Angelina Renteria: Trust, Tradition, and Tribal Healthcare

Angelina Renteria is the Chief Operating Officer of Indian Health Council, a tribally-run health center serving nine sovereign tribal nations in North San Diego County. With nearly 30 years of experience in health and fitness and two decades in health-focused grant development, she brings deep expertise and cultural insight to her work. Angelina is a passionate advocate for wellness, community voice, and culturally grounded care that meets people where they are.

This Episode: 
What if your doctor knew your name, your story, and what was in your fridge? 

That’s the level of care Angelina Renteria champions through Indian Health Council. In this episode, Grant and Angelina explore what it means to offer "womb to tomb" care that reflects the culture, needs, and values of tribal communities. From snowy mountain roads to multi-generational households with limited transportation, tribal members face unique health access barriers, and Indian Health Council meets them with compassion and strategy. 

Angelina shares how the clinic’s integrated care model—where providers, nurses, behavioral health staff, and even peer support specialists collaborate—leads to better outcomes and stronger trust. She also opens up about her own journey from a childhood on military bases to becoming an advocate for Native health, and how her experience of being othered as a teen became fuel for inclusive leadership. 

Plus, Grant and Angelina talk about community-rooted solutions to the opioid crisis, why traditional practices like sweat and drum circles deserve recognition in modern medicine, and how the medicine wheel’s four pillars—mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical—can inspire a more balanced healthcare system for all.

Key Moments: 

• [2:38] Why tribally informed care is essential and different from standard healthcare 
• [10:22] What “womb to tomb” care looks like in practice 
• [14:30] How trust and cultural understanding boost health outcomes 
• [25:31]The four components of health: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being
• [35:45] A bold approach to addressing addiction and recovery 
• [51:06] What policymakers need to hear about tribal healthcare 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Indian Health Council – A tribal healthcare nonprofit serving nine tribes in North San Diego County 
• The SHARE Initiative – A Prebys Foundation grant initiative supporting frontline health clinics 

Take Action: 

• Support Tribal Health – Learn more about Indian Health Council and the role of tribal health centers in equitable care. 
• Challenge Stereotypes – Elevate community voice and resist one-size-fits-all solutions in health policy. 
• Honor Traditional Medicine – Advocate for the inclusion of culturally rooted healing practices in healthcare systems. 
• Build Belonging – Ask how your organization or community can better reflect and respect the cultures it serves. 
• Share This Episode – Start the conversation about what real, holistic, culturally informed healthcare can look like.