Potawot: Difference between revisions

Description

United Indian Health Sevices' Potawot Health Village is a 42,000-square-foot health facility located on a 40-acre site next to Mad River Hospital in Arcata, California. It serves 9 tribes and over 13,000 Native Americans in Northern California. Traditionally, health services for Native Americans have been quite under par. Potawot is the result of Native peoples' taking the health of their communities into their own hands rather than relying on the government or other private organizations to help. They offer medical, dental, mental health, and nutrition services to the Native American community. Conventional health services may hinder rather than help the sick, in terms of isolation, dependance, and separation from the natural environment. Potawot incompasses traditional means towards healing by integrating processes that are 10,000 years old. This facility is also desigined to be very sustainable, for example:

• The grounds around the main building are marked with trails and an organic farm.
• The organic farm produces for an on-site farmer's market.
• Paths are made from a pine pitch and shale alternative pavement.
• The land is undergoing restoration, including seed-collecting, natural grasses reintroduction.
• The floors are made of reclaimed ???.
• The roofs were designed to facilitate solar panel installation. Funding has recently been procurred to install panels.
• Integrated stormwater management creates a sinuous series of stormwater treatment wetlands, adding to the natural habitat and groundwater recharge.

Site

United Indian Health Sevices' Potawot Health Village is located at 1600 Weeot Way in Arcata, Humboldt County, California, USA. The following map shows its location and points of interest:

Links

• United Indian Health Services Official Webpage
• Potawot Health Village Project Description and Site Plan
• Some photos
• Some history of the project (pdf)
• Creating a Sacred Space: Healing Through Art
• Stormwater Management System