What We Will Miss

by Malaika Ward, Dan Weed, Shelly Nimocks-Hinshaw and John Marcus

As the time is almost here for us to move into our brand-new facility, we want to take a moment to honor the incredible history of our current home.

Since 1993, this remodeled church and rectory has been the heart of our work. It has seen our clinic evolve from serving primarily our Native American community to opening our doors to all of Detroit and beyond. Before we say goodbye to these walls, we have put together a special blog post titled, “What We Will Miss.”

We want to acknowledge this transition with a collection of stories submitted by staff.

Malaika Ward – BH Therapist (hired 7-29-24)

As a semi-new employee who has only been here two years, one of the things that I know I’m going to really miss is the garden. It’s so beautiful. I love the fact that we have our own garden. I love the grounds. I love the freshly cut grass, even though sometimes it makes me sneeze, but I love it.

I love being able to go out and get grounded on the ground after a difficult therapy session with someone.

I like the fact that we are near a park. I like the fact that sometimes as coworkers we will go together. We walk and talk to the local park and then come right back. That was a really great break and we needed it mental-health-wise.

I’m going to miss hearing the kids play outside in the yard. It’s so beautiful to watch kids playing together and having fun and playing soccer on our beautiful grass in the lawn.

I love the fact that we have our own medicines, you don’t have to go anywhere else to ask for tobacco, cedar, or sweetgrass. It is grown right here on our property and it is harvested right here on the property and I would love to participate in that! I always see everything already done by the time I get it. It’s in our behavioral health medicine area and it’s already wrapped and ready to go. I had no idea how it got there from the garden medicine area.

I’m going to miss women’s society and Shelley’s cooking. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that in the new building, but I love the T. Bear (Thurman Bear Basement) and I like the community being able to come together when there’s both men and women’s cultural night. I love hearing the singing of the drum as we are doing crafts together.

I know it’s weird to say that I’m going to miss the bull pen. I already miss the healing room, no shade to Rachel (Olin). I’m glad we have another behavioral health specialist, but sometimes we do need that space for clients to just go and sit on the floor and burn sage, meditate and just heal.

Dan Weed – Facilities Associate/Driver (hired 4-11-23)

Over the past three years, I’ve grown very familiar with the Agency’s building. Being a member of the facilities team has allowed me to explore spaces both high and low. I believe it’s appropriate to share some of what I learned. I became fascinated in learning about the building’s history and did some digging. AIHFS moved into the facility in 1993 following an act of criminal arson at the previous location. The Archdiocese of Detroit came to an agreement to use the church building and old rectory for our facilities. But, the church itself never began as a Catholic church. Between 1907 and 1926, the building was constructed using the bricks and masonry produced by the many bricklaying firms that existed at the time. The cornerstone reads “St. Peter’s Evangelical Church.”

I wasn’t successful at learning about all the denominations that practiced prior to the Agency. But I have talked with staff and community members and learned that this church, like this neighborhood has changed between multiple ethnic communities. Generations back, this neighborhood had racially enforced code of conduct where white residents stopped Indigenous families from moving in. Another generation later and this community changed to be more Indigenous and Mexican. In the 80s, the church was operated by a Puerto Rican community. Now that we’re moving to the new location, the community has changed again with more Yemeni families calling Lawndale Street home. Although I don’t have hard proof to substantiate this history, I trust that the people who’ve shared with me did so in good faith. There’s plenty of history in every corner of Detroit if you live and work long enough here to remember it.

There are many places in the building that not many clients and staff know about. An annex was added to the original church at some point, which is why there is no basement under the Behavioral Health office just a crawl space. That crawl space will always be one of my least favorite places. Cramped, dusty conditions and animals would sometimes get into the space. Mostly cats and groundhogs, but I never saw a live one. One thing I saw down there that I’ve never touched? There’s an AIHFS agency mug that has been left upright in a distant part of the crawl space. I did take a photo of it but it was on a previous phone. It should be left there because I don’t know what possessed someone to leave it there. Plus, it’s a memory of someone at the agency who took the trouble to do something that will carry the AIHFS name into the future!

Another thing about me is my fear of heights, more of an anxiety to get back down fast and safely. In September of 2023, I decided to climb onto the roof above the church entrance to remove a mulberry sapling that had taken root.

The theory of why a sapling could grow on the roof? We theorized that a seed blew from an older mulberry tree that had been cut down on the garden. There was enough soil and moisture getting to the sapling because the space above the door acts like an old-fashioned gutter. John Marcus, our communications specialist, took camera and video footage for viewing purposes that exists on the agency drive. It was a task that had been talked about for a while but no one would do it. I had just come off a medical episode and felt that I had to do something crazy since I’m relatively young (29 at the time) and I could live a little by testing my comfort zone. To top off all the excitement, I was awarded EOM for September or October, and I credit my gutsy decision for why I was honored with that award.

Faces change, but places still remain. Even when we’re at the next building, you can see the signs of a hardworking agency that once called Lawndale Street our home.

Shelly Nimocks-Hinshaw – Office Coordinator (hired 2-14-15)

BUILDING QUIRKS

The fire alarm in the Thurman Bear basement will shut the elevator down and is almost impossible to turn off. Smudge to close to it and you are in for it. I was facilitating a memorial and had to deal with the noise for 2 hours until one of our facility’s associates saved me. I will not miss our alarm system, 500 keys, difficult locks and a roll-gate that will cut your foot off!

MOMENTS:

Women’s Society: Our 15th year anniversary dinner in classic restaurant fashion. We ate shrimp fettucine with linen tablecloths; the candle light was transforming the decorated basement into a beautiful moment.

Men’s Society: An emergency gave me the chance to facilitate the men’s group. I offered the guys a chance to ask anything they wanted to a woman without repercussions or their partners knowledge. This ended up making me miss the ride home I had arranged before the emergency. When the meeting ended, one of the guys ended up giving me a ride home and another offered to make a donation to the agency.

Youth Group: BINGO with the youth has shown me some of the kindest moments I have ever seen. They win for someone else and help each other. I love it!

Chair volleyball in the social hall was a lethal experience! Competition at its best will show you how ruthless your co-workers really are. I love it!

SPACES:

I will miss the mosaic turtle in the entry way. I have always avoided stepping on it because I felt it was rude should be respected. It’s a Turtle Island/Clan thing.

Thurman Bear Basement Kitchen: At one time I was the sous chef behind a lot of others, then somehow I became the main one cooking. It’s been the good, bad and ugly preparing foods in the kitchen, but definitely an experience. I loved cooking for our gatherings especially for sweat lodge.

Sweat Lodge: Some of the most beautiful lessons I have had is at the lodge. I have assisted (5) facilitators and built (3) lodges in the 10 years I have been here. These times have been an experience of love, patience, understanding, peace, & unsuspected pain. I wouldn’t change anything I have learnt.

John Marcus – Communication Specialist (hired 1-10-10)

What I will miss most is also what Malaika shared: the garden in the courtyard. Well, let me also add I will miss the animals that visit our Lawndale facility: groundhogs, cats, dogs, chickens, squirrels, bees, butterflies, robins, sparrows, starlings, hawks and one eagle about 2 years ago. Throughout my 16 years here, my workspace (desk, computer and chair) has been in 5 different locations, but throughout that time I would also use the courtyard garden as a place to take a quick break. Sometimes it was also just an unplanned break. We’ve usually had different programs and people that would take care of the garden. Sometimes I might see someone working out there as I went from the clinic building to the administration (admin) building, or vice-versa, and it was a natural moment to say hello and ask what they were doing, or what plant is that? A moment to slow down and take in the natural colors or a nice breeze or share in some of the energy that seems to be given to us from plants when we work with them.

My actual gardening as a gardener though, didn’t begin until 2020. That was the year covid-19 forced a lot of the people that usually worked in the garden to “work from home.” As a result, the courtyard needed spring cleaning and those of us still coming to work onsite came together to clean it up. There was a small area designated for growing semaa (tobacco) and I ended up spring-cleaning that up. That one time is all it took for me to feel a sense of connection and responsibility. After that day, I continued watering and weeding that area as needed because as it turned out, it had re-seeded itself from the previous season. After that year I ended up writing a blog about it. If you want to read it you can still find it here. Here is a picture of what it looks like right now (mid-October, 2026). Mullein decided to join the bed this year and it almost kept the semaa (tobacco) from growing.

As fall rolls along in recent years, I look forward to it less because I know I am going to watch the plants change. Their bright colors dim to dark colors and they become brittle as the temperatures continue to drop. The upside is throughout the winter, the birds use these former plants to land on, or they’ll eat some of the seeds still clinging to the branches, or they’ll use some of those materials to build/maintain their nests. This last part I like the best.

