photos by Michael Gargiulo
Albany – On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, a delegation from Onondaga traveled to meet Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH). The delegation met with the Commissioner to discuss the needs of the current Onondaga Nation Health Center.
“This was a great opportunity to meet with Commissioner Sullivan,” said Tadodaho Chief Sid Hill. “It was good to inform the Commissioner of the lack of mental health services currently available and the growing needs of our community.”
The Onondaga Health Center is located on the Onondaga Nation and services the entire community’s health and dental needs. In 2023, New York State increased funding for the Health Center after decades of the funding remaining stagnant.
Then in 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul invited the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee communities to the Governor’s Mansion to discuss how the State can be a better partner with indigenous communities.
“It was at this meeting that we were first introduced to some of the Council members from the Onondaga Nation,” said Commissioner Sullivan. “It was our initial dialogue of what our department can provide and listening to them stating what was lacking at their Health Center. It was a catalyst for us to reach out to the nation to start to collaborate.”
Since that initial meeting, Samantha Fletcher, OMH’s director of workforce development, has been working with the Health Center to listen and learn about what works and what doesn’t at Onondaga as well as other Haudenosaunee communities.
“It has been a great learning experience for me and the department,” said Fletcher. “It is paramount for me and OMH to recognize the sovereignty of the Onondaga [and the Haudenosaunee] as this allows us to serve the people in a respectful manner.”
The Onondaga are looking to expand on the services that the state provides to include a psychiatrist and a substance abuse specialist.
“We need these services but we are also running out of space at our location,” added Chief Hill. “When the Health Center was built in 1994, we did not plan for rooms to provide these kinds of services. Now we see that we need to find the space.”
“Meeting the Onondaga Nation representatives was an honor,” said Commissioner Sullivan. “I learned so much about the importance of government to government relations between us and the idea of ‘Polishing the Chain of Friendship’ between us. I can’t wait til we get to travel to the Onondaga Longhouse to further our discussion.”
It is a good step indeed.
