Health Archives - Page 43 of 91

Living Wise and Living Strong

Wisdom Warriors perform their newly-learned chair walking exercise.Photo/Micheal Rios — Wisdom Warriors perform their newly-learned chair walking exercise.
Photo/Micheal Rios

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Tribal elders from several different tribes have joined together to promote healthy lifestyles. These participants earned their medicine pouches and meet on a monthly basis, sometimes weekly, to maintain their goals and support each other with health goals to keep them living strong. Sponsored by Tulalip’s Diabetes Care and Prevention Program, this program and these tribal elders who make it possible are affectionately known as the Wisdom Warriors.

The Wisdom Warriors program was created as a means to successfully link Native American elders with services and information on aging in a healthy and positive way. This valuable program ensures services to elders with a focused outreach method that centers on using culturally appropriate materials and a culturally relevant approach to make services available and effective. The goal is to provide an ongoing, incentive driven program that provides elders with the education, the support and the tools to make healthy choices resulting in lifestyles that promote self-care and longevity.

Wisdom Warriors held their monthy provider class in Jennings Memorial Park, where they learned new exercises that promote healthy living. Photo/Micheal Rios — Wisdom Warriors held their monthy provider class in Jennings Memorial Park, where they learned new exercises that promote healthy living.
Photo/Micheal Rios

During the spectacularly warm and sunny afternoon of Tuesday, June 23, the Tulalip Wisdom Warriors held their monthly provider class at the demonstration gardens located within Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville. They were joined by the Tulalip Health Clinic’s very own Dr. Kimberly Kardonsky, clinical specialist in Family Medicine, who spent valuable time with the Wisdom Warriors to discuss and actually perform exercise.

The exercise discussion was all encompassing, covering topics from why people exercise, why people don’t exercise, countering excuses people come up with to not exercise, and learning chair exercises that anyone can do from home without needing any special equipment. Dr. Kardonsky and the Wisdom Warriors talked about what exercise looks like, what a pedometer is used for, and then discussed the many health benefits of proper exercise. Everyone agreed that exercise for elders is a mood booster, increases energy, decreases disability and hospitalizations, and overall increases health.

Following their discussion on exercise, Dr. Kardonsky led the Wisdom Warriors in several exercises that were performed while sitting in their chairs for a full minute at a time. Sit-down exercises included arm raises, chair walking and leg raises.

“Sometimes people tell me, ‘I don’t feel so steady on my feet’ or ‘I’m worried I’m going to fall’, so these are exercises you can do while sitting, while watching TV even,” says Dr. Kardonsky to the group of exercising Wisdom Warriors. “Some people think you can’t build up a sweat while sitting down, but yes you can. There are different kinds of exercises. There’s the cardio kinds that get your blood and heart pumping. There’s strength, where you build up muscle. And then there’s flexibility and balance, things like stretching or yoga or Tai Chi. All of those different kinds of exercising have a role and I think as long as you are getting some of each your overall health will greatly benefit.

“You can talk to a hundred different health care providers and you’ll probably get a hundred different ideas, but my thought is getting some exercise in every day or close to every day is really important. Even if you haven’t exercised in a long time it’s not too late to be physically active and you will benefit greatly from that. Whether it’s going for a walk with a friend where you can catch up or doing some bursts of exercise while you watching your favorite show or working in your garden…it’s all exercise that will promote a healthier lifestyle.”

After the series of sit-down exercises, the Wisdom Warriors replenished their bodies with a healthy and energy filled lunch consisting of an assortment of fruits, coleslaw and turkey and chicken sandwiches.

Every elder who becomes a participant in the Wisdom Warrior program is committed to living a healthier lifestyle. The number of participants continues to grow as more tribal elders come together to prioritize health and wellness.

You are invited to join Wisdom Warriors and start your path to better health, with the support of your community. Class locations can vary. Please call 360-716-5642 or go to the Tulalip Health Clinic for more information.

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Tester: We must do more to address the youth suicide epidemic in Indian Country

(U.S. Senate)—Senator Jon Tester, Vice-Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, today held a committee hearing on efforts to prevent youth suicide in Indian Country.

