On November 13, 2025, members of Common Ground Health’s Indigenous Health Coalition gathered under the dome of the Strasenburgh Planetarium to celebrate a meaningful milestone—two years of working together to improve the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people across our region. The evening was warm, personal, and rooted in culture. Every coalition member had the opportunity to speak, share their story, and reflect on what it means to build healthier futures for the next seven generations.
The celebration opened with coalition member Todd Michel Waite (Seneca) sharing a video about the Thanksgiving Address, or “words that come before all else,” from the Ska-nonh Great Law of Peace Center, grounding the evening in gratitude and connection and reminding us that the stars above us have always been teachers.
Listening, learning, and leading
Prior to the launch of the coalition, several founding members worked with Common Ground staff to conduct a regional listening tour that revealed deep gaps—a lack of culturally competent care, missing or inaccurate data, barriers to access, and pervasive rates of mental illness and chronic disease. These lessons now guide their work across three baskets of health: holistic wellness, better data, and advocacy.
They’ve also been busy doing.
Coalition members have connected with more than 10 opportunities to bring Indigenous voices and experiences to other forums in the community, including serving as panelists at conferences and as members of local advisory boards. The coalition also hosted a health care provider forum in June, and Eating for Wellness classes led by nutritionist and coalition member Whitney Brooks (Seneca ) this fall. The coalition also continues to enhance and advise Common Ground Health’s work internally, with our updated county health dashboard for the first time including American Indian/Alaska Native population estimate data separately, rather than it being hidden in an “other” category.
How the coalition began—and where it’s headed
The Indigenous Health Coalition first met in November 2023, born from a moment during the pandemic when questions about Indigenous health and vaccine distribution sparked a bigger conversation. If there were so many unmet needs, what else could be done? Led by a small group of local Indigenous advocates, the coalition set out to create something that had never existed here before: a central place for Indigenous people—many of whom live in urban areas—to talk openly about health inequities and build solutions together.
Today, the coalition reflects a broad range of identities and homelands. Members introduced themselves and their Tribal affiliations—representing several nations within the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, as well as nations and ancestry from further west and south. Though they come from many nations, members stand united in their commitment to improving health for Indigenous people in the Rochester region, on Seneca land.
Their mission and vision are clear: honoring the wisdom of elders, protecting Traditional healing methods, insisting on Indigenous data sovereignty, and creating pathways to holistic, culturally grounded care. Their big goal—their north star—is the development of an Indigenous urban health center, a space where western medicine and Traditional healing can stand side by side.
Storytelling as medicine
Throughout the evening, members shared personal stories—of navigating the health system, honoring elders, confronting bias, and balancing Traditional practices with western care. These stories were powerful reminders that trust, visibility, and representation matter. They also highlighted a shared theme: we need more Indigenous people working in health care, and we need systems that respect both cultural identity and Traditional knowledge.
As the coalition enters its third year, one message rang clear: the work ahead is big, but the strength of the community is bigger. And together, they are creating something lasting—for the next seven generations and beyond.