Spokane Regional Health District board seats first tribal representative
A seat representing tribal communities on the Spokane Regional Health District board that sat empty for years has been filled.
Liz Henry, the health care administrator of the Camas Center Medical and Dental Clinic in Cusick, was appointed to serve on the board as a representative of the Kalispel tribe.
She could be the first of several new board members representing different tribes and Indigenous communities. A state law passed earlier this year required multiple tribal voices to be seated on the board overseeing Spokane’s public health, and the board is now complying.
“We are kind of the pilot community that has really moved fast on this,” SRHD administrator Alicia Thompson said at Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting.
Henry could not be reached for comment.
Efforts to seat a tribal representative stalled because of differing interpretations of a 2022 state law. The new law clarifies that the intent is to seat multiple tribal representatives on local health boards.
While there is no reservation land in Spokane County, both the Spokane and Kalispel tribes have trust land in Airway Heights, where Northern Quest Casino and Spokane Tribe Casino are located. Those lands would call for each tribe to appoint a member to the board.
The Native Project provides health services to native peoples in Spokane and is recognized by the Indian Health Service. It would also receive a seat on the SRHD board.
The new tribal members are appointed directly from the organizations or tribes they represent. Under rules adopted Wednesday, the board will appoint a new board member from the Spokane County Commission or Spokane City Council at the same time.
According to Thompson, the Kalispel Tribe notified her of their appointment of Henry last Friday. Along with her, conservative council member Michael Cathcart also joined the board beginning this week. There are currently two tribes and two organizations that can appoint a tribal representative.
“The next time we have a tribal representative who comes onto the board, we’re going to add a fourth county commissioner. We have a third tribal representative, we’re going to add the fifth county commissioner. And at a fourth tribal representative, we’ll add a second city or small towns council person,” Thompson said.
If all tribal representatives are appointed by their respective organizations, the board’s size could double from seven to fifteen members.
The elected officials on the board have often been predominately made up of the Republican-majority Spokane County Commission. Because of the need to appoint more elected officials alongside Indigenous appointees, progressively aligned members on the Spokane City Council or the County Commission may be appointed to the board.
Note: A previous version incorrectly stated where Liz Henry worked. She is the health care administrator of the Camas Center Medical and Dental Clinic, not the Camas Health Recovery Center.