During the hearing, Tester heard from administration and tribal leaders about the lack of resources accessible to Native American youth struggling with mental health issues.

“Unfortunately, this year it seems like Congress can provide more spending for Defense budgets, but we can’t put more resources towards saving the lives of native youth,” Tester said. “To say that this is troubling doesn’t even begin to characterize the situation.”

Native Americans have the highest suicide rate of any ethnic group in the United States, and Native American youth commit suicide at twice the rate of their non-Native peers.

Currently, IHS only employs 0.44 mental health providers per 100,000 Native American youths and only 1.3 percent of the total clinical service budget for IHS is allocated for mental health services.

Earlier this month the Senate passed two Tester-backed bills that will increase safety and provide additional resources for children in Indian Country.

Press Release, Jon Tester

The Power of Play

All children, regardless of age or ability, need time to play every day. Parents and caregivers should provide opportunities for play in a safe and age-appropriate environment.

Children are interested in learning about the world around them. They can explore their world through play, practice new skills, and expand their imagination. Playing with your child is not only fun, but it’s one of the most important ways you can help nurture your child’s development.

To maximize the benefits of play, keep these things in mind:

Safety first: Make sure toys don’t have small parts that fit into your child’s mouth that could be a choking hazard.

Follow their lead: Watch your child and see what kind of activities interest them and do what they want. Let your child determine how and what to play.

Play with your child: You are their favorite toy! Get down on their level and let them crawl on you, or play blocks, do a puzzle or sing and dance.Repeat and Repeat again: Children love to do things with repetition. They may want to play with the same toy or activity again and again, and it’s beneficial because some children like the sense of knowing what to expect. It provides them a sense of security and control.

Songs and Rhymes: Children enjoy songs – especially those with hand motions. Words are easier to learn when they rhyme or are put to music. Encourage your child to sing with you.

Hands-On Learning: Using hands and fingers to push buttons or open boxes helps children learn about how the world works. Many children also like to paint with their fingers, use play dough and play with sand.

Involve friends: Having fun with peers is an important way for children to learn social skills like sharing, taking turns, and resolving conflicts. Invite friends to your home or meet at a park.

ChildStrive (formerly known as Little Red School House) has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For more information about your child’s childhood development contact Courtney Miller at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7145 or Courtney.Miller@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org

Montana creates Office of American Indian Health

By Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. – Gov. Steve Bullock signed an executive order last week establishing a state Office of American Indian Health, saying the current health care system in Indian Country limits access to preventative care and quality health care services and providers.

Bullock issued the directive with health officials and tribal leaders at the conclusion of the Montana Tribal Leaders’ Summit at the Capitol.

County Residents to be Asked to Share Thoughts on Vaping

Health District Looks to Expand Smoking in Public Places Law

Source: Snohomish Health District

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – To vape, or not to vape—in public—that is the question. Amidst the growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and vaping, and rising ambiguity by business owners on whether it’s allowed in their establishments, the Snohomish Health District is evaluating options to prohibit vaping and vapor products in public places.

E-cigarettes and vaping products are not regulated the same way cigarettes are. This leads to public health concerns about potential exposure to the unknown mixture of chemicals in the vapor, as well as the rise in teens and young adults using this new type of addictive nicotine product.

“This is not about telling someone what they can and can’t do in private,” said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer and director of the Snohomish Health District. “Instead, this is part of our role in public health to make sure the most vulnerable are protected. This includes our youth, pregnant women, and those with compromised health. That is our primary concern.”

The Smoking in Public Places Law was passed in 2005, making Washington the 10th state in the country to implement a law prohibiting smoking in all restaurants and bars, as well as the 5th state to require that 100 percent of all indoor workplaces be smoke-free. In January 2015, the Health District created Chapter 13 of the local code, which clarified places of employment and that the law applied to marijuana and hookah smoking, as well as to cigarettes.

“This review of vaping will help the Board of Health better understand the issues as it considers incorporating vaping into the smoking in public places law,” said Dr. Goldbaum. “We have been following the rapid increase in vaping, particularly among our youth, and we believe now is the right time to address use in public places.”

