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NOVEMBER 15,2012
Tribe sharing grant for new sex education program
By Meredith Lawrence
The Slwritlan Sun
A survey of Willamina High
School students revealed that one
third of 15 to 17 year olds and half
of the 18 year olds have had sex
within the past year.
Only one-third of those who re
ported having had sex said they
used a condom.
This information was presented
to the Willamina School Board in
early October in an overview for a
proposed new middle school sexual
education program that aims to fully
educate youth and help them make
safe and responsible decisions.
Amber Mercier, a representative
of the Grand Ronde Tribe's Youth
Prevention Program, gave the
presentation to board members
about the federal Tribal Personal
Responsibility Education Program
grant that the Tribe recently re
ceived from the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
The grant is designed to help
the Tribe implement a more com
prehensive sexual education pro
gram, which the Youth Prevention
Program is offering to share with
Willamina Middle School at no cost
to the district.
It is important to the Tribe to
share the program with the school
district because so many Tribal
children attend Willamina schools.
Youth Prevention also wanted all
middle school youth to experience
this sexual health curriculum op
portunity and it is a positive col
laboration with the school.
The four-year grant incorporates
one year for study and to design the
curriculum and covers three years
of the program in action.
So far, the Tribe has received
$263,698 for the first year, which
includes help researching and set
ting up a program, and $144,954 for
the first year of implementation.
The program is called "It's Your
Game" and aims to teach students
about making healthy choices,
avoiding peer pressure and making
and keeping personal boundaries
and sexual ground rules.
To prepare for implementation
of the right sexual education pro
gram, members of the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde's Youth Pre
vention Program polled students in
Willamina and Yamhill counties.
Of 117 high school students sur
veyed, one-fifth reported having
more than three sexual partners.
State data indicates that the num
ber of Chlamydia infections in
females ages 15 to 19 in Polk and
Yamhill counties was three times
higher than the state average.
An Oregon Healthy Teen Survey
also found that Native American
eighth- and 11th graders reported
a higher incidence of having sexual
intercourse than non-Native stu
dents between 2006 and 2009.
Additionally, the Youth Preven
tion Program discovered that Wil
lamina students were not sure they
could say no to sex or to sex without
a condom, and that many students
used drugs and alcohol before sex.
These responses and numbers
make it apparent that it was impor
tant to move up sexual education
to the middle school level, Mercier
told board members.
In particular, the current middle
school curriculum, which is called
Proud Choices, does not have a parent-involvement
component. But,
according to the Youth Prevention
Program survey, 63 percent of Wil
lamina Middle School students who
responded said that their parents
were a good source to learn about
sexuality and pregnancy.
The "It's Your Game" curriculum
has three components: a classroom
based portion, a computer-based
portion and a parent-child portion.
The program has been shown to
increase the age of onset of sexual
activity, Mercier said.
The program will take place in 12
50-minute sessions for seventh- and
eighth-graders and aims to improve
student knowledge, behavior be
liefs, attitudes, perceptions of risks
and understanding of the facts
surrounding the male and female
reproductive systems and sexually
transmitted diseases.
Students will be taught about the
effects of risky behaviors, how to
respect themselves, how to engage
in healthy relationships, condom
usage, risks and ways to avoid
pregnancy and sexually transmit
ted diseases, and about reasons not
to have sex.
The program also includes edu
cation about the benefits of absti
nence. The Willamina School Board will
vote on adoption of the program at
its November meeting. H
mm
Kaleigha Simi
Kaleigha Simi
Little Miss Grand Ronde
Hello, my name is Kaleigha Simi. I am 6
years old and I am a first-grader at Willamina
Elementary School. My parents are Shannon
Simi and Josh Baker; my grandparents are
Janet Titus and Virginia and Lonnie Roof;
my great-grandparents are Annabelle Poole
and Marvin and Eleanor Kimsey.
I am honored to be this year's Little Miss
Grand Ronde and I look forward to represent
ing my Tribe.
I would like to thank my grandma Virginia
for having my regalia made, Dara Dickenson
for making my regalia, and Kimberly Contre
ras, Pam McDaniel and Halona Butler for all
of my bead work.
I would also like to give a special thanks to Halona Butler for all
of her hard work that she has put into Royalty and for teaching me
how to dance. I would like to say thank you to all of the Royalty
girls for their encouragement and for being such great role models.
I want to thank my mom for all of her hard work, for supporting
me and for believing in me. Also, thank you to all of my friends and
family for your support and encouragement.
Hayu masi,
Kaleigha Simi
lyana Holmes
Junior Veterans Queen
Hello, my name is lyana Holmes. I am 10
years old and in the fifth grade at Willamina
Elementary. I am the daughter of Brianna
Leno and Joshua Holmes.
I am very honored to be this year's Junior
Veterans Queen. I look forward to represent
ing all veterans and the Grand Ronde Tribe
at many events this year. I hope to learn a
lot of new things, meet new people and travel
to new or even old places. I would like to be
a good, positive role model for all youth and
help them learn about their culture.
I would like to thank Halona Butler for get
ting me involved in dancing and Royalty. My
mom and grandmother Leno for all the regalia
that you made and for having me to all events on time and ready
to go. My grandfather Leno, Kevin Ruggles and my brother Isaiah
for all your support along the way. Susie and Glenda for always
being there for me, and all the Royalty girls for making this year
fun and very memorable,
lyana Holmes
lyana Holmas
Help needed identifying
veteran's plots in cemetery
The Facilities Department is asking for your help identifying
veteran's plots.
If your family member's or friend's plot is a veteran and we do
not have a veterans flag present on holidays, please inform us.
We will do our best to mark all plots of veterans.
Contact Adam Leno at 503-879-5525 or adam.lenograndronde.
org. D
f O 1
Pries: Pendleton items, Jewelry
items, Christmas Baskets and
much more!
2 for $2.00
Or
6 for $5.00
The Grand Ronde Royalty Cirls will be selling Raffle tickets for the whole Month of
November. Winners will be announced on December 2nd at the Tribal Christmas party. You
do not have to be present to win!
The girls are raising money to attend a pow wow in Washington next summer.
Royalty Cluens.aMPrinteiiei5eilina-tLCkets
Klana Leno, Kailiyah Krehbiel, Kaleigha Simi, lyana Holmes, Elizabeth Watson-Croy, Makenzie Aaron,
Madison Ross, Amelia Mooney, Amaryssa Mooney
If you would like to get a hold of one of the girls please contact Halona Butler 3 (503)580-9865.