I will miss this garden and the calming space it created. I wonder what the calming space at the new health & wellness campus will look like? I wonder if us leaving this building is like an autumn, in its own way. These hallways and stairways which are long and shoot-off from each other are like the branches that helped the birds overwinter. The next group that moves into these buildings can use it to sit and find “seeds” or ideas for growth towards whatever their purpose is and will it become their “nest” or home, rather than just a building to run a business from. This last part I think is most important.

Next, I want to highlight a plant that was here before I came here and hopefully will remain here for many years beyond. It is a cedar bush, or at this stage maybe it can be called a cedar tree and I estimate it to be around 30 years old. Though 2 or 3 feet then, you can see in this recent picture, and this angle, it almost “reaches” the roofline.

Planted by some of the original staff at this Lawndale location. It is one of two planted side by side originally. They were a matching set until about 2020 when people noticed that because they were so large and were so near to each other, that they were both struggling to survive in that spot. As a group, it was decided to cut one down to save the other. We hired professionals to cut one down and had them save the branches so that we could “harvest” the cedar leaves. We notified our community members when this was happening and invited them to come help.

When it was over, everyone was welcome to take some home and then we bagged up the rest so people coming to AIHFS could also take some home to use it for traditional cleansing.

In closing, we hope these stories we have shared with you will help honor and carry-forward our history as we embark on a new path towards healing and wellness at 4559 Wesson St. Detroit Michigan.

Edited by John Marcus

BREATHE

(The above image is a combination of the California Grizzly exhibit at the Santa Barbara Natural Museum and a wildfire at the Stanislaus National Forest which is the Northwest border of Yosemite National Park in California)

by John Marcus, AIHFS Communications Specialist

The events of January and February have come together to form the basis for this blog called, Breathe. In January, we saw the horrific Los Angeles wildfires which turned out to be historic. The following month, February, is known in the Anishinaabe lunar calendar as Makwa Geezis. This translates to mean Bear Moon. Also, in Anishinaabe culture, the bear is associated with healing. Time after time, I have found the natural ways, or laws, have a tendency to reinforce why these natural ways exist. Are there some natural ways we can embrace to support moving forward with healing? What is the interconnectivity between the bear and air? Let’s explore this interconnectivity further as we look for that natural way to move forward with healing.

Air

I won’t go into detail about the aftermath of the California wildfires, since there is ample coverage of that already in the media landscape, but I will mention the physical effects it can have.

Wild fires can affect ability to breathe. This particularly impacts those with respiratory illnesses like asthma, COPD and bronchitis. It can also affect chronic heart disease or diabetes. (https://www.lung.org/blog/how-wildfires-affect-health)

Cedar

(Cedar bush in the AIHFS Courtyard)

Cedar, one of our sacred medicines, offers various benefits, including its use to clean your lungs. It is commonly used in teas to help with this. For instructions on how to do that, use this link for a detailed approach. (Disclaimer-If you are pregnant or suspect you might be pregnant, please consult an elder or physician before ingesting any traditional or natural medicines) (https://www.7generations.org/making-cedar-tea/)

In Indigenous Culture, the Bear is Sacred

The breath of the bear.

There is a 6-week window in mid-January through the end of February when bear cubs are usually born. The day that it actually happens though can be visibly noticed in their woods. That is the day when the weather warms up just enough to cause a fog. This fog is known as the breath of the bear. In my own way of feeling that is saying “look the Creator is putting life into those cubs.” For more details watch this video by Anton Treuer.

Another example of the bear having medicinal characteristics can be found in Anishinaabe Star Teachings with Bwaananaabekwe and Ogimaawab. The bear is “from” the center of the earth and has medicine because it has taught us healing from fasting, how to eat berries and other foods good for you like wild onions, and the use of root medicines.

To speak a little bit more to the “healing from fasting,” it is a reference to when the bear hibernates, it does not eat. Yet, months later it emerges still alive. That is a powerful medicine to not eat for months and still live!

I highly recommend this video from Anishinaabe Education in Bawating to hear about the bear and more! But, if you just want to catch the section I referenced, begin watching around the 46 minute, 30 second mark.

California Bear History

Did you know a bear is a part of the California state flag? It is a California grizzly bear and was first incorporated as part of the flag of an unrecognized breakaway state from Mexico in 1846. California joined the United States in 1850 and in 1911 adopted their current flag. The California Grizzly bear became extinct around 1922. This was the result of European settlement. They did this because they claimed that grizzlies regularly preyed on their livestock. More details are on this wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_grizzly_bear

Currently the state has black bears and probably too many of them. Consequently, the system may be out of balance because the bigger grizzly would have been competition for the smaller black bear. Without competition, the black bears have increased their numbers beyond what would have been a system in harmony prior to the extinction of the California Grizzly. In the Native way, when animals are similar, but one type is bigger, it is known as the leader of that group. So, the black bears lost their leader when the grizzly bears were wiped out.

In 2014, a petition to reintroduce the grizzly bear was rejected. In 2024, another collaborative effort was created that included prominent leaders from California Tribal Nations. Though, there is still not currently reintroduction being planned.

Maybe Californians should revisit the attempt to reintroduce the Grizzly Bear, to “give voice” to those Indigenous Nations that tried to do that. Maybe this will help heal the people and their ecosystem.

Smokey the Bear

Two things to note. First thing is, once again, the bear and fire are shown to be interconnected. Secondly, it turns out I have a personal connection to Smokey the Bear. In 1944, the U.S. Forest Service began a campaign in Wildfire prevention utilizing a fictional Smokey Bear. In 1950, an actual bear cub was rescued after a wild fire by a group of fire fighters from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, called the Snowballs. My dad was born and raised in Taos Pueblo and I still regularly go back to visit my relatives there! The Snowballs still exist and are ready to respond when needed. This rescued bear cub was initially called Hotfoot Teddy because he had climbed a tree to escape the fire, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. After recovering, he eventually became the living symbol of the Smokey the Bear campaign and ended up in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Library of congress blog link: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/10/smokey-bear-a-short-history-of-the-new-mexico-bear-cub/

California Tribal Nations’ Cultural Practices to Ensure Healthy Air

For thousands of years, Indigenous Nations along the Pacific Coast of North America have developed and maintained sophisticated land management practices to prevent wildfires and promote ecological balance. These practices, often referred to as “cultural burning,” have been integral to their way of life and have significantly shaped the landscapes we see today.

The Role of Fire in Indigenous Land Management

Indigenous communities, such as the Yurok, Karuk, and Hupa Nations in Northern California, have long understood the benefits of controlled burns. These “good fires” were intentionally set to clear underbrush, promote the growth of certain plants, and reduce the risk of larger, uncontrolled wildfires. By regularly burning small areas, they created firebreaks that prevented the spread of wildfires and maintained open, park-like forests.

How can we support Indigenous practices?

Supporting Indigenous land management practices involves several key actions:

1. Recognize and Respect Tribal Sovereignty: Acknowledge the rights of Indigenous communities to manage their lands according to their traditional practices. This includes supporting policies that protect their land rights and sovereignty[1].
2. Collaborate and Learn: Engage in partnerships with Indigenous communities to learn from their knowledge and practices. This can involve joint land management projects, research collaborations, and educational programs.
3. Advocate for Policy Changes: Support legislation and policies that promote the use of traditional land management practices. This includes advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in environmental and land management policies[1].
4. Provide Resources and Funding: Ensure that Indigenous communities have the resources and funding needed to carry out their land management practices. This can include financial support, access to tools and technology, and training programs.
5. Raise Awareness: Educate others about the importance and benefits of Indigenous land management practices. This can be done through public campaigns, educational programs, and community events[2].

By taking these steps, we can help preserve and promote the valuable knowledge and practices of Indigenous communities, contributing to more sustainable and resilient land management. What are your thoughts on these steps? Do you see any specific ways you could get involved?

Using Breath to Heal

If you’re feeling stressed by wildfires or other challenges in your life, remember that your breath can be a powerful tool for healing. Taking a moment to focus on your breathing can make a big difference. We’ll wrap up this blog with a thoughtful message from Iris Luna, Behavioral Health Therapist at AIHFS.

Ever notice how stress makes your heart race and your breathing shallow? That’s your body’s stress response in action. Deep breathing flips the switch, activating the relaxation response—slowing your breath, calming your heart, and easing muscle tension.

Your 4-Step Breathing Ritual:

Find a quiet spot to sit or lie down. Close your eyes if you’d like. Rest a hand on your stomach—feel the rise and fall of each breath.