At the June 9 board meeting, staff presented a brief update and a recommended timeframe for continuing to evaluate the issue. The board endorsed the schedule and agreed to form a subcommittee, starting with its first meeting on July 1.

“This first meeting is really to allow our subcommittee the chance to dig into the details of vaping and vapor products, and to ask questions of staff,” said Heather Thomas, communications and public affairs officer for the Health District. “We also want to engage the community in this process over the next few months to ensure any changes to our local code are done with the health and well-being of Snohomish County residents in mind.”

· The first subcommittee meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 in the Snohomish Health District’s Auditorium at 3020 Rucker Ave., Everett, Wash. The meeting is open to the public, but no comment will be taken at this initial meeting.

· Following the first meeting, a preliminary comment period will be open from July 6-31. There will be a series of 4-5 questions that the community will be asked to respond to via either email, online survey or mailed in responses. Details for the comment period will be released closer to the opening date.

· A second meeting will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 at a location to be announced later. This will be a public listening session where the subcommittee hears feedback from the community on the issue.

· The subcommittee will reconvene in mid-August to review the comments received, and a recommendation for next steps is expected to be presented to the full board in September.

A webpage has been created for this process, and the public is encouraged to visit http://www.snohd.org/Healthy-Living/Smoke-Free-Living/Vaping-Vapor-Products. This page will be kept updated with details for the meetings and comment period, as well as links to resources and educational materials.

The Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier community through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Incorporated in 1959, Snohomish Health District is separate from Snohomish County government, although it provides financial support and is an essential partner in many functions. To read more about Snohomish Health District and for important health information, visit www.snohd.org.

Technology and Families: How to Stay Connected

By Maria Shane, MA, LMHC, GMHS, Tulalip Tribes Behavioral Health

Have you ever wondered how to create the right balance between the time you spend on electronics and the time you spend face-to-face with loved ones? If so, you are not alone. Today we have smart phones, computers, TVs, laptops, tablets, iPods, gaming systems, and the list goes on. There are many benefits to the technology we have available. We have access to more information now than ever before. Through technology, we can connect with loved ones who are far away. It can be enjoyable and reduce our stress to check in with others online to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Sharing a good laugh can lift our spirit. Spending time on electronics can help shift our attention away from stress, worry, and pain. However, our inability to turn off our electronics can also interfere with our ability to find true connection with one another. It may mean that our families would benefit from reasonable limits on the amount of time each day we spend on electronics. The strong urge to always be checking Facebook, texting, or gaming affects everybody: adults, teens, and young children, as well as the relationships within the family or couple. If you are curious about ways to find the right balance for your family, we hope the ideas shared here will help you think about the possibilities.

Technology and Children

Some parents and grandparents wonder how much “Screen Time” a child should have each day. There is no one right answer, and each parent/family knows their children best; however, a useful guideline is between 30 minutes to 90 minutes per day, depending on age. In general, younger children should have less “Screen Time”.

When children spend too much time each day on electronic devices, there can be negative effects. The Mayo Clinic has identified some of the effects, which include: irregular sleep patterns, behavior problems, obesity, lower grades, violence, and less time for physical play. If you are concerned about the amount of video games your child plays, or the way your teen uses Facebook, you might be interested in setting some reasonable limits for your children around electronics.

Technology and Couples

A relationship may feel negatively affected by technology when a couple has not discussed some ground rules to ensure the outside world doesn’t interfere with connection and intimacy. Couples who are having problems connecting because of electronics often report the following concerns: misinterpreting messages, feeling like screen time comes before the relationship, and having difficulty communicating face to face. Couples may find it difficult to connect, even when they’re in the same room, because of the distractions from their smart phones, computers, etc. If you and your partner struggle to safeguard your time together, you may be interested in setting some boundaries around electronics. Come up with some mutually agreed ground rules to ensure the cyber world doesn’t interfere with your quality time together.

