Native Americans and DPP!

One of the links in my anthropology classes I found on the class website is an American Indian Health link!  ::nerd out:: Health, Native Americans, what a perfect website for me! ^_^

I started to explore the website and I stumbled upon an article from Health for Native Life about DPP (Diabetes Prevention Program) on a reservation in the southwest. 

The article talks about teaching the community on the reservation a 'lifestyle change' about the way they eat, portion control, and how to lower the chance of getting diabetes.  It would seem like common sense to the rest of us, but it should be known fact that Native American communities have higher rates of diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, you name it.  Clearly there is something going on there that's different from the rest of the American population.  No doubt the stressful past history and learning how to deal with it has something to do with the bad eating habits and lack of exercise.  Comfort food.. is well, comfort.

Regardless of this information, this article proves that it's not impossible to teach an old dog a new trick!  The DPP taught the participants how food and diabetes are related, how much fat is actually in those to-go comfort foods, and how they can slowly change this.  It's not like the Native American members were not unwilling!  They just didn't know!  How can you change something if you don't even have the resources to do so? 

Swapping chips for fruit and boiling things in water vs. lard, it's no wonder the members of the DPP began to lose weight quickly and it spreads throughout the family.  But losing weight and being healthy isn't the part of this article that made me smile, it was the part that said members felt they had control and a new feeling of discipline.  How's that for sovereignty eh?  Feeling empowered and in control can definitely  improve the morale of the community and I think this program is really really important to have on all reservations!

It makes me wonder:  Are these programs available widespread through all reservations countrywide?  How effective was this program with the entire community and not just these certain participants?

Hmm... oh so many questions that make me wanna do.. MORE RESEARCH :D

Anyways, back to the grind! 

Toodles!

Serious Turtle Talk Time: Native American Girls & Sex Trafficking

I decided to peruse some articles through my anthropology class's website today and one article caught my eye.  Not in a good way mind you, but in a horrific way.

Article's title?

Sex Trafficking Rampant in Indian Country; Pimps on Prowl for Native Girls

(The article is actually from Indian Country Today but I found through Turtle Talk)

Sex trafficking. Kinda of horrific for anyone, doesn't matter who or where, it's bad.  But it's happening at a higher rate for these young girls on the reservations than in the general US population.  And talking about this on the reservation isn't easy!  There's taboo and a stigma in the culture that would bring shame to any family that admitted their daughter was a prostitute.

And it sickens me that these pimps are the outlook for native women because they look more exotic, therefore, selling better to "customers". Ugh.  And these girls can start as young as 11.

Yes this is a problem for tons of girls, especially homeless, all over the country, but awareness has not been brought to the Portland, Washington reservation.  People aren't even aware that this is a problem, a growing problem, a common problem for women.  In an area and for a cultural group that already has an unstable economy, high rates of unemployment, depression, and unequal educational opportunities, prostitution is the perfect storm for young women.  That is scary and sad for them, to think that they may think they don't have any other choice and if they say anything, they will bring shame upon themselves and their family.  Yikes, that's a tough situation.

It's just sad cause these young girls don't have the same opportunities that the average American woman does.  Do they think they don't have a bright future ahead of them and they don't have any other choice?  I can't 100% say for sure, but all women of this country should have equal treatment.  Just because these women are on reservation with their own self government should not mean we should ignore their problems!  We should help, not intervene, but assist!

The future for all young Native American girls in the sex trafficking is not hopeless.

Sundvall-Williams was a prostitute til she realized she could get out and do better for her children and her life.  She now speaks against this sexual violence and for those women who are too scared to say anything.  I think she is extremely brave, not just because she is Native American but because she is a woman fighting for a cause she believes in.  She wants to give other girls the same courage she gathered to quit the life and move on to something better.

I hope to see better laws and more action in this area =\.  This is really too unfortunate, but it is nice to know that there is some people there fighting for the cause.

Toodles for now!

Welcome to my Journal! (Is something fishy going on?)

Welcome to my new blog!  This is my reflective journal for my ANP 433 class (Contemporary American Indian Community)!  What is better way for me to harness my creativity than blogging!?
But this blog is not just about an introduction!  I've been exploring the news websites posted in the class and came across a very interesting article about salmon. 
What bout it? (Some of you may ask)

Apparently the governor of Washington wants a "1.5$ million transfer from the Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect salmon production at several hatcheries".  So what? What is that piece of information got to do with the Indian Americans?
Millions actually.
The Indian American tribes in Washington produce more 30 million salmon at their hatcheries a  year.  And this will be drastically cut down if this transfer does not happen causing even more economic instability in the Indian American community (if you don't know already.. the economy in those reservations is way behind average US city economies).  This salmon isn't just beneficial to the Indian Americans, everyone harvest the benefits!  Both Indian Americans and non Indian Americans use the fish and those specific hatcheries effect all fisheries nationwide!  Cut the budgets, lose some fish, destabilize an economy furthermore, and effecting fisheries everywhere else... yeah, that doesn't sound good!
And I can't say it any better than the article about how it would affect the community more than just economically:

This is not just an economic issue, this is a government treaty issue too!  As citizens of the United States, the government needs to uphold and respect these treaties with the Indian American community!  It's all about the basic rights and the Indian American community deserve theirs to be put to practice.
That's all I got for tonight, I'm pretty tired.
Night everyone!