In the News...
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Wellness program benefits women
American Indians learn healthier lifestyles
By CHUCK CLEMENT , Capital Journal Staff
A group of 24 women graduated Tuesday from a year-long wellness program sponsored by the South Dakota Urban Indian Health Clinic in Pierre. Three of the class members — left to right, Rose Rose, Jennifer Carter and Hope Lopez — attended all of the monthly meetings and met their monthly goals while participating in the program. The monthly wellness classes offered information about many health-related topics, including weight management, violence prevention and access to health care. (Capital Journal photo by Chuck Clement)
Two dozen women from the Pierre area graduated toward having healthier lifestyles on Tuesday night when they were recognized for completing the “Heart, Mind & Body” wellness program.
Sponsored by the Urban Indian Health Clinic in Pierre, “Cante, Tawacin & Tancan” — the program’s theme in Lakota — was created to help women of American Indian heritage live healthier lifestyles. Violet Catches of Pierre, a Lakota and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, said she enjoyed attending the monthly classes during the year-long program because they addressed the needs of American Indian women.
“The program focused on the things that we needed for our physical health and spiritual health,” Catches said.
Catches, a member of her tribe’s Bigfoot band, said that it also felt good to share her native culture with other American Indian women. Denise Badger, a wellness program coordinator, said that openness among the class members was apparent throughout the last 12 months.
“You could tell the women felt comfortable by the way they opened up and talked during the group meetings,” Badger said.
The majority of the monthly meetings were held in the community center at the Southeast Pierre United Methodist Church at the intersection of Park Street and Grant Avenue. Each meeting was focused on a different wellness topic, such as disease prevention, weight management, mental health and family. The organizers also invited guest speakers to the meetings, including an expert on smoking cessation who compared today’s tobacco culture to the historical use of tobacco in American Indian religion.
The classmates in the wellness program spanned several generations from young to old who grew up both on an off the reservation. The program started with 30 women who were among the individuals contacted by Urban Indian Health about the wellness classes. During the program’s first six months, some women dropped out of the program but others joined, making the final roster consist of 25 females.
Jennifer Carter, a Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, stayed in the program from its start and attended all 12 meetings. Carter attended the wellness classes partly because the program was directed toward American Indian women.
“That and learning about health and wellness were the main attractions,” Carter said.
Carter, 32, a Pierre hairstylist, said her personal life has grown during the last year. She recently started her own business a couple of weeks ago.
Part of Tuesday’s meeting resembled a traditional American Indian giveaway. Each participant in the classes received blue windbreakers and gift packages consisting of sage and cedar. They also received vouchers for ordering either mountain bikes or stationary exercycles through Pedal and Paddle, a local bike shop.
Three women — Carter, Rose Rose and Hope Lopez — each received Pendleton blankets for attending all 12 monthly meetings and meeting their monthly wellness goals. Four other classmates — Wilma Staples, Pearl Stone Crystal Petro and Leta Wise Spirit — each received Pendleton bags for attending at least 11 meetings. Wise Spirit, who helped to open the meetings with a traditional song, received a new drum used for native ceremonies.
The graduates and other individuals who supported the wellness program also received other gifts, including food gift baskets and jackets. The children of the program graduates received gifts such as scooters and dance pads.
Donna Keeler, executive director at the Urban Indian Health Clinic, said the wellness program — officially titled the Native American Women’s Wellness Group — was also able to provide transportation for the women to and from the meetings and assisted the families by providing child care at the community center. Keeler said the program was supported by a federal grant of about $25,000 from U.S. Public Health, Office of Women’s Health.
Keeler also talked to the women about organizing group bicycle rides in the local area starting in the spring of 2006. Anyone interested in joining the group bike rides can call Amy Marshall at the health clinic by dialing 224-8841, ext. 107. Marshall and Tami Hogie-Lorenzen also served as coordinators for the wellness program.
Capital Journal article link