Difficult conversations are always better to have face-to-face than through text messages. It’s easier to express your anger, frustrations or hurt feelings through a text, email or facebook post. However, when emotions are running high, the likelihood of misreading a message rises sky high. According to various researchers, body language accounts for 50-70 percent of all communication. You cannot see facial expressions, body posture or hear the tone of a person’s voice through texting. Why keep that from your loved one? Arguments aren’t easy but if you put in the work to improve your communication the results will be worth it. Strengthen your communication and enrich your relationship.

Possibilities and Solutions

If you are interested in ways other families have tackled their technology struggles, here are some tips you can consider.

Talk about It. Sit down with your family or loved one and make a plan so you can prevent the virtual world from interfering with your real world. Talk honestly about the ways technology interrupts with your connection; this will help you find clarity for what changes to make.

Establish “Tech-Free Zones”. It may be difficult to keep track of the amount of time you or anyone else in your family spends on electronics each day. However, you can set limits and create “Tech-Free Zones” in the times and places when you are together. This is important for couples as well as families with children. Some families come up with an agreement that for 30 minutes while everyone eats dinner at the table, no phones, iPads, TVs, or computers are on. Or, during the car ride to school or running errands, no one uses their phone, iPod, hand held gaming system, or tablet. Instead, you have the opportunity to talk to one another. Some families have discovered a fun way to make this a “game,” for example, the first person to check their phone during dinner has to do the dishes.

Remove TVs and Computers from Bedrooms. It may be hard to remove the TV, Xbox, and computer from your child’s bedroom; however, it may help improve sleep, academic performance, and many other areas of your child’s life. Keep TVs, computers, and gaming systems in a shared space like the living room, so you can better monitor the content and time your children spend on these electronics. Couples may also benefit from an electronic-free bedroom which can increase intimacy. Try eye-gazing instead of screen-gazing, or simply use this time to check-in and talk about your day.

Settle Disagreements Face-to-Face. Just because you can reach your partner, parent, or child anywhere at any time, doesn’t mean you always should. It’s understandable that you may want to clear the air sooner rather than later, but don’t take the risk of making matters worse. [Remember, it’s too easy to misread a text or post on Facebook.] Set a time to sit down with your loved one to talk things out, this will minimize problems because you can rely on body language and tone of voice to really get your message across.

Model Healthy use of Electronics. Adults are in a good position to model, through their own behaviors, healthy use of electronic. As adults, we need to follow the “Screen Time” rules we set for our children. We can make a commitment to avoid texting or using the phone while driving. We can show our children what appropriate conversations are on Facebook. We can turn our phones off and refrain from checking our email during dinner. Our children can follow our lead.

Engage in “Screen Time” with your Child. Use your child’s favorite app or video game as a way to connect! Sit down and play a game with your child. If this seems difficult, try doing it for only 10 minutes at a time. [You can even set a timer to help you keep track.]. Allow your child to teach you the game. You will get to have some quality time with your kid, doing something they love, and, you will have the chance to assess if the game and online community is something you are comfortable with.

Limit “Screen Time” at Bedtime. Create a “No electronics at bedtime” rule. Did you know that looking at electronic screens before sleep interferes with our brain’s ability to “shut off”? Collect phones, tablets, and other electronic devices one hour before bedtime and allow your children to pick up their electronics in the morning.

Create Ways for Children to Earn “Screen Time”. Allow children to earn “Screen Time” by completing other activities such as homework, chores, and physical play. One possibility is to allow children to earn up to one hour of screen time a night for completing one hour of the other activities. For example, if your child spends 15 minutes walking the dog, 15 minutes jumping on the trampoline, and 30 minutes reading, they can earn one hour of screen time to use watching a TV show or playing a favorite video game.

The goal is to find a balance between the benefits and advantages technology brings while avoiding the pitfalls of disconnection. When use of technology causes relationship problems such as: avoidance of feelings, isolation from loved ones, or when it blocks us from having necessary but difficult face-to-face conversations, it could be time to make a change. There are many ways to set reasonable limits on the use of technology in your life. I hope the ideas shared here have gotten you thinking creatively about your options. If you have questions or are having trouble developing a game plan in your home, consider talking to a professional for additional support.

Feel free to contact us for guidance or questions. We are here to help.

