Nenana Wellness Coalition
MINUTES
December 5th, 2006
The Nenana Wellness Coalition is an alliance of representatives from various organizations, government agencies, community groups and individuals that meets weekly to discuss, evaluate, coordinate, consolidate and help implement plans for improving the wellness and quality of life in Nenana Alaska.
There were a total of eight in attendance: Donald Charlie, Maryellen Kanayurak, Tim Horn, Bonnie Reed, Kat McElroy, Ray Fox, Paul Verhagen and Rob Thomason. We had lunch: prawns with five cheese tortellini and home-made sweet rolls.
WELCOME and READING OF MISSION STATEMENT by this week’s chairperson, Tim Horn.
PRAYER was led by Kat McElroy followed by the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE.
PRESENTATION OF AGENDA AND CALL FOR MODIFICATIONS: Kat asked to be allowed to read a short piece she brought on Wellness.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes were submitted electronically last Tuesday afternoon with no suggestions for modification so approved by voice. Mike Anderson requested to be added to the WIN e-list. Rob supplied his e-mail address for Kat to so add.
INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Tim noted that she hadn’t been to the past couple of meetings to see Ray Fox there and she welcomed him.
SPEAKERS/TOPICS
Healing Forests—Kat McElroy read the following which she got from a T’linkit language e-group:
Community wellness is very important and worth our time and consideration. I am reminded of a visit from one of our southern relatives who likened the problems within our community to an ailing plant in the forest. He said our past inclination has been to sympathize with the ailing plant, dig it up, take it to a nursery, nurse it back to health, and put it back into the forest, only to find after a little time the plant again became ill. He continued to say that we needed to determine the causes within the forest that are contributing to their illnesses and place our time, money and our energies within the forest’s environment.
Enter our community wellness advocates. I’ve found that there are many similar problems within our communities that contribute to our issues but I’ve also found that our programs continue and try to come up with blanket solutions to meet these problems and this works temporarily, if at all. In my mind, we have to look at the past influences of our own community history. We need to look at past generation’s influence on each proceeding generation. What was accomplished and what wasn’t accomplished. Were issues of each generation resolved, or were they left for future generations to solve? What I know of our history is that it is filled with unresolved tragedies which left past generations of trauma on top of generations of trauma. Our inclination has been to patronize those who are socially and visibly suffering and our own leader’s unwillingness to share those tragic realities within their own lives and leading the way to balance within our lives. Any psychotherapist will tell you each community is different and will heal differently. Just because one community is able to set up a particular structure within a particular amount of time does not mean other communities will be able to do so in that same amount of time.
Apathy and hopelessness are difficult ailments to overcome. Oftentimes, this is what we are putting the ailing plant back into. Then too, some programs try and move forward ignoring the hopelessness and apathy and continue and wonder why the plants still get sick. I think we need to start asking ourselves the hard questions, “Have we learned from past generations to ignore and deny our problems, are we teaching the next generations to do the same?” Tommy Jimmie, Jr.
Kat referenced her encounter with the schism between the native community and the school that surfaced when she was coordinating the Choose to Live/Suicide Prevention gathering here in Nenana three years ago. “There were many people that expressed extreme anger at having any portion of the gathering at the school, and voted with their feet, not participating in those workshops. Until then,” she said, “I wasn’t really aware of how broad and how deep that rift is.” She said that this piece speaks to the issue of that kind of multi-generational resentment and anger. “It’s invisible until something triggers it and then it just sort of boils up over.”
Tim said that upon returning to Nenana she was surprised, speaking to her former school-mates, to experience that schism. “Some of them had a completely different experience than I did, as if they had gone to a different school.” She identified some of the issues she felt contributed to this and acknowledged that it is an ongoing problem. Discussion ensued regarding other schisms in our community and how they have played out over the years. Donald Charlie related a conversation he had at a potlatch in Minto last week with the Rev. Anna Frank. He described some of the strengths our community has including our Community Safety meetings, the WIN meetings and community involvement over the years by the churches, the school, the tribe, the mayor, and the police. “There is power in Numbers,” he said. Kat noted that she is going to use this piece written by Tom Jimmie, Jr. to open her Senior Project paper as it aptly describes some of the dynamics that we struggle with. She noted she believes it is a common struggle to other communities as well.
