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Native Challenge

The Native Challenge Department at Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health Inc. is committed to providing prevention and health education programs tailored specifically for Native American youth and their families. Our services focus on sexual health, teen pregnancy prevention, healthy lifestyles, and the preservation of cultural heritage, aimed at fostering strong, resilient community members.

Key Programs Offered by the Department

Tribal Family Partners: Strengthening Family Bonds

  • Eligibility: Available to ALL Native families with children aged prenatal to 5. You do not need to be a registered RSBCIHI patient to enroll.
  • Family Support Services: Focuses on development-centered parenting, family well-being, and enhancing parent-child interactions.
  • Community Engagement: Hosts group connections to provide social gatherings that foster engagement among Native families, strengthening community bonds.

How We Can Assist You

  • Preventive Education: Offering comprehensive education on key health topics including sexual health and substance abuse prevention.
  • Cultural Re-connection: Encouraging involvement in culturally grounded activities that serve as a preventive measure against behavioral and mental health issues.
  • Family Strengthening: Providing tools and resources to help families nurture stronger bonds and overcome systemic challenges.

Interesting Facts About Our Work

  • Holistic Approach: We integrate various traditional cultural values into our modern preventive programs to ensure culturally sensitive care.
  • Community-Centric: Annually, we reach hundreds of Native American families, providing them with the tools needed to lead healthy, empowered lives.
  • Advocacy and Action: Actively involved in advocacy to address and bring awareness to the MMIP crisis within Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

About Our Department

"We believe in the power of education, cultural integrity, and community support to uplift and strengthen our Native American families. By participating in our programs, you are taking a step towards building a healthier and more empowered community. We invite you to join us in this vital work—explore our services, engage in our activities, and let us move forward together. For more information or to get involved, please contact us. We are eager to support you and your family in every way we can."



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DIRECTORY

Resources for Families & Children

(Ages 0 - 5yrs)

This guide is a helpful directory for families with little ones (ages 0–5) in Riverside, San Bernardino, and nearby counties. It points parents and caregivers to programs that can help with food, housing, rent, and utilities, along with healthcare, WIC, and nutrition support. It also includes legal aid, tribal TANF programs (for cash assistance, childcare, and cultural activities), and services for families facing tough times like homelessness or trauma. In short, it’s a one-stop resource to connect families—especially Native families—with the support they need to stay healthy, safe, and thriving.

Open Directory

Rooted Relatives

Goal: To provide opportunities for AI/AN youth, families, and their peers to increase access and consumption of healthy, traditional foods through gardening education.

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Objective 1:

Participants have scored 80% or better on gardening knowledge and skills as measured by gardening assessment scale and pre/post survey indicate increase understanding of health, nutrition, economic advantages, and social connections. Outcome: Increased knowledge and understanding of gardening, and the benefits of healthy foods. Improved gardening success which impacts health, nutrition, economic advantages, and social connections.

Objective 2: 

Youth and adults who attend family feeds report increased consumption of traditional foods through surveys indicating they have tried 5 new recipes of traditional foods and taken a produce box from the community garden home. Outcome: Increase consumption and use of traditional plants and foods. Participants have increased understanding of traditional plants and the benefits of traditional plants.   

Youth Curriculum focus:

People in our families practice cultural ways of caring for their physical selves. Our nation/culture supports practices and ways of caring for the health of the community, including the special health concerns of youth. Before contact, our nations had practices for caring for the health of our people. Some of these are still practiced by our people today. Native people taught traditional customs/daily routines to their youth so that they could maintain good physical, mental, and spiritual health. The Creator has given the gift of nature to provide sustenance and a sense of place to those who live in harmony.