1. Inhale: Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting, 1…2…3…4…
2. Pause: Hold the breath in another 4 seconds– let the stillness settle
3. Exhale: Purse your lips (like blowing through a straw) and breathe out gently for 6 seconds—letting go of tension with each breath
4. Repeat: Keep going for at least 2 minutes, or longer if it feels good

Pro Tips for a Deeper Calm

• Slow it down. The biggest mistake? Breathing too fast! Let the rhythm guide you
• Use the count. Counting not only keeps your breaths steady but also distracts from anxious thoughts
• Make it your own. Adjust the timing if needed—find a flow that feels natural

A few deep breaths can transform chaos into calm. The best part is that it’s always with you, ready to be used whenever you need it.

Source: Therapist Aid LLC – Deep Breathing Worksheet (2017).

Photo Credit: University of British Columbia – Flowing with Creation: Yoga & Indigenous Wellbeing Series.

For more info about this technique, and other ways to de-stress, we encourage you to call our clinic, 313-846-6030, to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists.

References

[1] Land management recommendations “braided” from Indigenous Knowledge and …

[2] How Indigenous Land Management Practices Are a Blueprint for Climate …

This article has been reviewed by our Medical Director, Dr. Klebba, and our Behavioral Health Director, Barbara Thomas.

Native American Movies and Snacks

Pictured L-F: Daniel Weed, David Garcia, Shelly Nimocks-Hinshaw, John Marcus

With the recent showcasing of Native American culture and history at the Oscars, we thought this would be a good subject for our agency blog. My coworkers and me have seen Killers of the Flower Moon and mostly comments were positive about it. Even though it didn’t win in any of the categories in which it was nominated, it still was empowering to see our beautiful Native people and culture participating at the award show!

My own personal experience in seeing “Killers” was with an Aunt who was in town visiting from New Mexico. Going with my Aunt, or other family members, always makes it a better experience. I particularly like history so “Killers” was right up my alley since it is a snapshot of the Osage Nation during the 1920’s. This blog is not going to primarily focus on that movie though. This blog is going to be a group effort with several co-workers contributing their choice for “Movie and Snacks” with a Native American flavor.

With that, I will begin this group blog posting with myself, John Marcus, the AIHFS Communication Specialist. My coworkers know I enjoy a good documentary so it won’t surprise them when I say my movie recommendation is, Lakota Nation vs. the United States, which was made in 2022. It is basically about the Lakota Nation’s fight to regain the black hills from the United States. This fight stems from when the U.S. seized the land in 1876, after having previously agreed it would belong to the Lakota Nation in 1868.

I did not fully enjoy it, or quite frankly, remember as much as I normally would a movie though because I saw it on a flight from Detroit to Phoenix. The environment you watch a movie can have a big impact on your experience. In my case, I watched it in just about the worst environment for me. As a matter of fact, I hate flying. This flight was the beginning of a 2-week trip to Arizona and New Mexico. I have family in both States. Once I am out there I couldn’t be happier because reconnecting with family helps me make it through the rest of the year. I dislike the whole experience of flying. Getting the apartment ready, stopping the mail, packing clothes, and getting through the TSA line: the whole process brings me that much closer to getting on that plane. This past December I actually didn’t get on the flight. I sat there and waited for the last possible moment. The next thing you know they closed the gate and I went downstairs to find out how to get my luggage back. To their credit though, the luggage personnel got me a ticket for the very next flight leaving.

I did get on that flight and eventually settled in and started browsing through the movies. This is when I was very surprised to see Lakota Nation vs. the United States. As a Native American I have grown used to NOT seeing movies about Native Americans as a choice to view. Then when I read the description I was even more surprised. Without wasting a minute, I pressed that button and started it up.

I couldn’t believe how intense and comprehensive it was in covering the history and current efforts of the Lakota Nation to regain their sacred Black Hills. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if my fellow fliers were seeing these images, too. But, everyone was doing their own thing.

I wonder if “Killers” had also been partly responsible for that film being a choice in the in-flight catalog. Probably, and for that I am also more appreciative that “Killers” was made.

I also know for a period shortly after “Killers” came out, I noticed a slight increase in people engaging in conversation with me. After a few times I thought, “wow, people are sure getting friendlier.” That actually died down after about a month.

For my choice of snack, on the flight I actually had nothing because of what I already went over. What I would recommend though is from our recipe booklet, 13 Moons of Anishinaabe Nutrition. It is Maple Granola. Here are the ingredients and directions on how to make it from that booklet. (More info about the booklet and a link to download the whole booklet can be found near the end of this blog post)

Our next contributor to this blog about NA movies and snacks is our Office Coordinator, Shelly Nimocks-Hinshaw. She wanted to feature 2 movies and snacks. The first is called Skins. The second is War Party.

Skins (2002) by Chris Eyre

(img: http://www.indianer-reservation.de/Seiten/skins.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11827082)

Loyalty can test relationships and drive you to madness.  Rudy Yellow Lodge is the younger brother of an alcoholic. A lot of us have this heavy responsibility, but how would you handle this as a cop? Arresting your friends and family can be a hard thing to do.

As a granddaughter of an officer, I know that mental & physical health is key. Being an officer can cause a strain on relationships in work and home, pushing you over the edge. Alcohol & drugs become coping mechanisms.

Rudy believed that Iktomi (Spider Trickster) was guiding his redemption by becoming a vigilante and handling the situations he couldn’t deal with as a cop. Busting thugs knee caps, store burnings, & defacing Mt. Rushmore allowed Rudy to feel like an officer, brother and a human again. You don’t have to live on the rez or be a cop to experience the pain, anger & sadness as you watch Rudy’s world fall apart. We try to follow the rules, but sometimes we step outside the box and go rogue.

Movie recommendation is a thumbs up and a serious dose of reality. This movie gives you a slice of rez life that shows a bit of everything, but is familiar in any setting.  I totally recommend the book by Adrian C. Lewis, which is similar to the movie, with a few name changes. Watching the movie & reading the book enhances each other and will really make you think.

Movie Snacks: fry bread and buffalo stew is a definite for this movie. It will make you crave it.

There are a lot of different ways to make fry bread. Here is a video I like:

To make a good buffalo stew you can use a recipe from our recipe booklet, 13 Moons of Anishinaabe Nutrition. In it is a recipe for venison stew which you just have to substitute buffalo for the venison. Here is that recipe.

My second movie recommendation is War Party (1988) by Franc Roddam

(img: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4393592)

The townsfolks in Milk River, Montana re-enact a battle for the towns 100-year anniversary in hopes of unifying a troubled town.

Sonny Crow Killer & Skitty Harris live & work on the rez. Their world revolves around their families, work, parties & dreams of living the good life with their girls. They struggle, but try to achieve their piece of American pie, loving the rez life.

The night before the re-enactment, an altercation breaks out in the neighborhood bar. Alcohol and attitudes lead to poor decisions & actions fueling the fire the next day. The fragile community spirit falls apart over money, politics, & revenge resulting in deaths on the field of battle. History repeats itself.

The National Guard gets called in and it all goes crazy because of poor communication and lack of responsibility, tearing the town apart. Sonny & Skitty along with a few friends are on the run, resulting in more deaths. Both men return to warrior ways by the help of a medicine man who reminds them, “it’s a good day to die.”  They just don’t see a way out or anyone believing them or what led up to the deaths on the re-enactment field.  We see this in today’s world. History keeps repeating itself in a negative way.

The outcome is the saddest part of all. Skitty & Sonny charge on horseback to face the National Guard carrying nothing but tomahawks. They were killed instantly. The look of disgust on the soldiers face as he pulls the tomahawk from Sonny’s grasp. This was not what he signed up for.

I totally sympathize with the Skitty & Sonny. Growing up without a lot of expectations in your life, being half Native, and your parents not having a lot of faith in you caused me to prove myself more than necessary. Sometimes you have to rise up without help from others and make your own way.

Movie Snacks: “Indian picnic, kinda funny” was a snarky comment muttered by Sonny’s dad and that always stuck with me. Sonny & Skitty were taking their ladies out to ride horses, have beer & food, under the blue sky & chill. So, have a picnic of berries, ice cold water, breads & cheese in memory of Sonny & Skitty.

Our next movie and snack recommendations are from Dan Weed, who is from our Facilities Department.

Frybread Face and Me (2023) by Billy Luther

Who are the people you can be most yourself around? For many people, the answer is their family or their friends. But what if you haven’t met your family before? Will they accept you? 

The answer is emphatically YES if these people want to keep being important to your life. And, in “Frybread Face and Me,” our main character learns how important these connections will mean.

Benny, an 11-year-old boy from the city, is brought to the Navajo Nation to live with his mother’s family for the summer. On the rez, he meets his grandmother, Marvin, and his cousin Fry or “Frybread Face.” 