Our Child & Family Mental Wellness Team serves youth 17 and younger and their families. They are located at beda?chelh at 2828 Mission Hill Rd. Tulalip, WA 98271 and can be reached at 360.716.3284.

The Adult Mental Wellness Team serves adults 18 years and older and their families. They are located at Family Services at 2821 Mission Hill Rd. Tulalip, WA 98271 and can be reached at 360.716.4400.

Community receives fresh harvest from Wisdom Warrior produce stand

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

From 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 29, Tulalip community volunteers teamed up with the Wisdom Warriors to participate in the Tulalip Health Clinic’s second ‘Grow your own fruits, vegetables and edible flowers’ community event. The volunteers came together at the Tulalip Bay Wellness Garden and Trail to grow food and community.

The Tulalip Health Clinic’s Diabetes Program is determined to teach the tribal membership how to live a healthy lifestyle that minimizes the risk of diabetes and welcomes any and all community volunteers to become a part of the Wellness Garden. Sponsored by the Diabetes Program, volunteers are provided with seeds, plants, apple trees, blueberry bushes, and raspberry vines among various other fruits and vegetables that are then planted in the Wellness Garden. Master gardeners from Washington State University along with local gardening experts were on hand to answer questions and provide useful gardening tips whenever necessary.

“It’s an opportunity for the people to come back and work with the Earth, their cultural lands and restore it,” says Veronica “Roni” Leahy, Diabetes Program Coordinator of the community gardening events. “The land, this place, is what deserves the recognition. We’re just caretakers and we’re doing what we can to take care of it. Just like we do in the Health Clinic. No different from what we are doing for people on the inside of Health Clinic to restore health, we’re doing the same for people and this land on the outside of the Health Clinic.”

Community members are excited to taste their fresh produce bounties.

One of the many highlights of the day’s event was the opening of the Wisdom Warrior produce stand. With the assistance of the Diabetes Program, the Wisdom Warriors set up a produce stand on the sidewalk of Totem Beach Road, alongside the Wellness Garden, to give away free organic produce. The purpose of the produce stand is primarily to ensure the produce grown in the Wellness Garden goes out to the community and to give community members a convenient sample to add organic vegetables to their diet

Volunteers add new vegetables and edible flowers to the Wellness Garden.

Every person who walked by or drove by and stopped at the produce stand was given a bag of freshly harvested vegetables. Amongst the vegetable bounty were carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, various herbs, kale and lettuce. The kale and lettuce were harvested from the Wellness Garden, while the other vegetables are grown in the Wellness Garden they were not ready to harvest. Instead the not yet ready to harvest vegetables were purchased locally to demonstrate what vegetables are currently being grown.

The Wisdom Warriors estimate they gave away 60+ bags of fresh organic produce to community members.

Carrots, lettuce and kale fresh from the garden.

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tualiptribes-nsn.gov

Riverton hospital moves to enter EPA tribal boundary dispute

By Ben Neary, Associated Press

Riverton Memorial Hospital maintains that a recent medical malpractice case filed against it in tribal court on the Wind River Indian Reservation underscores the problems the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created in its recent decision that the city of Riverton and surrounding lands remain legally Indian Country.

Tribal spokesmen, however, say the tribal court has handled claims against the hospital for years and question why it would raise jurisdictional questions now.

The EPA’s 2013 decision that Riverton and more than 1 million acres of surrounding land remain part of the Wind River Indian Reservation came in response to a joint application from the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes to treat their joint Wind River Indian Reservation essentially as a separate state for purposes of administering the federal Clean Air Act.

The hospital on Wednesday asked the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow it to file a friend-of-the-court brief. The hospital wants to join the state of Wyoming, the City of Riverton, Fremont County and others in fighting the EPA ruling.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead maintains Congress extinguished the land’s reservation status 100 years ago when it opened the area to settlement by non-Indians.

In protesting the EPA decision, Mead and other Wyoming officials have said that a court ruling establishing Riverton remains legally on the reservation would affect provision of state services, including law enforcement protection, to non-Indian residents there.

In the malpractice case pending in tribal court, Riverton lawyer John Vincent represents Cody Armajo, a Northern Arapaho woman. The lawsuit alleges she was taken to the hospital in February 2013 complaining of an injury to her eye but that a doctor there examined her and found nothing much wrong.

