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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2004)
Smoke Signals Tribe's Youth Prevention Program Sponsors "Nuturing Parent" Class At Spirit Mountain Casino Parents need to learn to take care of themselves if they are to take care of others. 10 OCTOBER 15, 2004 Iiy Peta Tinda About 14 Tribal parents and em ployees attended a "Nurturing Par ent" training held at Spirit Moun tain Casino on Thursday and Fri day, October 7 and 8. The training was sponsored by the Tribe's Youth Social Services Prevention Program. On the first day they learned the basics, philosophy and values as sociated with the training. The participants did experimen tal exercises, learned about the fun damentals of the nurturing com munication and non-punitive be havior management. Tribal member Carmen Pearsall, who took the training last year, thought that it would be good for parents here in Grand Ronde. She worked with Youth Social Service Prevention Program Spe cialist Lisa Leno to help coordinate the training and bring the present ers. "The goal is to teach the whole family the skills we are learning here today," Pearsall said. "We make sure that the parents and children all share the same in formation. Our goal is to have a holistic, nurturing parent pro gram." Presenter Karen Cady, a mar riage and family therapist and clinical supervisor, said "we're training participants to become fa cilitators to develop they're own nurturing parent programs. "The whole process is that fami lies come together as a system and learn how to become nurturing v L r1 I. . Needs VS. Wants Nurturing Parent presenter Karen Cady, a family and marriage therapist, gives a presentation during the free, two day training. parents by nurturing themselves." This is one of the key concepts of the workshop, Pearsall explained. "In order for us to become nurtur ing parents, we must nurture our selves. We went around and asked: 'Do you feel like you nurture your self?' and the answer was invariably, 'no.' There's a social stigma that nur- Following Along Tribal mem ber Carmen Mercier (right) studies her notes during the Nurturing Parent Train ing. Mercier was instrumental in orga nizing the training, with the help of the Tribal Youth Social Services Prevention Program. turing equals being selfish." The class learned that in order to be a positive, healthy individual, the parents must first learn to take care of themselves. The parents task is to define what nurturing is, whether it's ex ercise, sports or time with one's family. Tribal member Andrea Verduzco attended the class and said that she thought it would be helpful. "They taught us to be consistent and say what you mean." Tribal member Kim Contreras said, "I think it will help us to be better parents and help us hold our own parenting classes." R Stiep Into The SJhoe Giant!: Nike Intern Azure Swan studied at the crossroads of business and culture. By Ron Karten Azure Swan (Arrow Lakes Band of the Colville Confeder ated Tribes), 22, is right in the middle of a two-year program at Haskall Indian Nations Univer sity in Lawrence, Kansas. With an eye on the future, she also has just completed a summer intern ship at Nike, Inc. "Right now I'm (majoring) in Media Arts," she said during an interview from her office in Beaverton, but, "this is like the third change of degree." Ultimately, she aims to combine her artsy side (photography) with her business side (working with computers) to develop some kind of career, maybe in television. Behind the camera or in front of it? "Probably both," she said. "I was born to be a star," she laughed. At Nike, Swan put her time into the Native American Diabetes program, "making sure all the in formation is current... so we can provide quality products at ' t W,- ' .J t I I Y-' i ,4 I I I 1: . t c ..n ( x X1 - - 8 1 ' -t ' o ' . ...J' -I ' " ' iMIMMMMMMMMMtlMMMMrlllllll Mi ll Q Azure Swan wholesale prices." "My goal," said Sam McCracken, who as Nike's Native American Business Manager established the internship with Haskall Indian Nations University, "is to get her a good taste of corporate America. "Azure hasn't been off the reser vation. To give her that exposure to a whole nother world. Initially, what really stuck out about her was her personality. You can't be in a shell if you want to succeed." "I'm learning a lot more about dia betes and how it can be prevented," said Swan. "How it's really good for the Native American community to be part of something. "I'll learn the business of how to be professional, too, I guess. "Every thing is a surprise from when I first got here," she said. "It's really great. I enjoy all my team members and all the tasks that I'm doing. "I've been working my best at it." Swan comes from a family that is into "hunting, camping, stuff like that. I learned a lot about who I am through my family," she said. "I love to bead, attend pow-wows." She has made her own pow-wow regalia and intends to get back into dancing. Her dance is the fancy shawl. "Probably one of my other fa vorite interests is creative writing. I kind of started off with simple poems and touched on short sto ries. I try to go with life experi ence also, so I can put it on paper and remember it. "What keeps me motivated in writing is music. Influential au thors would have to (include) Sherman Alexi. I did a Young Writers Conference. I was ASB (Associated Student Body) presi dent, so I got to have a lot of in volvement. (Alexi) was one of the authors at the conference. I've seen him throughout the years. "Our styles are different. I en joy reading his stuff, but it's real inspirational seeing a Native American author out there." With the end of summer, the in ternship also now is over, but something sticks with Swan as she heads back to college: "I'm really glad to (have been) in volved with the diabetes program because it is benefiting the com munity greatly."
