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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2005)
AUGUST 15, 2005 Smoke Signals 7 Grand Ronde Tribe In Congress Dr. Joseph Stone testifies about the role that Post-Colonial Stress plays in Indian suicides. By Spencer Olson, Smoke Signals Intern A shift in priorities at the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and a last minute call to Grand Ronde put Dr. Joseph Stone on the road to Washington, D.C., and a seat before this Congressional Committee on Wednesday, June 15. The topic of the day was Youth Suicide Prevention and they called on Stone because of his pio neering work linking post-colonial stress to many difficulties, including teen suicide, across In dian Country today (see Smoke Signals, 31503). Stone runs the Behavioral Health Program at the health clinic in Grand Ronde. He is a psychologist licensed in Oregon and Washing ton, and is internationally recog nized for his work. Stone's theory of post-colonial stress as presented to the Congres sional Committee includes five stages: Stage 1: Dispossession and Biologi cal Warfare (Smallpox), Stage 2: Indian Wars (Example: Sand Creek Massacre), Stage 3: Federal Residential Schools & Religious Boarding Schools, Stage 4: Foreign Wars, Termina tion & Relocation and Stage 5: Crystal Methamphet amine & Gangs When the Indians were originally moved from their Native lands and given blankets riddled with small pox, said Stone, child rearing took a back seat to survival. All this caused such post-traumatic issues as depression, difficulty parenting, and chronic stress. As a result, chil dren failed to learn the basics of parenting from parents who are just trying to survive. Stage 2: The children of Stage One grew up and faced the Indian wars. Once again child rearing took turn learned it from their parents. The process sets up the children of one generation to be abusers in the next generation. Stage 4: The adults of this gen eration dealt with all of the stresses mentioned before, but at this point alcohol was being used as a coping v. " 7. r; . f J ,1 Dr. Joseph Stone a back seat to survival causing all the above stresses and problems. This caused the children of Stage Two to repeat the experience of Stage One. Stage 3: The age of the federal and missionary boarding schools, where harsh disciplinary actions of physical and sexual abuse were carried out if an Indian even spoke in their Native languages. Once Indians returned to their families, they used these learned abuses as disciplinary action for their spouses and children, who in mechanism and when pregnant woman used it to cope, they ended up exposing the unborn baby to alcohol, so the next generation showed increases in neurological disorders caused by alcohol. The final stage is present day: children face the difficulties of be ing raised in alcoholic families, as well as having difficulties with neurological disorders. But now children are tempted by drug and gang involvement as a means of escape. Stone's conclusion is that something that happened 500 years ago is having unseen effects on today's youth. The best way to deal with the situ ation is to foster positive self-images, said Stone. The goal, he said, is to enable Natives to integrate with other cultures and cultivate a strong TribalNative identity. Behavioral treatment, he said, must be suited to an individual's needs. Stone has worked at the Tribe as the Behavioral Health Manager for five years. Under his leadership, the department has taken several large steps towards a more effective means for suicide prevention, push ing particularly for increased re sources and funding. Before the Congressional Com mittee, Stone again sought in creased funding and resources for behavioral programs. "We can of fer the full range of services any where else in the country can offer," he said. "All of that is ex pensive and time consuming. You can't have quality health care and fast, easy access" without funding increases, said Stone. More recently, at the "Weaving Visions for a Healthy Future" con ference sponsored by the federal Indian Health Service on June 28 30 in San Diego, Stone co-presented his theory with the Indian Health Service's Director of Behav ioral Health, Dr. Jon Perez. To read Stone's full testimony before Congress go to www.indianz.com. At the search bar, type in "Joseph Stone", then click on "Senate Hearing addresses native youth suicide." Scroll down and click on panel II testimony. HR Jones Property To Go Into Trust Highway 18 property provides access to existing Tribal lands. By Ron Karten It is 24.11 acres of mostly flat land zoned industrial. Across the street from the casino's Human Resources building, the property fronts on Highway 18 and has ac cess to the road. The property also adds to the Tribe's water rights. Once the site of a local veneer mill, the land has been assessed for con tamination and with some tons of soil removal due to engine oil con tamination, AMEC Earth and En vironmental, Inc., a London-based, international environmental ser vices company, has approved the site as safe according to acceptable environmental standards. Ground water also was found to be safe. The seller, Corvallis-based States Industries, Inc., was expected to have removed the last remaining pieces of mill equipment by the be ginning of July. The Tribe took possession of the property on March 1, and intends to put the land into Trust, accord ing to Realty Specialist and Tribal member Jan Michael Reibach, who negotiated the deal over four years. The Tribe has not yet announced plans for the property. 4 Casino Company Picnic u. Mil' li III iH T r . mm t " 'r -r, u - " k I i f , 1 V J y 1 - Playtime Family members of Spirit Mountain Casino employees (above) participate in a game of tug-a-war. Jake Bowers (below) age 1 1 , from Sheridan rides the Orbaton at the company picnic held at the Willamina High School on Wednesday, August 3, 2005.
