Six Native graduates fulfill Swinomish Tribe’s vision to improve oral health through community-rooted dental care.
Six Native American students became the first graduates of the dəxʷx̌ayəbus-Skagit Valley College Dental Therapy Program Friday, a milestone that reflects nearly two decades of planning, persistence, and commitment to better health outcomes for Tribal members.
“This is a historic night for Swinomish,” Brian Wilbur, a former Swinomish senator, told the room packed with family, friends, tribal leaders, and community members at Friday’s graduation celebration at the Swinomish Casino & Lodge.
Pronounced Dahf-hi-ya-buus, the dəxʷx̌ayəbus-SVC program, whose clinic is located on Swinomish Reservation, is the first nationally accredited Tribal dental therapy program in Washington state.
Four of the graduates are from Washington state, one from Oregon, and one from Michigan.
Wasserman praised the graduates’ dedication to compassionate care. As part of the ceremony, each graduate received a diploma, a commemorative blanket, and a ceremonial eagle feather — a deeply symbolic token in many Native communities.
“The program is extremely rigorous, extremely challenging,” said keynote speaker Barbara Wasserman. “This group of students is just the best.”
The event also honored the decades-long journey that brought the program to life. Swinomish leaders John Stephens and Brian Cladoosby envisioned a tribal dental therapy program as early as 2007, inspired by Alaska Native initiatives and a conference trip to New Zealand.
“I could just cry tears (of joy),” Cladoosby said. “When you have a dream and then you see that dream fulfilled — I was blessed to be just one of the many who got us to where we are today.”
Cladoosby recalled the moment the idea took hold: “I told John (Stephens), we’re going to go home and recreate this program at Swinomish.”
A breakthrough came in 2017 when the state legislature passed a bill authorizing the services of federally or tribally certified dental health aide therapists for tribal members on reservations, and exempting them from state dental licensing requirements.
The new dental therapy clinic, bolstered by community and health advocacy partners, replaces what was once a trailer with outdated equipment. Today’s modern facility features more than a dozen operatories.
The dental therapy program involves three years of study and clinical experience. A dental therapist is a mid-level dental provider trained and authorized to perform more than 50 procedures.
“This is our dream,” said Swinomish Senate Chair Steve Edwards. “Being a service tribe, we know something like this takes teamwork. Without a team effort, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Brian Wilbur, a former Swinomish senator, emphasized the impact the program is already having. “Kids now ask about going to the dentist. That’s what the program is all about,” he said.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
