California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc.

03/24/2026

✨ We’re Hiring at California Rural Indian Health Board! ✨

Are you passionate about advancing health equity and supporting Tribal communities across California? Join our team and be part of a mission-driven organization working to uplift the health and well-being of American Indian communities statewide.

At CRIHB, we provide advocacy, training, and technical assistance to Tribal Health Programs—helping strengthen access to high-quality, culturally grounded care.

We currently have exciting opportunities across a range of roles—from program and compliance positions to education and health-focused careers. Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, there’s a place for you to make an impact.

💼 Why join CRIHB?
• Mission-driven work that supports Tribal sovereignty and community wellness
• Collaborative, values-centered environment

📍 Positions are based in Roseville, California, with some opportunities available at our Tribal Head Starts across the state.

👉 Explore current openings and apply here: California Rural Indian Health Board Careers

Come work with us to build stronger, healthier Native communities.
https://crihb.org/careers/

CRIHB is a network of Tribal Health Programs, which are controlled and sanctioned by Indian people, and their Tribal Governments.

03/24/2026

This important session is designed to empower you to make a positive impact in your community.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://crihb.zoom.us/j/88975972781
Meeting ID: 889 7597 2781

During this training, you'll learn key strategies for preventing opioid misuse among youth and gain valuable skills in using Naloxone to reverse an overdose. We understand that some of the topics discussed may be sensitive, so we encourage you to take care of yourselves and support each other during this important conversation.

03/23/2026

CRIHB stands in solidarity with Dolores Huerta and with all survivors of s*xual violence. We honor the courage it takes to speak truth, especially when that truth is difficult and long held.
We recognize that many in our communities have been impacted by violence, and we remain committed to advancing healing, dignity, and safety for all. You are not alone.

March 18, 2026

Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement:

“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into s*xual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate s*xual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having s*x with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.

I had experienced abuse and s*xual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both s*xual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago.

I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.

I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of s*xual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.

I am telling my story because the New York Times has indicated that I was not the only one — there were others. Women are coming forward, sharing that they were s*xually abused and assaulted by Cesar when they were girls and teenagers.

The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement.

The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.

I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied.

I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here."

If you are a survivor or if you have been impacted by any type of s*xual violence, please visit the Dolores Huerta Foundation website, where you will find a list of resources for support. https://doloreshuerta.org/s*xual_assault_resources/

Read the full statement and Spanish-language version here: https://medium.com/p/e74c20430555?postPublishedType=initial

MEDIA CONTACT

Fenton Chief of Issue Advocacy & Crisis Management Lead Erik Olvera | eolvera@fenton.com | 415-994-3242

Lara Berthold | larabergthold@gmail.com

03/18/2026

CRIHB Policy Analyst Cesar Gonzalez-Garcia at the State Capitol with Assemblymember James Ramos. Cesar has been at the Capitol over the past few weeks monitoring hearings and supporting key legislation impacting our communities. Including Assembly Bill, California Native American Day Paid Holiday (AB 1841) authored by Assemblymember Ramos.

03/11/2026

02/06/2026

On February 4, CRIHB CEO Virginia Hedrick (Yurok/Karuk) spoke at the MMIP Policy Summit hosted by the Yurok Tribe and Jamul Indian Village, highlighting the connection between violence and health in Native communities.

American Indian and Alaska Native women are 135% more likely to be listed among unidentified remains cases, homicide remains a leading cause of death for AIAN people under 45, and 4 out of 5 Native women experience violence in their lifetime.

This is a public health crisis. Addressing violence means addressing trauma, substance use disorder, houselessness, and barriers to health care. For nearly 60 years, CRIHB has worked to uphold the trust responsibility and the right to health care for California Indian people — and that work continues.

02/05/2026

California's Tribal Policy Summit unites lawmakers and tribal leaders to tackle the ongoing missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis, highlighting progress.

01/28/2026

We were honored to welcome Assemblymember James Ramos and Native American Caucus members Assemblymembers Valencia and Harabedian to the CEO welcome reception to congratulate Virginia Hedrick on her appointment. Assemblymember Ramos also presented the Assemblymember Recognition for Allen Saul Jr — recently inducted into the CRIHB Hall of Fame (Oct. 2025). Riverside San Bernardino County Indian Health Chairperson Teresa Sanchez graciously accepted the award on behalf of Allen’s family and RSBCIHI. Grateful for the continued leadership and partnership.