LAKEPORT, Calif. – A new wellness center serving the needs of the county's native peoples is opening this month.

The new Circle of Native Minds Wellness Center will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, March 16, starting at 11 a.m.

The center is located at 845 Bevins St. in Lakeport.

All tribal people are invited to tour and give their comments about the center.

Invited speakers are District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington, Lakeport Mayor Suzanne Lyons and county Mental Health Director Kristi Kelly.

One part of the center’s conference area has been transformed into the likeness of a traditional round house by Pomo artist Robert Quitiquit.

“It gives a person the feeling and the ambiance that this is a good place to be,” said Pomo elder Wilbur Augustine.

The center is funded by MHSA Proposition 63 through the Lake County Mental Health Department and will serve all American Indians in the county.

The center is supported by evidence suggesting the most successful treatment models for American Indians are those that are delivered within a cultural specific context.

“By healing themselves, they transform the lives of their families, friends and communities,” said elder Donna Gitchel.

The center proposes to hold weekly activities for all age groups on the different aspects of cultural healing: talking circles, traditional and contemporary art projects, native speakers, native film, the Pomo language and more.

The center will serve as a place for American Indians to connect and communicate with elders, treatment specialists/professionals and spiritual advisers.

Tribal outreach and engagement specialist Thomas Leon Brown has been working with individuals and families, including persons incarcerated or on probation, on a range of problems, the most common are alcohol and drugs.  

An “elders talking circle” consisting of native elders, some of whom are official volunteers with the County. Volunteers will oversee the center on a daily basis.

Among its partnerships are the Lake County Tribal Health Clinic, and a wide number of county programs and offices.

The center is equipped with four computers and a large screen television, and will serve as a clearinghouse of information, including national native newspapers, resource materials and children’s books.

The Circle of Native Minds Wellness Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The center can be reached at 707-263-4880, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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