Smoke Signals
APRIL 15f 2004
Nike Hosts Native Fitness Training Sessions
Two-day program last month may be a pilot for the nation.
By Ron Kartcn
What started out as a one-room
training for representatives of maybe
20 Indian health facilities ballooned
into "Pride in Movement," a project
filling three rooms at Nike headquar
ters in Beaverton, employing half a
dozen exercise and nutrition facilita
tors for more than 80 participants from
25 Tribes.
Initially, the fitness program idea
was Nellie McConville's concept.
McConville (Nez Perce) is Diabetes
Coordinator for the Native American
Rehabilitation Association (NARA).
The idea was so good, however, that it
quickly spread among local Indian
wellness groups, as well as Nike's Sam
McCracken, who as Native American
Business Manager is Nike's point man
for Indian issues.
"I always take the approach: any
thing I can do for the (Indian) commu
nity, I'm for it," said McCracken. In
this case, he thinks, the current project
could turn into a nationwide model.
Nike already was on the case with
this one. At the end of last year, Nike
initiated an agreement with the In
dian Health Services to create pro
grams consistent with the agency's
Health PromotionDisease Prevention
(HPDP) model. When this idea came
up, McCracken said, "nothing more
exemplified" the IIPDP model.
The program starts with the cur
rent status of diabetes among Indians.
As Kerri Lopez (Tolowa) said, "We have
an epidemic in Indian Country."
Lopez is Project Director of the West
ern Tribal Diabetes Project of the
Northwest Portland Area Indian
Heath Board and is spearheading the
"Pride in Movement" project.
"Pride in Movement" put attendees
through cardio, strength and flexibil
ity clinics along with sessions on nu
trition, kids games and a brainstorm
ing session to get the wheels turning
about how to take the program suc
cessfully back to the Tribes.
"This is a process," said Nike's Flex
ibility Trainer Margo Kellison about
the exercises, but the point worked as
well for the entire program. "It takes
time. It's not a competition with your-
However, he noted a troubling and
widespread prejudice: "People see obe
sity as a character flaw," he said.
"(They say to themselves) why should
we spend money on somebody who
won't help themselves?"
1 11 r vT L
li
It's All About Health Nike's Native American business Manager Sam
McCracken, (Red Bottom Clan of Assinaboine) talks to a reporter as the two-day
"Pride in Movement" exercise and nutrition program continued in three different
rooms at Nike's Tiger Woods building. McCracken played an important role in
bringing the program to Nike headquarters.
self or anybody else. Everything must
be done in a sacred way. Banish the
struggle."
"When creating a class," said Nike's
Strength Trainer Kelly Zebig, "re
member to choose exercises that bal
ance the muscles" so if an exercise
reaches the biceps, be sure to include
another that exercises the triceps.
"Lunges reach all the muscles," she
said. "That's why they call them 'God's
exercise."
Grand Ronde Wellness Center Phy
sician Wilbert James (Swinomish)
said that the program had "a lot of
potential. I think it's something that
people are going to want." Dr. James
formerly was recreation director for
the Swinomish Tribe.
Overcoming the personal difficulty
of working out on a bum knee, the re
sult of a football injury years ago, Dr.
James nevertheless worked hard in the
trainings, walking the walk of some
thing he said earlier: "People need to
prioritize to themselves and think
about what's good for them."
Haanah Mike (Shoshone), a new
Drug and Alcohol Counselor with the
Grand Ronde Tribe's Education De
partment, came "to help train the
young kids to get in shape."
Tribal member DeAnna Trimpe, a
MedicalAdministrative Assistant,
came because, "I want to learn tools for
my own health, and to teach others."
Tribal member Tracy Biery, a
Health Promotion Specialist, and
Vernon Kennedy (Burns-Paiute), a
Prevention Education Counselor, both
with the Clinic, also attended.
The project will be a statistical
project as well as one teaching exer
cise and nutrition, according to Lopez.
It will start with taking "baseline mea
surements to see if this activity makes
a difference at the Tribes."
In addition, the program encouraged
participants to think about incentives,
punch cards, celebrations and follow
up strategies for keeping people inter
ested, and to help, self-assessment and
other forms to help implement the pro
gram will be available to Tribes in
volved. "But if you have a person with dia
betes who is so depressed that they
don't want to get out of bed," said
Lopez, the scope of things the program
needs to address increases dramati
cally. Encouraging self-motivated daily
activity by participants, Nike
"Katalyst" Kevin Carroll quoted box
ing great Muhammed Ali saying, 'I
either won or lost the fight before I
entered the ring.'
"You can't be there with a person 24
hours a day," said Carroll.
With high hopes in their hearts, re
alists among the participants never
theless dominated the day. "It's a do
over from the start," said Dr. James.
"There's no downhill course. Every
thing you did yesterday is a clean slate
today."
Indian health organization partici
pants included NARA, the Urban In
dian Health Clinic, the Northwest
Portland Area Indian Health Boards'
Western Tribal Diabetes Project, the
Portland Area Indian Health Service
and the Native Wellness Institute.
"There's a Hopi saying," said Flex
ibility Instructor Kellison as she sent
the class into a stretch. "We are the
ones we've been waiting for."
The Tribal member community meetings for the Grand Ronde Tribes will be held in May to share information on current Tribal plans and to
gather information for goal setting. Included will be a review of recent projects and key achievements. Comments will be used in guiding
programs and projects and in grant applications (e.g. Community Development Block Grant, Administration for Native Americans, HeadStart,
etc.). YOUR PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED, APPRECIATED AND MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
A full buffet meal will be served at the start of each meeting including entrees of salmon and beef and there will be a coffee break during each
meeting. The meetings will be held at the following locations in Portland, Eugene, and Grand Ronde.
May 4, 2004
Tuesday
6 8:30 p.m.
Sweetbrier Inn (Columbia Room)
7125 SW Nyberg Road
Tualatin, Oregon 97062
Take 1-5 Exit 289 and go east on Nyberg Road. The Inn is
just east of the Interchange on your left and is visible from
the freeway. (The Columbia room is upstairs, the first room
on your right. There is an elevator.)
May 13, 2004
Thursday
6 8:30 p.m.
Red Lion Inn (Ballroom lower level; also
called the Estate & Farwest rooms)
205 Coburg Road
Eugene, OR 97401
From 1-5 take exit 194B onto 1-105 west. Head west on I
105 to Coburg Road Exit. Take a right onto Coburg Road.
The hotel is right there on the right. (Main entrance and then
take the stairselevator to the lower level).
May 25, 2004
Tuesday
6 8:30 p.m.
Grand Ronde Community Center
Grand Ronde, Oregon
Meeting Agenda Following the opening dinner there will be
an overview of Tribal accomplishments this past year and then
capital projects planned for this next year. There will be a short
presentation by Housing and then a presentation on the Tribe's
new Health Plan through Self-Insurance. After these presenta
tions (about a half hour combined) there will be three break out
sessions of about a 25 minutes each. The first will be on the Health
Plan and Self Insurance and the last will be for any subjects mem
bers want to discuss. The middle session at Tualatin and Eugene
will be on the upcoming satellite offices and at Grand Ronde the
middle session will be on Community Area Planning. A drawing
for a Pendleton blanket will be held at the end of each meeting.