One of the themes of the movie is the urban-reservation divide. For example, Benny’s grandma only speaks in Dine’. As the movie goes on, he grows to understand her as if he also spoke Dine’- even though he never learns the language! I think the movie likes to show that this urban-reservation divide is real, but it can be overcome.

When I watched this movie, I fell asleep a few times. I blame my work tiring me out! But it was funny when my fiancée kept clapping her hands in front of my face to wake me up. I can’t thank her enough for watching this excellent movie with me.

With this movie, I didn’t have a snack. I wish I had some of my fiancée’s frybread and a black coffee. But she and I are trying to eat more healthy, traditional foods, and blueberries are a snack we already enjoy around the house. For my snack recommendation, try making the Berry Ice Cream from the 13 Moons of Anishinaabe Nutrition.

Our last recommendations are from our Behavioral Health Director, David Garcia.

War Pony (2022) by Gina Gammell and Riley Keough

(img: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74340907)

For this blog, I suggest watching War Pony. It is an excellent movie on reservation life. I have stayed with friends, who were in similar situations. It was difficult for me to watch. It made me sad, angry, frustrated, helpless for the people.

For my choice of snack, I would have to go with popcorn! It is a reliable choice for enhancing the movie watching experience. It is also is an Indigenous choice. As written from the USDA which says, “Around the year 1612, early French explorers through the Great Lakes region noted that the Iroquois popped popcorn with heated sand in a pottery vessel and used it to make popcorn soup, among other things.” Nutritionally, it can also be a good choice if you follow the recommendations found at Healthline.com, which says, “Popcorn is a healthy snack when it’s air-popped and served without ingredients high in fat, salt, or sugar.”

In closing this blog, we hope you enjoyed these recommendations for movies and snacks from some of our staff members. We want to thank Jessica Boyd, our Youth Program Coordinator, for creating this 13 Moons of Anishinaabe Nutrition recipe booklet for you to download. We also want to thank the 13 Moons of Anishinaabe Nutrition Curriculum created by White Earth Land Recovery Project which is where these recipes were found. For additional Anishinaabe snacks and meal recipes, you can download the whole 13 Moons Anishinaabe Nutrition booklet (32 pages, 7MB) by clicking this link.

Growing Traditional Tobacco as a Communicator

By John Marcus
AIHFS Communications Specialist

I’d like to begin with a little about myself. My tribal identity is that I am a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, but I also identify as Taos Pueblo and Mohawk from Six Nations, Ontario because I still have family at both places. Normally, I am the guy behind the scenes here at American Indian Health & Family Services (AIHFS). I create and edit this and that, including but not exclusively pictures, videos or newsletters. This time I’m sharing personal experiences I’ve had growing traditional tobacco, mostly focusing on 2022. I began a strong supporting role tending the tobacco garden in the spring/summer of 2020, by 2022 I was the main gardener for it.

After reading this blog you will have enough knowledge to help you grow your own traditional tobacco, but that is not the sole purpose. This blog is meant to give context and help support that, as a Native American, tobacco is more than just a plant to grow. In this territory, as well as many others, it is a sacred medicine: it is essential as part of our experience as spiritual beings. It is used as part of all our ceremonies.

Before diving in further, I want to point out that you will see some gender specific references. It is not meant to disrespect anyone and I am not saying this is the only way it has to be. This is what I was taught in this area, southeastern Michigan. Others may have had different experiences and Teachings.

How did I come to be a tobacco gardener?

As we all know, covid-19 changed a lot of things. In the case of our courtyard garden, it became untended. Towards the end of March 2020, so many businesses were closing. Meanwhile, here we were making plans on how to move forward in this pandemic. Being a health clinic, it was imperative for us to move forward!

Some staff had the option to work remotely. I myself worked remotely beginning around the end of March. I returned to onsite work in May. After I had returned, I found myself spending breaks in the courtyard since being outside was one of the activities supported by the CDC. Others were also doing this and one day in late May, since it hadn’t been done yet, we used a Saturday to do a voluntary courtyard spring clean-up. We had a program called Sacred Roots that normally would have done this, but their return to onsite work was delayed. None the less, a good number of employees volunteered to pitch in on a Saturday and do some spring clean-up! I was one of the many that came in that day.

During this clean-up, it was noted that the garden bed reserved for growing tobacco was also overgrown with weeds. One of the Native women reminded the group tobacco is a male medicine, meaning one of us men needed to weed it. There was something in that moment that struck deep in my spirit: a confluence of tradition, balance and responsibilities that our ancestors had created. A sense of if we do this then our community will be on the path to balance and wellness. That is the moment I began to feel a strong responsibility for that bed and medicine. That is the moment I put down my tool and got on my hands and knees and began to pull weeds, which in and of itself is a humbling experience.

Weeding and Watering

Fast forward to the spring of 2022. By then, we no longer had a grant to tend the courtyard garden. Instead of the supporting role, as I had volunteered in 2021, I now took on the main role.  My approach to the tobacco garden was to be as natural as possible, mostly just weeding and watering.

To weed it was not too complicated. Once you identify what tiny tobacco plants look like as they sprout, you just pull everything else up out of the dirt. I was fortunate to have years of seeing this, especially since 2020.

For watering, I followed what amount of rainfall would be best for something else grown outdoors, such as grass. That amount is about 1 inch rainfall per week. Using a hose, that turns out to be around twice per week. If it actually rained once that week, then I would water the tobacco garden once with a hose. I followed recommendations to water in the morning because watering in the afternoon, the leaves could get “scorched” and some of the water would evaporate before it had a chance to penetrate the soil.

It’s important to mention when working with this traditional tobacco, such as weeding and harvesting, I recommend wearing gloves and long sleeves, or at least gloves. The reason is you can absorb nicotine from the plant through your skin. The leaves of this species, nicotiana rustica, have a nicotine content as high as 9%! In my case, it caused me to sweat quite a bit more than I normally would. Eventually, I figured out what was happening and took preventative measures.

The following pictures show growth from May through August. They are all from 2022, except 2 from 2021 which I’ve labeled. I used those 2 because when I began the garden I hadn’t really planned on documenting it and wanted to fill a gap in time.

May Through August

Self-sowing

The tobacco garden has been self-sowing each year since 2019. This happened because each preceding year the plant would be allowed to stay in the ground long enough for the seed pods to open up and drop the seeds to the ground. I started seeing this around the end of August. Then they just stayed there in the garden bed while the seasons changed and summer rolled around and bam! Here comes the next generation of tobacco plants to tend.

If starting from scratch, the seeds would be dropped on the surface and then you would lightly brush the soil over it. Another thing to bear in mind is that the seeds need consecutive days of 70 degrees or higher for them to germinate.

According to a local elder, the original seeds used came from a Mohawk that was working in the area around the late 70’s, early 80’s. Each year since, some of the seeds were saved and used to plant the following year’s tobacco.

Around June/July I took some advice from an elder in our facilities department. He grew up farming in North Carolina where tobacco growing is prevalent though it has become heavily commercialized in its practice. He said, “You got to thin that out,” and “They need to be 12 inches apart.” You will see this mentioned in other tobacco growing tutorials. But since I was trying to do this as natural as possible, I only thinned them out a little bit. I pulled the youngest ones so that there was about 3 inches between the plants.

This same elder said, “You have to top them off.” Topping Off is the removal of the flowers and the seeds, which is a standard technique not just for tobacco, but other plants, too. This will cause the leaves to grow bigger because the plant will direct energy to the leaf since it can’t send it to the flowers and seeds. Once again though, I was trying to grow this tobacco as natural as possible, and I saw bees coming to the flowers every day so I KNEW the bees used them in some fashion. Out of respect to the elder, I did give in a little bit though and topped off about 1/5 of the garden bed.

“First Harvest”

Around August some of the seed pods were opening up and the leaves were large and dark green. I thought that meant it is time to harvest them. A method I had seen from my previous experience with our youth program of years ago involved the following. In September or October, they pulled up each plant, root and all. Then they tied them up in bundles of about 5 and hung them up to dry in the social hall.

Throughout 2022 I had also been part of a weekly men’s group at AIHFS. In August, I began mentioning to them that it may be time to start harvesting some of the tobacco plants. They seemed interested in helping, but in our allotted time for our meetings we never got around to it.