The lawsuit states that Armajo was ultimately transported to jail in Lander and jail personnel took her to another hospital when she continued to complain of pain. Doctors there determined she had been shot in the eye and a bullet lodged in her head.

The Riverton hospital’s request to dismiss Armajo’s case is pending in tribal court. The hospital’s arguments filed with the federal court this week state that tribal court is a quagmire where rules and the law are ill-defined.

“This is the impact of the EPA’s decision: a non-Indian business has been hailed into tribal court,” the hospital’s lawyers wrote to the appeals court. “The expansion of the tribes’ jurisdiction over an entire city has already begun to have negative consequences on the city’s businesses.”

Patrick J. Murphy, a Casper lawyer representing the hospital, didn’t immediately return a telephone call to his office on Thursday seeking comment.

Vincent, a former mayor of Riverton, said Thursday that the tribal court had handled medical malpractice claims against the hospital before the EPA ruling. “I don’t know all of a sudden why this case would stir the controversy up,” he said.

The appeals court gave other parties including the tribes until June 8 to file a response to the hospital’s request to enter the case. Mark Howell, spokesman for the Northern Arapaho Tribe, said Thursday the tribe would oppose the hospital’s request.

Richard Brannan, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribal Council, issued a statement Thursday saying the Riverton Hospital receives millions of dollars in funding through the Indian Health Service each year for treatment of tribal members.

“This is not the first time that they’ve had to manage claims for medical negligence in tribal court,” Brannan said. He said the Council is confident the hospital will have a fair opportunity to present all its defenses.

Ronald Oldman, a spokesman for the tribe, issued a statement saying the tribe is actively monitoring Armajo’s case.

“A tribal member was walking down the street in Riverton. She was shot at random by an unknown gunman, and taken to the Riverton hospital with a bullet hole in her head,” Oldman said. “Hospital staff failed to notice the gunshot wound and discharged her.”

What’s Lurking Behind the Suicides?

By Joe Flood, New York Times

PINE RIDGE, S.D. — OUTSIDE the Oglala Lakota tribe’s child protection service office, staff members updated a police officer on the latest emergency: An 11-year old girl had texted her cousin that she wanted to kill herself and then had gone missing.

A damp breeze swirled smoke from the caseworkers’ cigarettes, and the sun flitted between mottled clouds, the advance guard of an approaching spring blizzard. The officer jotted down some specifics on the girl and the remote area where she was last seen, then pulled away from the curb. They didn’t want to lose another child.

Since December, nine people between the ages of 12 and 24 have committed suicide on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation — home to Crazy Horse’s Oglala band of the Lakota — in southwestern South Dakota.

They come to Pine Ridge every few years, these suicide epidemics, with varying degrees of national media attention and local soul-searching. What the news media often misses though, and what tribal members understand but rarely discuss above a whisper, is that youth suicides here are inextricably linked to a multigenerational scourge of sexual abuse, with investigations into possible abuse now open in at least two of the nine recent suicides.

I’m a wasicu (Lakota for “white person”) from Massachusetts, but I’ve spent about half of the past decade living on the rez, working mostly as a teacher and archery coach. Within two weeks of starting my first job teaching high school English here, a veteran teacher told me something he thought was critical to understanding life on Pine Ridge: By the time they reach high school, most of the girls (and many boys, too) have been molested or raped.

His anecdotal observation seems to track with the available statistics. According to the United States Department of Justice, Native Americans are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than other Americans, and the numbers on Pine Ridge, one of the largest, poorest reservations in the country, appear to be even greater. “We started two clinics for reproductive health in the largest high schools on the reservation,” said Terry Friend, a midwife who works at the year-and-a-half-old Four Directions Clinic, which specializes in sexual assault and domestic abuse. “When I take a sexual history of a patient, I ask, ‘Have you had sex against your will?’ At the high schools, girls answered yes more than no.”

Numbers are harder to come by for boys, but local medical professionals estimate that they are also high, and that such rates of abuse can translate to high rates of suicide. One recent study found that nationally, teenage boys who were sexually assaulted were about 10 times more likely to attempt suicide, girls more than three times more likely.

