to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Native communities.
Together, we are building a future where Native patients are seen, heard, and healed.
In solidarity and care,
The Redbud Medical Education and Research Branch
Madison Esposito and Katie Wilson