As early September rolled around I decided to start harvesting the garden myself. I planned everything out. I had set aside about 3 hours to do it on September 9. I began by collecting the leaves that had already “cured on the stalk.” That means they are brown and will fall off soon. Then I was ready to use the same method done previously with the youth program: pull each plant up, root and all, and then tie them up to hang in our social hall. While standing next to the garden bed almost ready to start pulling, I heard a sound unlike anything heard before. It was like a water balloon plop, but also like a thud. I looked about and slight movement on the ground caught my eye. It was a pigeon. It had seemingly just fallen out of the sky. It was dying before my eyes. I could do nothing. I looked up because I thought I might see a hawk or something that had chased it, causing it to run into our building and knock itself into oblivion. Nothing. I looked around and there was just no explanation for what happened. In broad daylight a bird does not just drop to the ground. I had to pause. Being Native American, we know animals can be, and have been, our Teachers, too. What was this bird trying to communicate? I knew one thing; I was done for the day. I packed everything up and went back inside to my office. I grabbed some previously harvested tobacco and went back out to put it down on the bird as it began its journey into the spirit world. I told it I would also try to figure out the message it may have meant for me.

Garden Days

Throughout the summer AIHFS had Garden Days where anyone could come to our courtyard and help out. The day following the fallen pigeon, Saturday, September 10, was one of those days. I was going in, but not to harvest because I thought, at a minimum, the pigeon was meant for me to pause on that choice. Instead, I went in to just “top off” the plants whose seeds were mostly brown. I was going to set them outside under a shelter to dry. I also was going to dispose of the pigeon that had fallen.

I arrived at AIHFS a little before the gates were open so I parallel parked in front of the courtyard and waited. Not too long after parking, out of my side mirror I saw one of the many feral cats come strolling down the sidewalk, heading north. It came to the edge of our property and then entered it and went up the ramp towards our clinic doors. It came down the steps and was basically following the edge of the building as it continued north. This path put it right between the building and the tobacco garden, right near the fallen pigeon. Noticeably, its body language changed as it reappeared with the pigeon in its mouth. It carried it north I presume to a place where it could eat it undisturbed.

Here are some pictures from September 9 and 10.

After thinking about the fallen pigeon, I decided it meant I should again ask my men’s group to help harvest the tobacco garden. When I did, this time it actually happened, even though I did not tell them my experience with the pigeon. We pulled and hung up 2 “rows” of tobacco plants, root and all, on September 14.

After that session though, there were still plants in the bed. I continued to water and weed them. I also continued to harvest the leaves that had “cured on the stalk.” About half-way through the summer I had started to expand my watering duties to include the rest of the courtyard. While watering a tomato bed about 25 feet from the tobacco bed, I noticed a single tobacco plant starting to sprout up. I don’t know if it was the birds, bees or butterflies, but something picked up a tobacco seed and dropped it in the tomato bed. Both plants belong to the Nightshade Family so I guess it makes sense it seemed to be doing really well there!

Around October that tomato bed was going to get winterized, meaning everything pulled up and then covered with mulch. Since that lone tobacco plant was doing well I decided to transplant it back to its family in the tobacco garden. It did continue to live into November with the rest of the tobacco, but its leaves showed some wilting after transplanting.

Final Harvest and Winterization

I kept watching the weather for when to make the final harvest. I was watching for when the temperatures went below freezing. This would damage their roots and they would not be able to continue in this physical world. It turned out November 14 would be the day.

I was not looking forward to pulling them out. Anyone who has done any gardening will tell you their plants can become their babies. I will add that it had reached a point where the bees were no longer “using” the tobacco plant flowers. The previous Thursday I saw none and the whole time I was doing this final harvest I did not see one bee amongst the tobacco plants. As I was beginning I wandered over to another part of our courtyard. In mid-October a co-worker had given me shallot and garlic bulbs to plant. In their bed I could see the top of the shallots were coming through and it made me feel a little better. A reminder that when one life ends, another begins.

I started pulling and tying them together and created one “line” and hung it in the social hall. I did the same for a second line which was going to be enough to complete the harvest. Just as I was near done cleaning out the tobacco bed and experiencing what I would best describe as an emptiness, I heard a sound I’ve not heard in our area. It was similar to a blue jay in that it was loud! I paused just in time to hear it again and I thought, “Is that a hawk? It can’t be a hawk.  I’ve never heard a hawk out here.”  But when I looked up over our parking lot, against the overcast skies I saw the dark outline of a hawk only about 40 feet up. For them that is low. When I have seen them in our area, they will be 150 feet and higher, easily. I was spellbound as it called about 2 or 3 more times while continuing its path, soaring from North to South over our lot, landing in the big tree at the edge of our property. I started to feel like the hawk was saying, “sometimes you have to take life as part of life.” After all, the hawks are an apex predator.  But, it was also affirming this was the right time to pull the plants. Do not pull them too soon, their roots are still alive and working. In other words, it is better to just harvest them throughout late summer and early fall using the curing on the stalk method. I think that may have been what the fallen pigeon was also telling me earlier, “you are ending something too soon.”

After hanging the last line, I went back out and put the garden bed to bed by covering it all with about 2 inches of cedar mulch.

Indoor Work

With the growing and harvesting done, we’ve generally waited six months to a year for it to dry while hanging in the social hall. After that, you can take them down, pull the leaves off the stalks and store for use. If the seed pods are still attached, make sure to put some type of big tray underneath to catch the seeds dropping from the movement caused by pulling leaves. This is also a good time to separate the seed pods from the stalks. Once they “rattle” it is good to pop them open over a tray to collect them and store for future seasons.

This year introduced the process of “curing on the stalk.” The following pictures are examples of: “cured by hanging,” “cured on the stalk,” and, for comparison, traditional tobacco that was ordered online.

Using Tobacco

One of the more memorable ways we used our own grown tobacco occurred in August 2022. For years AIHFS has been raising funds to acquire our own land and a new building. In 2022 we acquired land for a site! As a result, we had a Land Blessing ceremony open to all our community members. The tobacco grown at AIHFS was a part of that ceremony.

In Summary

In the end, I feel like I had done something I was meant to do. There are different ways to grow and use tobacco and this was my experience in this community. I let life lead me to this experience and did my best to watch for natural and spiritual guidance along the way.

One of many tobacco Teachings is that it was the first plant shown by the Creator to our people with the explanation, use this to communicate with me. My official title is Communications Specialist and I can think of no better example of a special way to communicate than by growing, harvesting and offering tobacco to communicate with the Creator.

Conversation Corner with Native American Author Anton Treuer

By Carrie Garcia
AIHFS Human Resource Specialist

Fairness is not given. It is made. These are true words well-spoken by author, speaker, trainer and Bemidji State University Ojibwe professor Anton Treuer. Treuer, Leech Lake Ojibwe, has authored over 20 books in his lifetime anywhere from the Anishinaabe language revitalization to Native American history. This blog is from a virtual interview we had with Anton to learn more about him.

Anton Treuer, Leech Lake Ojibwe

AIHFS: What motivated you to want to write your books?

AT: I am up to 20 books. They are all different. I have a book called, The Language Warrior’s Manifesto How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds talks about the language revitalization and I have another one called, The Cultural Toolbox Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World which is all about the native culture. Each book has its own origin story and were received differently by different people in different places. You have to imagine across Anishinaabe country that you have some places that everyone is a fluent speaker. We have some communities where our fluent speakers are gone. We have different experiences by generation, age, cultural experience language and strength in different communities but at the same time I think there are some really common threads that unite us as Anishinaabe people and not just because of similar experiences but similar cultural patterns and community strengths too.

AIHFS: With the various generations of readers, have you noticed more of a positive or more of a negative feedback from your books?

AT: Overwhelming positive feedback. This is a difficult time right now with politics and other topics. It made it hard for some people to put themselves out there speaking their truth. I try not to be too worried about politics. I try to say things how I see them and I think just being honest and authentic usually works. It doesn’t mean everyone is going to see the world like I do. I am just one person trying to navigate this crazy world at this crazy time we are living in. Just be kind and inclusive and open with others and communicate that with the things that we do. For the most part it has been well received. I don’t shy away from the tougher topics but I am not mean spirited and that seems to help.

AIHFS: What was one thing you hoped to accomplish with your writings?

AT: As native people we experience these contradictory pains of hypervisibility such as racial profiling and invisibility and marginalization. One of the things that I am trying to do with my work all together is elevate the visibility of native people and to tell our stories our way among the quest for healing for our people from all of the historical and contemporary traumas. I don’t think there is one simple silver bullet solution for all of those things, but the more that native people are empowered and supported in all of those efforts the more healing we all derive from that. I always try to hold up my fellow natives, authors, teachers, community members and tribal leaders. Everyone might see the battlefield differently, but we are all warriors in the same side of trying to make life better for the Anishinaabe people. I try to look at it that way and where I have been lucky blessed and put my time to share so that we can advance our language, culture, sovereignty, our community health.