At some point, most local child sexual assault cases cross the tribal prosecutor’s desk. “Unfortunately, many of those same kids have suicidal ideations and attempts,” said the tribe’s attorney general, Tatewin Means. “I definitely think there’s a strong connection between sexual assault and suicide here on the reservation.”

Continue reading the main story

THE BOY LOVED the sweat lodge. He was a troubled student but took solace in the traditional Lakota form of prayer, with steam hissing off big glowing rocks in the center of a small lodge made of bent saplings and canvas tarps. School and tribal officials said the boy showed up to school one day last spring when he was supposed to be on suspension, climbed a pine tree in the schoolyard and hanged himself from a thick branch. Teachers and students saw him, and he was quickly cut down. Struggling to breathe, he sprinted for the school’s sweat lodge, where he took refuge until the police and a relative calmed him down.

It wasn’t the first time he had attempted suicide in or around school grounds, administrators said. He’d been depressed, and behaving erratically, with signs that he was using drugs and “huffing” gasoline. There had also been signs of sexual abuse, involving not only him but also a younger brother and male cousins he lived with. Every time one of the boys showed new signs of abuse or talked about suicide, school officials said, they called the tribe’s child protection unit, and every time they were told the same thing: “It’s still under investigation.”

The child was not removed from the home. Then in December, two weeks after his 14th birthday, the boy hanged himself at home and became the first in the recent string of nine suicides.

His case was lost, it seems, in the web of tribal bureaucracies and federal oversight bodies that are long on backlogged cases and short on funding. The tribal child protection unit, for instance, currently has two investigators for the entire reservation, which the federal census puts at more than 18,000 total residents (though tribal officials say is closer to 40,000). The two investigators are responsible for handling upward of 40 new cases a month, and hundreds more in the long-term case management system.

About a month after the boy died, a 14-year old cheerleader killed herself. Soon after, rumors of an all-too-familiar detail started to spread: Before her death, the girl told friends that her stepfather, a longtime teacher and coach at her school, was sexually abusing her. What followed broke the usual mold, though: Her friends came forward to tell school officials. Charles Roessel, a member of the Navajo Nation and director of the federal Bureau of Indian Education, which oversees the school, said administrators acted quickly to suspend the accused teacher and refer the case to federal investigators. No charges have been brought.

Shortly after his suspension from the federal school, the cheerleader’s stepfather was brought on, according to school officials, as an unpaid intern by the reservation’s Shannon County school system, which is overseen by the state. His job was to shadow one of the system’s principals so that he could learn to be a school administrator. The stepfather did not respond to requests for comment.

TRIBAL LEADERS and experts are struggling to understand the recent suicide epidemic (specifics on many of the cases aren’t widely known), but there’s general agreement on one underlying cause: the legacy of federally funded boarding schools that forcibly removed generations of Native American children from their homes. Former students and scholars of the institutions say that the isolation and lack of oversight at the mostly church-run schools allowed physical and sexual abuse to run rampant.

“My grandmother used to tell me that she didn’t think she was pretty,” said an E.M.T. friend of mine who responds to a suicide attempt every week or so, “because when the priests used to sneak into her dorm and take a little girl for the night, they never picked her.”

Left untreated, such sexual abuse can lead to elevated rates of drug and alcohol abuse and suicide, said Dr. Steven Berkowitz, director of a center on youth trauma at the University of Pennsylvania.

One sad irony of the recent suicides is that they come in the middle of new initiatives to address sexual assault. The Four Directions Clinic is treating young abuse victims who were previously sent to distant hospitals off the reservation. Tribal and federal law enforcement officials now confer regularly to better coordinate investigations. High school students recently petitioned the Pine Ridge school board to create health classes for vulnerable middle school students, and the board unanimously voted to find necessary funding.

Still, the challenges are enormous. Six days after the 11-year-old girl went missing, protection services still hadn’t located her, though a caseworker says the hope is that the girl and her mother have gone to a domestic violence shelter somewhere — the reservation doesn’t have its own.

