8
S moke S ignals
NOVEMBER 1, 2017
Connecting with youth
Tribal member returns to serve as Teen Pregnancy Prevention coordinator
By Danielle Frost
Smoke Signals staff writer
Valeria Atanacio was raised as
a foster youth, attended schools in
different cities and moved frequent-
ly, leaving high school at age 16 and
getting her GED.
Her life could have gone in any
number of ways, but due to her own
determination and other positive
influences, it has moved in a good
direction.
Today, the 28-year-old Grand
Ronde Tribal member is poised,
proud of her Native heritage and
pursuing a master’s degree, all
while raising a toddler with her
husband and tackling a new job as
the Tribe’s Teen Pregnancy Preven-
tion coordinator.
It’s not her first tenure with the
Tribe. Atanacio has worked in dif-
ferent capacities in Grand Ronde
since she was 18, most recently as
an assistant preschool teacher.
“I have done this type of work be-
fore (with teens) in the past, for the
Marion County Health Department
and I enjoy it, and working with
youth,” she said. “I have always
worked in this capacity.”
Atanacio’s job is funded through
a government grant. The main
functions are planning community
events and educational opportuni-
ties for families, building relation-
ships with youth through a variety
of outlets, and connecting parents
with resources and services.
Currently, she is helping to de-
velop a health curriculum for local
middle and high school students.
“In Native culture, sexual health
is generally not openly talked
about,” she said. “There are a lot
of taboos around discussing these
things with your kids. And in Amer-
ican culture in general, we tend to
talk about problems as they exist,
not before. My goal is to be more
preventive in nature if possible,
instead of [doing] intervention.”
Atanacio said these taboos are
something she finds challenging.
For example, although a recent
Sexual Health Fact Night was
well-advertised in Grand Ronde
and at area schools, and included
door prizes and a free dinner, there
were no attendees.
“Getting parents involved, when
it comes to these issues, has been
a struggle,” she said. “They like to
take this on as their own task. ...
A lot of parenting is done on the
fly. There’s no manual. I want to
help better prepare parents to have
these conversations with youth,
instead of flooding teens with in-
formation when they are at an
age where they aren’t as likely to
be comfortable discussing it with
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Valeria Atanacio has been the Tribe’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention coordinator
since August.
parents or in front of them.”
Although Atanacio is facing chal-
lenges in her new role, it is also
very rewarding for her to work with
youth, and help with education and
awareness.
“I really enjoy the exchanges that
I have working with youth on a di-
rect service basis,” she said. “Just
talking to them, learning their
stories and experiences, and being
part of the process. I really feel every
youth needs attention from someone
besides parents. If I can steer them
to that safe place, be someone to
listen, a friend, that is important.”
When Atanacio was growing up
in foster care, struggling with her
own issues and navigating the often
murky waters of high school, she
didn’t feel noticed.
“I just sort of flew under the
radar,” she said. “I didn’t feel chal-
lenged at school. I got my work
done, but didn’t feel like any teach-
ers really took an interest in me.”
A desire to grow up and begin her
adult life led Atanacio to leave high
school and obtain a GED instead.
“It just seemed easier,” she said.
“Looking back, I was a little quick
to want to grow up.”
After she had been working as
a youth engagement specialist for
Marion County, watching other
young professionals get promoted,
Atanacio realized that education
and professional learning were key
to upward mobility.
“If you want to move forward in
your career, you need an educa-
tion,” she said. “I wanted to put
myself in a position where I would
be in a leadership role.”
She earned a bachelor’s degree
in psychology from Portland State
University in 2016, just two months
after having her daughter, Safia
Name changes in court
Tribal Court provides both minor and adult name changes to enrolled
members for a filing fee of only $30.
If you have any questions or would like to request a packet, contact
Tribal Court at 503-879-2303.
Camila Ben El Aali.
“It felt really good to earn my
degree,” Atanacio said. “I attended
the multi-cultural ceremony, which
was far more intimate and consis-
tent with my beliefs. The speaker
was well-versed in different cul-
tures and reached everyone there.”
While she was studying abroad in
Spain, Atanacio met her husband,
Anouar, in Morocco. The couple
married last December.
“Studying abroad challenged me
in ways, and also made me grow,”
Atanacio said. “People are more
vibrant and open. Some of the cul-
tural differences may make some
uncomfortable, but people were
very kind and genuinely interested
in getting to know you. But I was
definitely homesick for a bit.”
Although she has only been in her
new role since August, Atanacio is
already making connections in local
schools because she is developing
a new sexual health curriculum
in partnership with the Willam-
ina School District, which is also
designed to be culturally and geo-
graphically relevant.
“Our goal is to talk to the teens
about healthy relationships and
what they look like, STDs and
pregnancy,” Atanacio said.
Recently, she spent time with
seventh- and eighth-grade stu-
dents, taking about sexual health.
“The younger students were
definitely more open to discussing
it and the older ones didn’t want to
talk at first,” Atanacio said. “But
after hearing the others share ex-
periences, they opened up.”
Although her ultimate goal is pre-
vention, Atanacio said part of her
job is being there for teens to sup-
port them if they become pregnant,
no matter what they ultimately
decide to do.
“I am willing to work with anyone,
including teen parents, about any
services or classes, whatever those
may look like,” she said. “We really
want to help, whether it’s dealing
with pregnancy or accessing the
kind of birth that you want. I am
very passionate about that. We are
here to help in any situation.”
To learn more, people can contact
Atanacio at 503-879-2162 or by
e-mail at valeria.atanacio@gran-
dronde.org.
Gift Making Workshop
All are welcome!!
Join us and help make giveaway gifts
for Tribal Events hosted throughout
the year.
This is a wonderful way to be a part
of our tradition of giving, creating
gifts filled with good thoughts and
blessings for our fellow Tribal Fami-
lies and guests.
Main events: Plank house Birthday
Celebration, Restoration Celebration,
Round Dance, Canoe Journey, Youth
Powwow’s, Elder’s Honor day and
Cultural Exchanges.
(the workshop is a year round event, future events will
be advertised at a later date)
Dinner provided
October 19th
October 26th
November 9th
November 30th
December 14th
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
at the Tribal
Community Center
Sponsored by the Cultural
Education and Youth Prevention
Programs