AIHFS: What are some ways that us as Native Americans feel that we belong and not feel lost?

AT: 70 percent of the self-identified Native American’s live off the reservation. Even for those who are on the reservation for their whole lives, still feel disconnected. That’s because even if you have fluent speakers in your family, we are separated by so many things by generations. We put our elders in nursing homes, we send our first graders with other first graders. The things that would naturally happen for the intergenerational transmission of our language and culture are all being disrupted. One of the things I try to communicate with others is connection and culture are not something that live outside of us. I think a lot of people adopt that view and they are always looking out and looking for something. Those things live inside of us and we can be Anishinaabe wherever we live including in the center of a big city. We have to instead of looking for the external thing, wake up the internal thing and we can be okay in our own skin wherever we are at. That awakening is healing and empowering. One of the things I found is that we have some tools at our disposal that our ancestors did not have that can make that a little easier. The thing I appreciate about writing books is that anyone can pick up a book or turn on Audible. It’s not the same as being with someone in a Wigwam in a ceremony, but it’s something that can help bridge that connection and get information and connect us to one another.

AIHFS: Out of all the books you have written, which one is your favorite book and why?

AT: It depends on the purpose. My most recent book, The Cultural Toolbox, was my most personal writing today. It was a very healing process for me writing the book. The book shares a little deeper on how we try to do our culture in this time. For those who are on their cultural journey will find a lot of residence and help with that. The Language Warrior’s Manifesto has been getting great reception in the language communities. It’s not just the Ojibwe things. We have been working with the Menominee, Blackfeet, Dakota and other different groups that are trying to work with the language revitalization. There are different ones for different purposes. Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask has been the bestselling one. We released a young readers edition in April 2021 and that one took right off. It speaks to the young readers. I have enjoyed the opportunity to keep broadening the reception of that particular work. I can’t just pick one. They all serve different purposes.  I feel blessed to speak on a variety of topics.

AIHFS: Which of your books would you like to see made into a movie and why?

AT: We are in the process of trying to develop a movie right now. It is The Assassination of Hole In The Day. It’s one of the history books I wrote and it was about an Ojibwe leader in the middle of the 1800’s who was killed. His story is a murder mystery and is a window into how the nature of the Ojibwe leadership changed. It has everything that a good story should have. We are slowly climbing Mt. Everest towards our goal on a movie.

Hole-in-the-day (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hole_in_the_Day#/media/File:HoleInTheDay1858.jpg)

AIHFS: Did you have any struggles or roadblocks writing your publications?

AT: Every author has this. Before I was getting started I had a lot of rejection letters. It just set me back to be more determined, to sharpen my saw and to work stronger than before and give it another shot. I have more people coming after me now than I can possibly satisfy with the work. It takes a while to get noticed and build up your own ability. Sometimes there are people with wonder talents, ideas and writings who don’t get noticed and don’t get pick up. You have to be persistent. It was really tough at first for academic writing as people discounted things like oral history and use of indigenous languages. I had plenty of roadblocks and setbacks.

AIHFS:  If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

AT: As human beings we have moments of self-doubt. I would have said, believe in yourself. You are worthy of all the things of the love and respect of your family, your people, and your community. You can do it. Don’t listen to anyone that’s telling you no or your less than.

AIHFS: American Indian Health and Family Services deals with health care in the community and even for their employees. Do you have an exercise or physical activity that you regularly do? Why did you choose it and how long have you been actively doing it?

AT: I believe in all forms of health. Mental, spiritual, emotional and physical. I like to run a lot. I usually run four times a week. I do some weight lifting and try to balance it out. I am trying to do a little bit more weight lifting and maintaining the cardio. It shifted and changed over time. Its fun to mix things up and keep it interesting. I live in a rural area and being outside feeds me in other ways. That’s why I like running.

AIHFS: For those who are wanting to pursue things such as following their talents, what words of wisdom would you give them?

AT: We as being Anishinaabe we can do anything that we want to do. We are perfectly capable. Don’t let anyone hold you down and keep you down. Remember to be kind and put your best self out in the world and don’t be too hard on yourself. Be supportive of other people, their success is our success and we should want everyone to have their best shot at a healthy and happy life. We are not in competition with everyone else in the world.

You can order Anton’s books on his website at https://antontreuer.com/, Amazon, and also on e-books on Audible.

RECOGNIZING BLACK NATIVES YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

By Nechelle Laferriere

So often history is omitted or whitewashed and it leaves its descendants in the dark of their lineage. That is until one gets lost enough to then start asking for directions. Black History is just that, a road map to new discoveries of one’s identity, uncharted territories, and unrecognized tribes. Though the story of the black man likes to begin with the white man, it often skips over the black man and the Native or tries to pit the two against each other.

The Black Native part of history is not taught though it would give a lot of insight to the coined phrase “you got Indian in your family” lol. This phrase though misguided and somewhat problematic is one most black people grew up hearing. It’s referred in the black community to a person that has a longer looser texture of hair or ambiguous features of beauty; therefore, suggesting a native relative from way back must be the cause. But no one ever investigates, no one traces the family tree back to see if in fact someone was native. No one wants to go back too far because no one wants to hear another slave story.

Unfortunately, we as African-Americans try to distant ourselves from our ancestors that were stolen from their land because of the pain and trauma it holds. But one cannot deny or dispute our past no matter how removed we would want to be from it. The same goes for the Black Native story, it is one that is untold because of its troubling history. Still it is a story that must be told because it involves a people that must be heard.

I will briefly share of the twos history and crossing of paths. There were 5 tribes called the 5 Civilized Tribes the Muscogee (Creek) Tribe, the Choctaw Tribe, the Cherokee Tribe, the Chickasaw Tribe, and the Seminole Tribe.  These tribes were the first nations that were forced to adapt their way of life to that of the colonists. This resulted in these 5 tribes having to own slaves to limit alliances being formed to help runaway slaves. Through the history of Native’s owning slaves to then offering tribal affiliation to the free slave to then intermarriage gave birth to the Black Native.  

The Black Native identity is real and their stories matter to Native history and to Black history. Black Natives have contributed to both black and Native cultures and advancements. Recognizing the Black Native before us gives understanding and value to the Black Native with us.

BLACK NATIVES YESTERDAY

Black Natives before us had to endure a very different racial climate as well as racial acceptance from the Native community, black community, and white community. Being black or Native then did not come with the same celebration or pride as it does today. To be a minority especially black and or Native then was to be more hated, to be put in more danger, to be given more hardship, and to shed more blood. White America during this time was the standard and all others had to meet that standard as best as they could to survive. Whether that meant natives being sent to boarding schools or forced into adoption with white families. Blacks being forced to alter their natural hair texture or hide their blackness all to be more palatable for the standard of whiteness was inevitable.

Through that standard the Black Native became like that of unicorn never really being able to belong to their black identity or to their Native identity; because both identities were stolen, both identities were whitened. This lack of identity made it so that colorism- a prejudice or discrimination amongst different skin tones in a racial group presented itself heavy in the black community as well as black pride. While colorism was prevalent within the Native community, Natives took on a different approach as to preserve their lineage and rights. They started to require what’s called a blood quantum- a percentage of Native blood that allows you to be considered Native. With both groups taking precautions to reclaim their identities, they created more exclusion to the outsider, more exclusion to the Black Native. Which meant you were too black to be Native or too Native to be black. Which ultimately meant that the Black Native had to learn how to be both identities in a way that was their own identity. And they did!

George Bonga – Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bonga#/media/File:George_Bonga.png

For instance, George Bonga (1802-1880) African American and Ojibwe. George was known to be a Black Indian fur trader as well as a wilderness guide. He was also fluent in multiple languages English, Ojibwe, and French that brought forth his service as a government translator.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Edmonia_Lewis_by_Henry_Rocher.jpgEdmonia Lewis

Mary Edmonia Lewis (1844- 1907) African American and Mississauga Ojibwe. Mary was the first African American and Native American Sculptor to be recognized nationally and internationally for her works of art. She was known to sculpt African and Native features and themes into the neoclassic style of art.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bowlegs_III#/media/File:Billy_Bowlegs_III_3c25031u.jpg

Billy Bowlegs III (1862-1965) African-American and Seminole. He was famous for being chief during the Seminole Wars. Billy was also a part of the Snake Clan and was proud of his heritage and culture. He continued to teach and performed traditional dances until his passing.

Olivia Ward Bush-Bankshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_Ward_Bush-Banks#/media/File:Olivia_Ward_Bush.gif

Olivia Ward Bush-Banks (1869-1944) African-American and Montaukett. She was known for her poetry and writings. Olivia wrote for Colored American magazine and published multiple poetry books. Her writings displayed that of the Native experience and the African-American experience.