Shortly before the 14-year-old boy committed suicide, a school administrator tried to counsel him. Lakota tradition, she told him, teaches that a spirit set free by suicide is doomed to wander the earth in lonely darkness. “You don’t want that, do you?” she asked. He looked her in the eye, a minor taboo for Lakota children to do with their elders, and said, “Anything’s better than here.”

Tulalip Bay Wellness Garden and Trail, bringing practical application to diabetes program

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

When it comes to diabetes, Native Americans are clearly at greater risk compared to non-Natives. The incidence and prevalence of diabetes within the Native community have increased dramatically as traditional lifestyles have been abandoned in favor of westernization, with accompanying increases in body weight and diminished physical activity. Consider these sobering statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service:

2.2 times higher – likelihood of Native Americans to have diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites.

68% – percent increase in diabetes from 1994 to 2004 in Native American youth aged 15-19 years.

95% – percent of Native Americans with diabetes who have type 2 diabetes.

30% – estimated percent of Native Americans who have pre-diabetes.*

The extent of diabetes in Native communities today demands public health programs that incorporate specific cultural adaptations for individual tribes. Enter the Tulalip Health Clinic’s Diabetes Program and its ‘grow your own fruits, vegetables & edible flowers’ campaign.

In the spring of 2013, Veronica “Roni” Leahy, Diabetes Program Coordinator, embarked on a mission to bring practical application of diabetes prevention into the everyday lives of Tulalip tribal members by creating a Tulalip Bay wellness garden and trail.

Tribal employees volunteer their time to plant apple trees.photo/Micheal Rios — Tribal employees volunteer their time to plant apple trees.
photo/Micheal Rios

“Our goal for this garden is diabetes prevention,” explains Leahy. “One of the ways you fight diabetes is good nutrition and exercise. We have a vegetable garden which supports good nutrition and a wellness trail for our exercise. It’s practical application. We offer natural foods you can grow. We have berries, like gooseberries, huckleberries and raspberries. We have fruits, like Oregon grape, apples and pears. Plus, we are growing edible flowers as well.

“Our plan here is to have as much community involvement as possible in creating this space. We have elders who have been a huge part of this project from the very beginning. We’ll continue to focus on the elders and community as we further develop this area. That’s why we call it ‘grow your own fruits and vegetables.’”

Volunteer elders work hard almost every day in creating new additions to the health clinic gardens. Tulalip elder Sandy Swanson is one of those dedicated volunteers.

“I’m out here every day because I enjoy gardening. I worked with Roni on this project since it first started at Hibulb Cultural Center,” says Swanson. “I worked there in the greenhouse and garden beds for two or three years. So when we started down here, I thought this would be good because it’s closer to my home and work at the Health Clinic. I was a nurse for 50 years and just retired last year. I’m 75 now so I putter around here and water and plant and help keep this area clean. I come down and help plant the peas and apple trees.

New garden boxes have been established for the various fruits and vegetables. Photo/Micheal Rios — New garden boxes have been established for the various fruits and vegetables.
Photo/Micheal Rios

“This garden is for the people so anyone can come help out and be a part of this. People come and work with us on these gardens, we’d like to have more people, but many work so we understand. The main theme is to be able to teach about healthy home-grown fruits and vegetables where they are safe to eat, store stuff is so processed and shined up with chemicals. You have to wash all your fruits and vegetables from the stores these days.”The Tulalip Health Clinic’s Diabetes Program is determined to teach the tribal membership how to live a healthy lifestyle that minimizes the risk of diabetes and welcomes any and all community volunteers to become a part of the wellness garden. The next ‘grow your own fruits and vegetables’ event with be on Friday, May 29 from 9:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. at the Tulalip Bay wellness garden and trail, located on the west side ofthe Tulalip Health Clinic.

View of the Wellness Trail as it leads to the garden. photo/Micheal Rios — View of the Wellness Trail as it leads to the garden.
photo/Micheal Rios

For more information about the Diabetes Program, the wellness garden, or opportunities for volunteerism please contact Roni Leahy at vleahy@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov or 360-716-5642.

*source: diabetes.org

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov