The Nansemond Tribe brings medical and mental health care to underserved communities

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Songs and dance reflect the pain of having their land, voting rights and even their identity stolen. The Nansemond Tribe was the last to receive federal recognition and is now the first tribe in the state to open a clinic as part of a new health care system.

“If we can start a company that takes care of people who have been forgotten the way we have, people who have been treated the way we have, and if we can pass that on and at the same time provide economic security, what a wonderful system that would be,” said Dave “Black Feather” Darling, chairman of the board of directors of Fish Point Healthcare.

The word Nansemond translates to fishing point. Like warriors of the past, professionals at Fishing Point will address ailments such as tooth decay, obesity, high blood pressure and low self-esteem.

“Is it diet? Is it stress? And if it’s stress, we can refer them to our own mental health people,” Darling said. “So it’s really an attempt to build integrative medicine within this facility. It’s everything that anyone would ever need, you know, pharmacy, lab procedures, rooms, dentistry. We know that our clientele is full of barriers to getting anywhere.”

The clinic is decorated with photographs taken by indigenous people. The artwork provides threads of Nansemond history and values ​​that are woven into the fabric of care.

Officials on Friday held a dedication ceremony for a clinic that opened a few months ago. Petronella Holmes is the community liaison who coordinates transportation for a population bound by poverty.

“We pick up patients,” Holmes said. “We have a pharmacy that delivers. I’ll meet you on the street corner. We’ll meet you at the 7-Eleven and wherever you need to go so we can get you here for better health and what you need to do to live your best life.”

Fishing Point also operates a specialized home health and personal care business, a behavioral health facility in Chesapeake, and a recovery center in Chesapeake. Construction and planning for health clinics in Norfolk and Newport News are underway.

The Fishing Point Clinic, at 2929 London Boulevard, is hosting an open house Saturday at 11 a.m. There will be food and fun for the kids, but if you have Medicaid or are Native, you can make an appointment. For more information, contact the clinic at 757-861-9010.