These well-known Black Natives made sacrifices for the Black Natives of today and tomorrow.

BLACK NATIVES TODAY

“I don’t want to be just one, I’m not just one, I like who I am”- Shelly

Those words were from my coworker Shelly a black Native that I had the pleasure of interviewing here at the agency.

Shelly, who is African-American and Dine’ was born in 1966 in Ontario, Canada to her mother Beverly (Black) and her father William (Navajo.) She then moved to Detroit when she was three years old and this was the beginning of her racial identity of being black and Native unfolding. Despite being raised a great deal by her grand and great grandparents learning to be proud of her identities and cultures; Shelly still endured hardship for the color of her skin, the texture of her hair, the way she spoke and the beliefs she cultivated.  

I said tell me what it was like being black and Native in Detroit? She sighed with a chuckle and said “well it was traumatic. Having to grow up in the 70’s and 80’s was a different time.” She spoke on not being able to fit in during her time attending Catholic school, being teased often in girl scouts and what it was like being discriminated against in the black community.

Still her family instilled in her the beauty and strength of what it was to be black and Native no matter the adversity. While experiencing push back from the black community, Shelly found comfort in her Nativeness. She learned the teachings and listened to the elder’s stories and learned how Natives should be portrayed in the media. Though seen as different or the awkward Black Native Shelly found a way to meld her beliefs and understanding whether be it cultural or spiritual to make it fitting to herself. However, finding belonging was still a barrier in her youth and still is at times today she says.

Having gone through many trials and tribulations with her estranged father, to changing professions, to losing loved ones to suicide. Shelly stands proud to this day to be black and to be Native. Shelly did not have an easy life growing up as a black Native but she made the most of her experiences and hopes that the next generation of Black Natives will do the same.

BLACK NATIVES TOMORROW

To the Black Natives of tomorrow know that how you look, what you celebrate, and how you identify matters because the black Natives yesterday and today made sure that it would. As you venture the land of your Native heritage do so with confidence holding up your black fist. Never stop following the road map, never stop discovering more of your history, never stop fighting for injustice. Hold firm to Martin Luther King Jr’s dream while honoring the Grandfather teachings.

“Young people raise up, don’t be afraid, fear will kill you.”

-Shelly

In writing this blog my objective was to solely focus on the historical context surrounding the Black Native identity. Now, I realize it was to open up a history that most black people and Natives may not be aware of. To be Black, to be Native, is to be seen and heard.

Though the Black Native story is part slave story, it is much more than that, it is an intermarriage story, a friendship story, a welcoming of tribe’s story, an awkward Black Native story, a Native history story and it is a BLACK HISTORY STORY! Happy Black History Month!

Sites

Olivia Ward Bush-Banks – Wikipedia 9 January 2022, by Wikimedia Foundation

Billy Bowlegs III – Wikipedia 21 October 2021, by Wikimedia Foundation

Edmonia Lewis – Wikipedia 7 February 2022, by Wikimedia Foundation

George Bonga – Wikipedia 14 January 2022, by Wikimedia Foundation

Five Civilized Tribes of Native America 5 Native American tribe (theamericanhistory.org) 8 February 2022, by The American History

Winter is Time for Storytelling

by John Marcus, Communications Specialist
Pueblo | Mohawk | Anishinaabe

Winter is time for storytelling. This is a tradition of many Tribal Nations across Turtle Island. It is a time when Mother Earth is said to be resting. Large segments of plants and animals are going to rest throughout winter and when spring returns, they wake back up and start producing and pursuing life to the fullest, following the paths Creator set down for them so long ago.

During this quiet time, when the snow muffles the sounds, it also creates a good environment for learning and introspection. The stories Native people share usually are more than just entertainment, it was a way to pass along customs and reinforce behaviors. In the story, you can see yourself or others around you and from that guide you on your path.

Also, it is a good way to learn concentration and respect. Additionally, you will want to have a calm, relaxed setting that is associated with being in a safe environment in order to be open to the story being shared. Listening skills are often not praised, but the results from someone having used their listening skills previously, will often have the results praised. Rather than the foundation of a learning experience, think of listening as your walls, keeping in the knowledge that could pass through your dwelling without them.

Listening to a story versus watching a movie on an electronic device, also engages the imagination differently. With listening, the imagination is more involved. When you hear a pleasant sounding description your mind can run with it as far as it can: this is exercise for your imagination!  To illustrate the importance of imagination, I borrow from the mainstream society perspective for this next quote:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
– Albert Einstein

It could even be storytelling through an electronic device that includes video and music has changed the way we listen to people, essentially decreasing our listening skills. Since, as previously mentioned, we know the imagination is not as engaged via electronic devices, does the mind later on experience resistance in calling on all of its capabilities when needed, especially in areas of problem solving? Also, we know that the electronic devices are not human, we don’t have to treat this source, and the information coming from it, as deserving respect. Then when we do talk with other humans and they are echoing the same info from electronic devices, is it easier to “see” them as an extension of these electronic devices that are not human, therefore making it easier to treat them as “not human” or “lacking spirit?” Moving about society these days it is definitely a meaner, colder experience and this seems to parallel the rise in bandwidth to accommodate the proliferation of these one-way storytelling experiences.

Another major part of storytelling is that for that moment, for that time the story is being told, it is alive. Something is being shared between people that didn’t exist just prior to the beginning of that story. The story can change slightly with each telling and each storyteller. The change can be the actual choice of words or the change could be very subtle, as in, tone or body language. This could be part of the reason behind why it is considered an indigenous custom to gift the storyteller tobacco when asking them to come and share stories. Something is being brought to life so we must ultimately thank the Creator for this action.

This point might be a good time to also recognize that this medium of the written word, or blog specifically in this case, is definitely NOT the same as storytelling. This is a story about storytelling, but not an act of storytelling.

In 2020 we had a traditional storytelling series through Facebook that was virtual, due to the ongoing pandemic. One of the stories was by Don Lyons, Jr. He is an enrolled citizen of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe located in Northern Minnesota and Haudenosaunee located in Six Nations, Ontario and also on our Board of Directors. The story he shared is about Windigo, sometimes referred to as a man-eater or a spirit that consumes everything. The character relates the idea of greed, excessive want, lacking humanity, and no connection to a sense of community, responsibilities, or fellowship. In order to restrain Windigo, a coalition was created. The coalition members brought all their energies, skills, and dedication together, and all played an equal part. Don explained that the spirit of Windigo remains with us all the time and the need to consistently do outreach, have empathy, and compassion for others are critical towards keeping Windigo at bay. Below is the full the video if you want to watch it.

Then there are the stories that are held within the stars. Here’s a great video by Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian about explorations in cultural astronomy featuring Michael Wassegijig Price. Yes, even there it is mentioned that stories are told during the winter. The night sky contains a physical manifestation of when it is storytelling time.

If you watch this video around the 19 minute mark it says that the constellation Orion is known as Nanaboozhoo and amongst the Anishinaabe, they don’t tell Nanaboozhoo stories till you can see Nanaboozhoo (Orion) in the sky, which is winter. Nanaboozhoo (Orion) goes away or drops below the horizon in March or as spring is approaching.

As we bring this story back to this planet, we must also note the “return” of the first wave of electronic storytelling devices, the radio, in the modern form of the Podcast. Yet, the distinct difference is when the first wave came through in the 1930’s, it was a family activity. Here’s a good example I found on YouTube of a mystery radio show available at the time called The Shadow Knows. (FYI, the sound is a little low on the video and it doesn’t start till about 10 seconds in)

 The family would gather together in the room with the radio and listen together, sharing an experience in real-time together, listening to the “programs.” Whereas, the podcasts are mostly listened to by one person. Once again, a less human experience because there are no other live beings experiencing that moment, it is a one-way exchange.

Then there is the hybrid, TED. They are a marriage of storytelling and electronic devices. Their tagline is Ideas Worth Spreading. How they spread that idea is a presenter with an in-person audience has a maximum of 18 minutes to “present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can.” It actually started as an in-person conference back in 1984. It is currently in-person, livestreamed, and then uploaded for later viewing. It is interesting to note that via Wikipedia, TED was founded in February, 1984. That would be when Nanaboozhoo (Orion) is in the night sky, signaling to us down here on Mother Earth, it is storytelling time.

Taking a quick look at TED’s top 25 list of most popular videos of all time, number one is called, Do Schools Kill Creativity, with around 72 million views. The 25^th most watched video is called, The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology and has around 19 million views. At number seven of this list is Bill Gates in a video from 2015 called, The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready. He actually came close to traditional storyteller usage with his message about the Western African Ebola outbreak of 2014 and that if we don’t change behaviors we will experience another virus outbreak, but with a heavier toll. He told this story in March 2015 so once again Nanaboozhoo was in the night sky granting his approval that it is indeed time to share a story.