Health Survey Results – Tim Horn had Kat present the compilation of stats from the Health Surveys. Surveys were administered to multiple sets of individuals including: at Dancing in the Streets, at WIN, at Senior Center, at school to Jr. High and HS students, at several places around the community. The most interest across all domains was expressed (in descending order): depression, stress management, drugs/alcohol abuse, suicide, weight control, exercise and physical fitness. Otherwise, the most frequently requested topics by the Seniors was Traditional Healing while the students expressed high interest in Sports First Aid, Pregnancy, Smoking/tobacco, Anorexia/Eating Disorders and Family Problems.
Per suggestion, Mike made copies of the master data sheets from the surveys for everyone. Tim led discussion regarding the surveys, including best possible dates and venues for same. Consensus appears to be March sometime, at the school, and with day and evening hours to include the students as well as people who work days. Rob suggested taking the concept to the school management team; they would be able to tell us what all we need to do.
Paul mentioned that “all of the most requested topics are inter-related. Depression can be caused by stress. People turn to drugs or alcohol, or food. It affects their health. More depression. More Stress.” He suggested that they are all related to conflict resolution, suggested that we consider having a workshop for health fair participants on conflict resolution.
Donald Charlie and Robin Campbell have put in applications to attend the Health Fair Training down in Anchorage.
Arthritis Foundation Exercise Training – Tim Horn reported that five people completed the training. They are looking forward to doing weekly sessions after the New Year. She showed us a poster and said that she has placed them around town, to let people know that this is going to be available.
WELLNESS THOUGHT
Every day, I am only exactly as happy as I make up my mind to be.
–Anonymous
UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rob reported that the YERK is stalled temporarily. The city has run out of funds and doesn’t have money to install the cupboards needed in the classrooms. The city/school is working on this. Maybe the shop class will install the cupboards. Paul mentioned that his brother has invited him to start-up an Alaskan contingent of his Maui Custom Cabinets. He said he could perhaps get a good price. Rob directed him to the mayor, as it is up to the city to decide. There’s no exercise equipment yet in the Fitness room. Phone system has not yet been installed by ACS. The Head Start looks great but the play yard needs to be expanded. Rob said they will not move in until all rooms are ready which may delay the move till as late as summer. Rob also announced that there would be a combined school board, native council and city council meeting this evening in the pit at the school at 6:30. He urged everyone to come, and said that one of the items would be a review of the auditor’s report of the school budget by Karen Altman of Altman and Rodgers who did their audit this year. He said copies of the audit report would be available to the public for anyone interested in having one.
Paul reported on a conversation he had with a youth probation officer in Fairbanks who was displeased with Paul’s decision to allow a NSLC student into our diversion program—apparently the young lady had a previous charge of Minor Consuming and the PO didn’t think she would be an appropriate candidate for Real Justice. Paul explained his reasoning to the PO, as well as to us. He has invited the PO to come to Nenana to witness one of our intervention sessions to see for herself if she believes it could be effective. She agreed also to go to the Real Justice web site to get a feel for what we are doing. Paul said that he is reluctant to share our success rates for fear people will think he is not being truthful. Of the 24 interventions he’s done, he knows of only three who have re-offended. He is interested in seeing about expanding this to other minor offenses.
Donald reported that the next community action safety meeting at the tribal hall is being planned. He thinks the date will be Tuesday, January 16. He said that he is traveling up to town every Wednesday now to do counseling and mentoring.
Kat announced Traci will be returning from Seattle this evening. She said that Railbelt is busy with Operation Ho Ho Ho. Laura has taken point on logistics for referrals and donations. Paul said that Merrily would accept donations of eggs and four; she again this year will be making banana bread for each of the food boxes. Boxes will be put together on Dec. 15th, at the tribal hall; volunteers are welcome.
Bonnie announced that the Seniors are wanting to start having movie nights.
Tim announced that the Neighborhood Watch meeting will be at the tribal hall this Thursday, Dec 7, at 5:30 PM. It will be a pot luck dinner, training and discussion
OPEN FLOOR FOR COMMENTS/QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION: None.
NEXT WELLNESS MEETING DATE/TIME/CHAIRPERSON/GUEST SPEAKERS/SUBJECTS: Kat said that over Christmas holiday, when he’s not working, David Poppe is wiling to come to WIN to do a presentation on Peak Oil.
ADJOURNMENT at 2:00 PM.