December 16, 1999 9
Warm Springs, Oregon
Spilyay Tymoo
Annual Men's Wellness Conference gathered all ages together
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Dan Brisbois, Sr. states his concerns about our community not
being able to reach the goal of being the healthiest community (or
the year 2000.
Jenna Johnson, Cigany Scott, Reanna Charley, Lucinda Stwyer, Wendy Johnson & Jeanie Wilson drum Indian
Women Be Brave & Stand up," a song they learned while they were in treatment. They sang two other songs, a
crow hope and "Red People's Song."
Kenny Scabbyrobe, Chaz Mitchell, Austin Greene, Zack DelNero drum round dance songs.
Photos and text by
Lenora Starr
The fifth annual Men's Wellness
Conference took place at the Com
munity Wellness Center December
1,2, & 3, 1999 at the Community
Wellness Center.
The speakers for the conference
covered a variety of topics on spiritu
ality, mental health, physical well
being and shared personal testimo
nies. A day was set aside for learning
craft projects such as making drums,
moccasins, gloves, yarn bags and
mini-teepees.
Men and women, young and old
attended the conference. "When you
are a spiritual person you can be
satisfied with where you are in your
life," said Kenny Scabby Robe, a
speaker at the Men's Wellness Con
ference. Scabby Robe addressed the
topic of spirituality sharing his testi
mony of his experience with alcohol
abuse and how his life is better with
out the use of alcohol. Scabby Robe
shared a story about a 15-year-old
boy driving without a drivers license
and insurance who accidentally killed
two children. According to Scabby
Robe, the mother of this boy was
very worried about the consequences
that may occur because of the acci
dent and requested prayers for the
family. He believes that the power of
prayer helped the judge to be lenient
with the sentencing. Although the
boy had to serve time in juvenile
detention, he was released for school
and for time with his parents. The
sentence could have be life impris
onment. The boy is now in high
school doing well and has excelled in
basketball. Later, it was learned that
the parents of the children in the
vehicle where the two children were
killed, were constantly fighting over
the kids. Scabby Robe said that this
could have been the Creator's way of
taking the children out of a bad situ
ation and take them out of the pain of
the fighting between the parents. Only
the Creator knows for sure.
He concluded, "Through prayer
and spirituality , youfll have the abil
ity to succeed in whatever you do."
Keith Moody, Community Health
Representative for the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs shared his
knowledge about diabetes. He said
there is 1 86 people in Warm Springs
diagnosed with diabetes and seven
of more people are on dialysis, a rate
lower than a lot of other reservations.
He shares 5 key points for preventing
diabetes:
1. Exercise more.
2. Eat less and eat less fat.
3. Eat less sugar.
4. Share ideas for support for
people with diabetes.
5. Keeping on the path of in
corporating all of the above.
Minnie RedDog shared a power
ful testimony of the abuse she en
dured as a child and how she sur
vived it and how she is prevailing.
Minnie works for the Warm Springs
Oregon State University Extension
office if you would like to speak to
her about her testimony.
The conference attendee's were
offered an opportunity to evaluate
the conference and here are some of
the remarks:
"Every presenter did and excel
lent job"
"The personal stories of sexual
abuse and alcoholism were very
emotionally touching and very en
couraging to witness that these vic
tims can overcome and persevere
those issues."
"Very good location and good
meals"
Gang awareness, abuse of elders,
mediation as an alternative to juve
nile hall, men's view of the women
in the community, more information
on diabetes, and we need to get more
people to the conference were some
of the suggestions that were made for
future conferences.
The attendee's were also offered
a chance to make a personal pledge.
They were to write down there
pledges and the CHET program will
mail these pledges back to the per
sons to remind them of the pledges
they made so that people will be able
to see where they are with their
pledges.
There were positive comments on
Minnie RedDog, Conrad Queahpama
and his brother Kyle Queahpama re
garding their personal testimonies.
Conrad shared that as of November
29, 1999 was his 60th day of sobriety
from alcoholism. He acknowledged
the hurt and pain he has caused his
family by his alcoholism and how he
is trying to turn that around one day
at a time. He does this by looking to
his mentor, Charlie Tailfeather's.
Conrad relies on the spiritual songs
and the healing of the sweat baths
and how through his sobriety he is on
a new level of spirituality. He can
hear and feel the spiritual songs. His
brother Kyle shared through his tears
how fearful he was for his brother
possibly killing himself with the al
cohol and how he may hear of news
of his death because of an alcohol
related accident. In the end the broth
ers hugged and some members of the
audience were drying their tears.
"Tears of healing," some would say.
The lighter side of the conference
was the senior wellness team leading
exercises throughout the conference
and the craft making classes.
For more information about the
conference and future events contact
the staff at the Community Health
Education office at 541-553-4922.
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Jeri Jim and Hilda Culpus help Annette Jim make buckskin gloves.
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Men's Wellness participants converse with Minnie RedtD9.Jeft
anJ I SuzaS Moody, rTght. following the ladies presentations on
victims of violence.
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Otis Johnson, left, and Wesley Spino, III prepare their drum frames
during drum making class.
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