By Gail Wood
With about 880 tribal members, the Chehalis Tribal Center is a busy place, dealing with everything from health care, safety, welfare and education of its community.
If tribal members need a tooth pulled or their heart checked, they go to the center. At the wellness clinic, there are two part-time doctors, with nurses and other supporting staff. There are also three dental chairs.
“It’s run like city government, providing services,” said Rodney Youckton, the interim CEO of the Chehalis Tribal Enterprises. “They are busy.”
Besides the health clinic, Youckton said social services, including child welfare, mental health, and drug and alcohol programs, are offered on site. A courtroom and police station round out the center.
“We have a travel court system which connects with the police station,” Youckton said. “There’s a judge that handles the civil and administrative cases.”
Tribal members with housing needs also go to the Tribal Center for help. The center, which Youckton said was built in the early 1950s, is the place to go to get help in a lot of different areas.
“We have a housing program for the tribe. We receive monies from HUD to provide housing programs for our tribal members, whether it be new housing or rental housing,” Youckton said. “It’s to help provide them finances and assistance in housing needs.”
From preschool children to retired seniors, there’s help for tribal members at the center. A Head Start program and early childhood daycare for kids entering elementary schools either at the Rochester or Oakville school districts is provided at the center. There’s also an elders program that provides services to elders.
“(The center helps) especially at meal time to ensure that everyone can have a balanced diet,” Youckton said. “They provide meals for the home bound as well.”
The Chehalis Tribal Center is located on reservation land between Oakville and Rochester. It also houses the central government office where there is the tribal chairman, general manager, planning department, assistant general manager, HR staff, finance staff and the tribal attorneys.
“There are budgets for all the departments and there are checks and balances to make sure everyone is within their budget,” Youckton said.
Youckton said the Chehalis Tribal Center has been renovated and expanded several times in the last 60 years. One of the additions has been to incorporate the Department of Natural Resources, bringing biologists, fisheries, and land management experts on to the reservation.
“The Tribal Center is probably the nerve center for all the services,” Youckton said.
It’s also a good place for tribal members to come and seek employment, to find out about services and to get help on education.
Youckton said there’s another building that’s just beyond the tribal center that houses a community center.
“(Inside the community center) are tutors to help kids after school,” Youckton said. “There are activities to promote good health. They coordinate with the kids to go on field trips to different areas on the weekends.”
Or they may help enter kids in basketball or softball tournaments.
Besides sports and education, there’s also a community center program to teach traditional tribal crafts, like basket weaving or wood carving, to kids. Youckton adds that a language coordinator helps kids learn the tribal language so it’s not lost.
An all-around facility, the Chehalis Tribal Center is a key component to tribal living.
The Chehalis Tribal Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week.
