TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Celebrate Wellbriety; Look at Your Family Assets
by Crista Whittington
September is designated as
“Wellbriety Month” by White Bison, a
private non-profit Native-owned and
-based prevention resource organization
in New Mexico. Its primary goal is to
have 100 Native communities in heal
ing by 2010. This includes communities
involved in the Sacred Hoop Journey.
Supportive of this effort is the A&D
use of The Red Road to Wellbriety, full
of stories and inspiration as a text used
to aid those in recovery. In addition, sons
and daughters of tradition, both culture
based youth prevention programs, will
be implemented in the Siletz community.
Wellbriety holistically combines
celebrating wellness and sobriety. As
the prevention coordinator for the tribe,
I collaborated with various departments
and area office staff to tailor a wellbriety
event appropriate for each office.
Some highlights from the event in
cluded Walt Klamath (an elder at A&D)
telling stories and honoring a tribal
member in wellbriety in Salem. In Port
land, we had a potluck and enjoyed Toni
Matt’s whole wheat fry bread.
The Eugene event included an edu
cational display on wellbriety. In Siletz,
Delina John was honored with a Pendle
ton blanket for her commitment to
wellbriety by last year’s honoree,
Jenifer Metcalf. This event also doubled
as the Run to the Rogue registration,
orientation, and dinner for all those
participating the following weekend.
Each event was unique, but at all
events we came together to honor and
strengthen our commitment to live health
ier lives free from the use of alcohol,
tobacco (commercial), and other drugs.
I raffled off copies of The Red Road
to Wellbriety and last year’s wellbriety
T-shirts. The T-shirts listed the four
healing principles that were created as
the guiding foundation for the first pre
vention efforts in Siletz nearly 10 years
ago. I’d like to share them with you, in
honor of Wellbriety Month.
Four Healing Principles
•
•
•
•
We will find support and resources
to heal, renew, and rebuild.
Our journey is linked to the past.
We will use traditions, cultural val
ues, and knowledge to strengthen
ourselves and our community.
We will send a message to educate
our children and families about the
harmful effects of alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs.
The healing of the individual, the
community, and the tribe go hand
in hand and are inseparable.
Look Closer at
Your Assets
Your wellness “home
work assignment” is
next. Don’t worry -
there’s no wrong way to
do it!
If you are an adult, answer as if you
were a teen-ager. If you are a youth,
view it as a checklist - together you can
discuss and compare your answers.
The point is to see how many of
these assets you and your family have
now and can work together to create
regularly in your lives. There are inter
nal and external assets, each having four
different groups of assets. These 40
assets have been identified as the build
ing blocks that help young people grow
up healthy, caring, and responsible.
This article will focus on the first six
external assets that fall under support
Next month’s focus will be empowerment.
involved in helping young person
succeed in school.
Being a parent (and a youth) is tough
work. We’re here to support each of you
and assist you in increasing your assets!
Together, our programs serve
youth 8-18 years old and their families.
Some of our specific programs and ser
vices include:
•
•
Support
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Positive Family Support - Fam
ily life provides high levels of love
and support.
Positive Family Communication
- Young person and her or his par-
ent/caretaker communicate posi
tively and young person is willing
to seek advice and counsel from them.
Other Adult Relationship - Young
person receives support from three
or more non-parent adults.
Caring Neighborhood - Young
person experiences caring neighbors.
Caring School Climate - School
climate provides a caring, encour
aging environment.
Parent Involvement in Schooling
- Parent/Caretakers are actively
•
•
•
Strength-based
individual case
management
Ropes course and
wilderness
programming -
rafting, kayaking, canoeing, hiking
Culturally based cooperati ve program
ming with the health clinic and the
Culture and Education departments
Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug
interactive education groups at
Siletz Valley School and soon area
high schools in Lincoln County
Referral to individualized services
and programs as needed
If you would like to volunteer with
or connect as a youth participant with
tribal prevention efforts, please contact
Delina John, tribal youth prevention
specialist, or Crista Whittington, ATOD
prevention coordinator, at 541-444-8267
or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1267.
November USDA Distribution Dates
Siletz
Monday, Nov. 1
Tuesday, Nov. 2
Wednesday, Nov. 3
Thursday, Nov. 4
Friday, Nov. 5
Toni Matt makes whole wheat fry bread at the wellbriety event in Portland.
8
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Siletz News
•
November 2004
Salem
9 a.m. - 3
9 a.m. - 3
9 a.m. - 3
9 a.m. - 3
9 a.m. - 3
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
During October, we received our
first delivery of fresh fruits and veg
etables for the USDA distribution.
USDA staff is proud and excited to
bring fresh produce to our Siletz and
Salem warehouses. We believe that the
addition of top-quality fresh produce
will greatly enhance the healthy foods
that USDA provides.
Monday, Nov. 15
Tuesday, Nov. 16
Wednesday, Nov. 17
9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Please note the schedule changes.
Because of the Restoration Day holi
day, we need to adjust our schedule, so
we will distribute for a full day Nov. 15.