Smoke Signals
March 1992
by Nancy Butterfield
American Indian Youth and HIV
Names and other details have been changed to protect
privacy.
A year ago, Louanne Brown was 16 years old, in love,
and expecting her first baby. She planned to return to
high school after giving birth, and was determined to
stick with her plans to go on to college.
The young Native American woman regarded her
prospective motherhood not as an obstacle, but as a
challenge she welcomed.
Today, Louanne realizes the challenges she faces are
far greater than she ever imagined.
Dave, her 28-year-old boyfriend, broke off their
relationship about eight months ago, and Louanne
learned recently that he is living with another American
Indian teenage girl, who also is pregnant with his baby.
Two months later Louanne learned that she is HIV
positive. Her baby daughter, born last August, also has
tested positive for the AIDS virus.
"I thought my biggest concern would be finding enough
time to take care of my baby, and still do my homework
and play basketball," Louanne said in a recent interview.
"Now, I'm just focusing on staying alive, and keeping
ray baby healthy."
The statistics of AIDS cast an especially long
shadow over her baby. Louanne's doctor has told
AGES OF FEMALE NATIVE AMERICAN
AIDS CASES
NUM8E3 OF CASES
16 -A
14
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her that as many as 80 percent of babies born with
the AIDS virus will die by the age of three. She is
praying that her daughter, Kayla, will beat the
odds.
Like basketball superstar Magic Johnson,
Louanne also has had to give up the sport she loves
in order to safeguard her health. She is concerned
about the risk of wearing down her fragile immune
system further.
And sometimes Louanne still has trouble believ
ing she could have become infected with the AIDS
virus.
"I've never used needles to take drugs, and Pm
not gay, and I'm Indian, so I always figured I was
safe from AIDS," she said. "I knew my boyfriend
took drugs sometimes, but I didn't find out until
recently that he shoots up."
American Indians have had a 91
increase in AIDS cases largest per
centage of any ethnic group in the
nation - from 1989 to 1990.
Louanne said she is positive she contracted the
disease through unprotected sex with Dave, who
also in Native American.
"I was a virgin before I met him," she said. "We
were together for about six months before I left
home and moved in with him, and he's the only guy
I've ever had sex with."
' This lack of understanding about how AIDS is
transmitted is directly responsible for the growing
numbers of Native American teenagers with the
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"There is a kind of belief that Indians, especially
those who live on reservations, don't get AIDS,"
said Lorelle Pintado, director of health education
and prevention for Seattle Indian Health Board.
"But that's just not true. Indians get AIDS in all
the same ways non-Indians do, including having
Adult Female Indian AIDS Cases:
How Were They Infected?
ten ol bus
20
15
10
s
-
sexual intercourse or sharing needles with an HIV
infected person." .
American Indians, including many teenagers, travel
from cities and reservations to rodeos, conferences,
powwows, tournaments and ceremonies, all over the
U.S. and Canada, Health Authority officials point out.
According to the Center for Disease Control in
Atlanta, Georgia, there are 305 American Indians
diagnosed with the AIDS virus. Dr. Emmett Chase,
AIDS coordinator for Indian Health Service, said there
are an estimated 12 to 13 new Indian AIDS cases each
month. About one-fifth of all AIDS cases are teenagers.
A more alarming figure is that American Indians have
had a 91 increase in AIDS cases - largest percentage
of any ethnic group in the nation from 1989 to 1990.
Some Indians use IV drugs, and many have unpro
tected sex. So Indian teenagers face all the same risks as
their non-Indian counterparts, plus additonal ones.
Alcohol and drug abuse, which have higher rates
among American Indian teenagers than white teenagers,
compound the risk factor. Because alcohol and illegal
drugs impair judgement, the possibility is increased that
teenagers under their influence will engage in high-risk
behavior.
c
Congratulations to Larry and Patricia Tasa
of HUlsboro. On February 9 they added a new
addition to the family, Jacob Clarence Tasa
weighed 4 pounds and 3 ounces and measured in
at 17 inches. Jacob was welcomed by his brothers
Larry Jr. and Greg and sisters Marie and Mandy.
Also by his Grandmother Melvina Mary Lindahl of
HUlsboro.
Arts: Crafts and Supplies
The Economic Development Department is consider
ing a proposal to open a arts and crafts co-op here in
Grand Ronde during the spring of 1992.
The arts and crafts co-op would sell the crafts of tribal
members and, also, finance supplies for the artisans.
If you are an artistically inclined tribal member and are
interested in being a part of the arts and crafts co-op,
then please don't miss the meeting on March 16, at
5:30pm in the Forestry Building to discuss the plans.
Please bring with you samples or pictures of your work
and an approximation of how many you could produce
in any given amount of time. This is important because
the Economic Development Department needs to know
what you make, what price you sell it for, how much of it
can you make, and what supplies you need to make it.
For more information, please contact Shelley Hanson
at 879-5211 ext. 153.
IHS: Smoking causes 40
of deaths in Indian Country
By Cathy Cline, Editor
Bryson Liberty and Bruce Myers of the Indian Health
Services (IHS) in Portland presented the Tribal Council
with staggering statistics on the effects of smoking in
Indian Country.
Liberty and Myers work with tribal governments across
the state to establish a smoking policy on tribal and
reservation lands. To date they have written smoking
policies for more than 39 tribes.
The policies include the guidelines of when and where
a person may smoke on tribal or reservation lands and
also the penalties for violation of the policy. Currently,
the legal aspects are being evaluated by the Confeder
ated Tribes of Grand Ronde's lawyers and may possibly
include updating the tribes existing smoking policy.
"There are approximately 430,000 deaths caused by
diseases directly related to tobacco," Myers said.
The tobacco industry is a billion dollar a year industry
which pays people to keep this kind of information out
of the hands of the American people, he said.
Directly related to Indian Country "up to 50-54 of
adult Indians over 18 smoke cigarettes regularly," Myers
said. "As a result, two out of every five deaths in Indian
Country are due to smoking; that's 40."
Th3 health effects of second-hand
smoke
More than 50,000 people die annually from expo
sure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) i.e.
second-hand smoke. An estimated 3,800 of these
deaths are from lung cancer, 38,000 from circulatory
and heart diseases. Second-hand smoke is the third
leading preventable cause of death.
Cigarette smoke contains 42 known carcinogens,
including nicotine, benzene, formaldehyde, cyanide
and other deadly chemicals. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency is recommending that second
hand smoke be classified as a Group A carcinogen,
the highest and most dangerous classification.
Physical separation of smokers from nonsmoker in
workplaces, restaurants and recreation halls does not
prevent involuntary exposure to harmful amounts of
ETS.
Nonsmokers who live with smokers suffer a 30
higher incidence of lung cancer than those living with
nonsmokers.
The risk of lung cancer to nonsmokers growing up
as children of smoking parents is double that of
nonsmoking adults who grew up with nonsmoking
parents.
Ninety-five percent of adult Americans believe that
cigarette smoking is harmful to health.