National Public Health Week is April 6-12. The Chickasaw Nation is devoted to promoting health, preventing disease and prolonging life through community efforts. While the tribe has a medical system devoted to improving the overall health of individual First Americans, this observance serves to highlight programs and services dedicated to improving the overall public health of the populations and communities that call the Chickasaw Nation home.
Sammy Clower, mother of Paden, 5, and Paisley, 2, has benefited firsthand from the Chickasaw Nation’s involvement in public health. She participates in the Achaaka (Thrive Together) Home Visiting Program. The Achaaka Home Visiting Program supports First American families in select counties within the Chickasaw Nation by providing resources and guidance to help raise children who are physically, socially and emotionally healthy.
“I strongly recommend Achaaka (Home Visiting Program) to other parents — to new moms especially,” Clower said. “We are provided with so much information. Each weekly lesson correlates and builds off one another. While there is a curriculum that is followed, education still feels like it is individualized to me.
“We just moved into a new house. One of the first things we did together was childproof it. It was a big lesson. At our old house, we didn’t have a fire extinguisher. I didn’t think about that when we moved in. We have one now. The safety assessment of the home is one of the first things to happen.”
The Chickasaw Nation Department of Health has created a culture of holistic care for First Americans and Oklahomans to make informed decisions. From comprehensive medical and mental health services to nutrition resources and other preventive care, the Chickasaw Nation includes a broad approach to wellness.
“We try to meet the family where they’re at,” Windy Dees, tribal home educator, said on CNTV News. “We help them regarding whatever they may need. We teach everything from parenting skills to child education and development. We are here for the parents with whatever resources they may need.”
The Achaaka Home Visiting Program is open to women 28 weeks pregnant or more with a First American child, or caregivers of a First American child aged 0-5. It offers regular visits with a culturally tailored curriculum and supports healthy pregnancy practices, early learning, positive parenting skills and goal setting for education, employment and childcare. Caregivers also receive resources on breastfeeding, safe sleep, nutrition and more, with additional opportunities to earn incentives and connect with services provided in their community. Home educators make home visits.
“We have gone over dental, nutrition, and our caregiver has informed me on how my children are comparing to other children their age,” Clower said. “She is helping to make sure they are on time with the ‘milestones’ in childhood development. We focus a lot on nutrition. Both of my children are picky eaters.”
Programs such as the Achaaka Home Visiting Program and Hofanti Chokma (To Grow Well) workshops serve to educate, while the Inchokma (Feel Well, Be Well) Mobile Unit is a vital public health resource that brings nurses, doctors, vaccinations and other health services directly to communities. The unit, along with Public Health Nursing staff, also conduct health screenings in rural communities across Oklahoma, helping expand access to care where medical services may be limited.
Populations at differing ages have different public health concerns. Hofanti Chokma workshops are directed at building healthy behaviors in children and teens. Open to all, Hofanti Chokma workshops are online trainings contributing to positive parent and child relationships. The program emphasizes the importance of helping children learn, grow and manage their own behaviors.
Public health programs across the Chickasaw Nation work to support families at every stage of life through education, preventative care and outreach programs.