Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
April 10, 2019
Page 7
Making it easier to quit smoking
T obacco use among the
Native American people is
among the most impor-
tant—and among the more
complicated—health issues
in Indian Country. On the
one hand, according to the
Centers for Disease Control:
American Indians face a
higher risk of experiencing
tobacco-related disease—
due to a higher rate of ciga-
rette smoking and other to-
bacco use—than any other
ethnic group. The diseases
include lung cancer, heart
disease and diabetes.
On the other hand, from
time immemorial some Na-
tive groups have used to-
bacco for ceremonial, reli-
gious and medicinal pur-
poses.
The serious health risks
to Indian people come from
the use of commercial to-
bacco—cigarettes and
smokeless tobacco—rather
than the ceremonial and re-
ligious use, incidence of
which is infrequent to the
point of non-addicting.
The health services that
are available to tribal mem-
bers are in regard to the com-
mercial use of tobacco
products. Quitting this use
is a challenge for all people,
Indian and non-Indian.
The good news is that ser-
Five generations
Pharmacy Cessation Clinic
Farrellyn Bellanger
vices are readily available to
tribal members who wish to
quit cigarettes or smokeless
tobacco, or any other form
of commercial nicotine-
based addictive substance.
With tribal Health and
Human Services Preven-
tion, the Tobacco Preven-
tion Specialist is Farrellyn
Bellanger; and at the Indian
Health Services Pharmacy
the Tobacco Cessation Clinic
Manager is Jessie Casberg,
Clinical Pharmacist.
Ms. Bellanger in February
joined Health and Human
Services as Tobacco Preven-
tion Specialist. She works in
cooperation with Ms.
Casberg.
An initial project
Farrellyn is working on is an
outreach program with the
phone Quit Line, based in
On Tribal Election Day
Jayson Smith/Spilyay
Rosemary ‘Mushy’ Alarcon casts her ballot at the Tribal
Council Election station.
The IHS Pharmacy Tobacco Cessation Clinic of-
fers a variety of options for tribal members who are
interested in quitting smoking, or quitting smokeless
tobacco.
A person can make an appointment through a re-
ferral from a physician, nurse or other care provider;
or a person can come in on his or her own. Over the
four years that Ms. Casberg has been with the pro-
gram, many members have made use of the service.
At any given time 25 to 30 patients may be receiv-
ing the service. Some people complete a program in
six weeks, and some may take six months—it de-
pends on the individual, Jessie said.
A person can use the patch, a pill, or some other
kind of cessation aid. The initial consultation to de-
termine the need usually takes 30 to 45 minutes.
The client then checks in regularly, such as every
two weeks, to keep the prescription current. The
person can check in personally at the clinic, or it can
be done by phone to the Pharmacy. The clinic tries
to make the Tobacco Cessation service as accessible
as possible to the membership. You can reach the
clinic at 541-553-1968.
Portland, that is established
to work specifically with the
Oregon Native American
demographic. Making the
Quit Line easily accessible
to the membership is the
goal.
Another and more long-
term project will be work-
ing with the tribes and the
Housing Authority on ad-
dressing the use of tobacco
in the tribal and HUD hous-
ing units.
Tribal Council in recent
years has prohibited smok-
ing within 25 feet of the
doors and windows of tribal
public buildings. Extending
some regulation to the tribal
and HUD units would be
another health benefit,
Farrellyn said.
Courtesy Chet VanPelt
Five generations in one photograph: Eliza Brown-
Jim, Lillie Itta Van Pelt, Eliza Medrano, Tyrone
Medrano and Kaden R. Medrano.
Plan for summer youth work
Health and Human Ser-
vices, Natural Resources and
the tribes are planning for
the Warm Springs student
summer work program.
This is open to high school
students and college students
of the tribes.
Applications need to be
submitted to the Work Expe-
rience Development Depart-
Tribal Councilman
Suppah met recently
with Congressman Greg
Walden, to discuss
federal legislation that
would officially nullify the
Huntington document of
1865. The Huntington
‘treaty’—acknowledged
by courts and federal
agencies as a fraudulent
act committed against
the tribes—purports to
nullify aspects of the
Treaty of 1855, the
controlling document in
the tribal-U.S.
relationship. Federal
lawmakers, with support
of Gov. Brown, are
considering officially
repealing the Huntington
document.
Courtesy photo
Seniors Day will turn 30
Warm Springs Honor Se-
niors Day is a month away.
The spring tradition—this
year celebrating its Thirtieth
Anniversary—will be on the
second Friday of May—on
May 10—at the Agency
Longhouse.
The theme this year is
Boots, Chaps and Cowboy
Hats!
Everyone is welcome to
attend—and if you want to
be on theme, Wear your
boots, chaps and cowboy
hats.
Warm Springs Honor
Seniors Day is a full day of
fun, with guests arriving
from around the region.
The Seniors Program
provides entertainment and
games, plus breakfast, lunch
and dinner.
Early Childhood Educa-
tion will host the mini pow-
wow, to name just some of
the main attractions.
Contact the War m
Springs Senior Program if
you would like to help out,
541-553-3313.
ment at Education Building.
The deadline to apply is
May 23. This is for Native
students ages 14-24, enrolled
in traditional and alternative
high school, or college.
College students of any
age may apply, and have un-
til June 27. Contact the
WEDD office at 541-553-
3324 for details.
Killing sea lions boosted
steelhead numbers: State
Imperiled Oregon steel-
head runs appear to be mak-
ing a comeback thanks to an
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife program that
kills sea lions.
The department says the
native fish species was nearly
extinct before the agency be-
gan killing sea lions. Now,
over 2,400 steelhead have
migrated past Willamette
Falls—the highest count
since 2016 and up signifi-
cantly from 2017, when 822
steelhead were counted.
ODFW writes in a state-
ment: “There has been an
unprecedented effort among
Northwest states, federal
agencies, tribes and private
citizens to protect and re-
cover salmon and steel-
head...”
“If predation by sea lions
at these environmental
pinch points is not addressed
there is a high risk that these
investments will fail and ad-
ditional fish runs will be ex-
tirpated.”
Feds meet tribes at Columbia
Assistant Secretary for In-
dian Affairs Tara Sweeney
and Deputy Assistant Secre-
tary Mark Cruz of the De-
partment of the Interior met
with leaders from the Co-
lumbia River Tribes and the
Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission late in
March.
Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion Director of Communi-
cations Chuck Sams says
they met to discuss fishing
access sites, and ended up
going back to Washington,
D.C. with an unforgettable
taste of Columbia River life.
“Secretary Sweeney said
this has been the best tour
ever,” Sams said. “She actu-
ally got to shoot a shotgun
and throw sound bombs out
at the sea lions to distract
them from our fish passage
areas.”
“We really had to talk
about the upcoming issues:
natural resource protection,
salmon production, making
sure that we have steady
salmon returning, not only
just up the big river, but up
the tributaries like the
Umatilla,” Sams said.
1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483).