Native American Health Center

Come celebrate Native American Heritage Night with the San Jose Sharks as they take on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, November 1st at 1:00 PM at the SAP Center! Each ticket purchased through the official link includes an exclusive Native American Heritage Night collectable Shirsey! Join us for an afternoon of hockey, heritage, and celebration — we’ll see you at the Shark Tank! 👉 Purchase your tickets here: https://bit.ly/SharksNAHN

We are proud to honor Patricia Shirley with the Fire Keeper Award for our 2025 annual Gala! In our ceremonial world, the fire is cared for like an honored relative—sustaining even in the most challenging elements. The Fire Keeper ensures that this sacred flame endures, creating a safe and confident space for all. Our recipients embody this role, ensuring that community life continues in a safe and sacred way, burning with the intensity of the ceremonial fire. Patricia Shirley has dedicated over 47 years to Friendship House Association of American Indians as a counselor, elder, and teacher, uplifting countless lives while preserving and sharing traditional Native healing practices. We are honored to celebrate Patricia Shirley’s lifelong commitment and the powerful light she continues to carry for our community.

Happy #IndigenousPeoplesDay! Today is a reminder that we are still here, and that Native and Indigenous cultures across North and South American continue to thrive. 🪶🧡

As our 2025 Gala approaches, we are honored to highlight this year’s Morning Star Awardee, Assemblymember Mia Bonta. In many Native American cultures, the Morning Star provides guidance through a complex world, reminds us that renewal in life is possible, and shows us that we each carry a light to illuminate the darkness. Our award recipients embody this light—creating paths for others and helping our community shine brighter. We are proud to recognize Assemblymember Mia Bonta with the Morning Star Award for her leadership, dedication, and commitment to illuminating the way for others.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Annual Powwow! We’re filled with gratitude for the 3,000+ community members who came together on September 27th at Merritt College to celebrate culture, connection, and healing. A special thank you to our incredible head staff, vendors, dancers, drummers, and volunteers who made this day possible. Your energy and dedication reminded us that culture is medicine — and when we come together as a community, that medicine is powerful.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a time for us to come together, uplift one another, and spread knowledge about prevention and care. In Native and Indigenous communities, breast cancer continues to be one of the most diagnosed cancers among women, impacting our mothers, aunties, sisters, daughters, and Two-Spirit relatives. Too often, systemic barriers like limited access to care and lack of culturally rooted support create added challenges for early detection and treatment. At NAHC, we honor the strength of our community by raising awareness, encouraging screenings, and walking alongside survivors and their families. Together, we carry forward the message: early care and support can save lives.

On Tuesday, September 30th, we come together for #OrangeShirtDay, also known as #TruthAndReconciliationDay, to honor survivors of residential schools and remember the children who never returned home. The legacy of Federal Boarding School policies—meant to erase Native culture and identity—continues to affect Native families and communities today.  Orange Shirt Day is a call for healing, recognition, and solidarity. By wearing orange, #teamNAHC honors survivors, uplifts Native voices, and affirms that every child matters.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us for our Community Blessing with Traditional Healer Martan Martinez (Pomo/Wappo) from Redwood Valley. Together, we shared in prayer, spiritual cleansing, and the strength of community. As part of this gathering, we gave away medicine to the community and created medicine bags filled with tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass as well as lavender and honey for teas. These offerings are meant to support wellness and balance. Thank you for being part of this powerful day of healing and connection!

After 32 years of service, we honor and celebrate Dr. Galindo as he retires from the Native American Health Center. For over three decades, Dr. Galindo has been a pillar of care in the Oakland community. Providing healing, compassion, and dedication to the families he served. His impact has reached across generations — from patients who first met him as children to parents and grandparents who trusted him with their care.Dr. Galindo’s legacy is more than years of service — it’s the countless lives touched, the community uplifted, and the example he set for future generations of providers. Please join us in thanking Dr. Galindo for his extraordinary contributions and wishing him well as he begins this next chapter.🧡

Join us on Saturday, September 27th at Merritt College in Oakland for our annual Powwow! This social powwow will feature contests, dancing, vendors, and a celebration of community and culture. We’re proud to honor our head staff: Darren Henson (Head Man), Sonya Flores (Head Woman), Tank Young (Head Teen Boy) and Mariela Bratt (Head Teen Girl). Swipe through to learn more about them! ⬇️