In my own experience, I have had the opportunity to listen to Anishinaabe stories several times, including here at American Indian Health & Family Services. The person that came here is Larry “Pun” Plamondon. He had a reputation throughout this region for being a traditional storyteller. That evening was a good gathering! I had brought that night up the other day as I was talking with the Community Wellness Director, Casey Brant, and we said it would be great if we could plan for that to happen again. Sadly though, due to COVID and its numerous variants, it may be a while before we can start to make those plans.

Here is a video from PBS featuring Larry Plamondon recorded in 2018.

https://video.pbsnc.org/video/native-american-storytelling-larry-plamondon-kctmjq/

Thinking forward hundreds of years, I wonder if someday this pandemic itself will have become part of a storyteller’s collection. When it is shared what will be the main lesson we will want all to take away from it? One thing is certain through, Nanaboozhoo will definitely be in the night sky signaling to us, it is time to listen to the storytellers!

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health

By Heba Elsayed and Jordan Blechert

In December 2019, the world was shook by the detection of the COVID-19 infection which took place in Wuhan, China. Quickly, the coronavirus spread internationally and we found ourselves in a full-blown global pandemic. Scientists, researchers, and medical professionals alike rushed to their labs and hospitals in hopes of finding a medical solution—working endlessly to understand the clinical features, transmission patterns, and management of the disease (Javed, 2020). This was a valid response to a pandemic, albeit an incomplete one.

In reality, a pandemic is not just a medical phenomenon. As the pandemic continues, there has been little concern over the effects of mental health on individuals, despite the fact that those effects have been vividly apparent. “The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as the state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes their capabilities to combat with normal life stressors and work competencies in contributing to the belonged community, which is underpinned by six psychological elements comprising (i) self-acceptance, (ii) meaning in life, (iii) autonomy, (iv) healthy relationships with others, (v) environmental mastery, and (vi) personal growth (Mukhtar 2020).”

A KFF Health Tracking Poll from July 2020 found that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), due to worry and stress over the coronavirus (Griffiths, 2020). 

Many factors contribute to this decline seen in the overall mental health status of the population, particularly the adult population including the older adult population, disabled and mentally ill population, as well as health care workers. Reasons for this shift include the disruption, anxiety, stigma, xenophobia, isolation, loss of social support, loss of freedom, and the closure of educational institutes, workplaces, and entertainment venues that accompanied the pandemic.

Public awareness campaigns focusing on the maintenance of mental health in the prevailing situation are more important than ever as good mental health plays a key role in battling the pandemic and accompanying effects.  (Javed, 2020).  At American Indian Health and Family Services, our priority includes providing resources that uplift individuals in times of crisis. Our organization, in collaboration with the national strategy for suicide prevention, the Zero Suicide Project, offers free Hope and Wellness Screenings aimed at identifying adults at risk for mental health conditions and crises while providing referrals. AIHFS also offers individual mental health and substance use counseling. Sign up for a Hope and Wellness Screening or for a Zero Suicide training to help yourself and others today to get through this pandemic crisis and beyond!

References

Javed, B., Sarwer, A., Soto, E. B., & Mashwani, Z. U. (2020). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s impact on mental health. The International journal of health planning and management, 35(5), 993–996.

Khan, K.S., Mamun, M.A., Griffiths, M.D. et al. The Mental Health Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic across Different Cohorts. Int J Ment Health Addiction (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00367-0.

Native Wagon Trains

By John Marcus (Pueblo, Mohawk, Chippewa)
Communications Specialist

Recently across social media I noticed an uproar over a beer can with Indigenous art on it. Additionally, part of the proceeds from it will go to help the cause, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. As a Native person this concept does have the distinction to push some buttons. In this post I will attempt to understand this complex reaction to what feels to be contradicting issues. In the end, I hope this leads to a better understanding of the current relationship between Indigenous Natives and alcohol.

First off there is the stereotype of the drunken Indian. Just google drunken Indian and you will see an assortment of negative imagery. You’ll also see that for the other races, too. The difference is with Natives you will see a lot of imagery hundreds of years old, some even before photographic technology existed.  This could indicate a systemic bias of how long Natives have been associated with alcohol abuse. You will also see more recent versions of this stereotype in the form of memes.  In this sense, alcohol can been associated as a tool that helped defeat the Native traditional way of life.

Is there evidence of a predisposition for alcoholism because of differences in the way Native Americans metabolize alcohol? Do we now have the science to substantiate this long-held myth? In a reflection of this modern age I tried to google some science to determine what is understood. Quickly google listed this scientific paper that within it acknowledges that myth nicely as quoted here:

Over the years, several popular theories and myths have arisen concerning alcohol use and its consequences in Native American communities. One of these is the “firewater” myth—a common stereotype suggesting that “Indians can’t hold their liquor” because their bodies metabolize alcohol differently. Despite the perpetuation of this myth, few studies have tested this hypothesis experimentally.

Though as it turns out, it was not really about my question. It was a study to see if presence of a variant of an enzyme would show a reduction in alcoholism. They did find one out of 2 enzyme variants that could be helpful in reducing alcoholism and yet it doesn’t explain the high prevalence of alcoholism within those studied. This was a study of Southwest California Indians by Cindy L. Ehlers, Ph.D., of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Neuroscience and the Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.

Here is a link to this article from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. I didn’t see a publishing date, but it references other research from 2007 so it is after that year.   https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh301/14-17.htm

Getting back to the original question, which is, “do Native Americans metabolize alcohol differently?” This study by Dr. Ehlers cites a study that says no. This study happened in 1976 by L.J. Bennion. It was a study of 30 Native Americans and 30 “whites.” So not really a big study, but here is a link to it:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1244489/

Another top link in the google results came from Stanford University. It started out with respect to the general population and then had a section about genetics and it contains this statement:

Additionally, despite the fact that more Native American people die of alcohol-related causes than do any other ethnic group in the United States, research shows that there is no difference in the rates of alcohol metabolism and enzyme patterns between Native Americans and Whites (18). This suggests that rates of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems are influenced by other environmental and/or genetic factors.

Now which research study do you suppose this footnote 18 is referencing? Yep, that same study done in 1976 by L.J. Bennion! I wonder if those 30 Native Americans knew how big and long of an impact they were going to have! Then the quoted last sentence implies mostly environment is the factor. Here is the link to this Stanford article: https://alcohol.stanford.edu/alcohol-drug-info/i-bet-you-didnt-know/metabolism

After a decent search to determine the science behind this “firewater” myth, it would appear it rests on a very small sampling and it is 45 years old. The field of genetics has grown so much since then it may be time to update this research.

Switching our focus to self-sufficiency, and to more modern history, most Native American-owned casinos sell alcohol. The funds generated are used to help the tribal nation and in some cases, the surrounding communty. Is it that far of a leap, to go from funds raised through retail alcohol sales in a casino to retail sales of crafted alcohol in a stand-alone operation?  

Digging deeper into where this discussion originated I found this recent article that says it was “one of 43 breweries across Canada” participating in “an event called Celebrating Sisters Indigenous Brew Day, an initiative that is donating proceeds of beer sales to Indigenous women’s organizations.” So no direct mention of murdered and missing women and children, but they might be one of the organizations benefitting.

Another part of this story is that they had someone “smudge” the brewery. A photo of what appeared to be this activity was shared on social media and contributed to putting this on native people’s minds. For those unfamiliar with smudging, to define it loosely, it is a traditional use of burning sage to spiritually cleanse space and objects.

Then the final straw was the image made by a native artist had a strong leaning towards a traditional style, evoking of the Thunderbird, and was placed directly on the can.

It was at this moment it became a “Houston, the Eagle has landed,” from the artists perspective AND a “Houston, we have a problem” for Native Americans across the internet.

The Indigenous artist has went on to say she was not trying to evoke the traditional Thunderbird.

Here is the link to the article about who organized the “proceeds to benefit native women’s groups”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/great-lakes-brewery-smudging-1.5973839

The perceived separation of alcohol and native traditional culture became too thin. The thickness of a typical aluminum container, to be exact.

Are other Indigenous people doing this?

The Osoyoos Indian Band claim to have North America’s first Indigenous Winery which they call NK’Mip Cellars. The Osoyoos Indian Band, devoted to hard work, innovation, and responding to the challenges of nature, registered under the Indian Act as a reserve in 1877. The centuries-old home of the Osoyoos Indian Reserve is 32,000 acres of Sonoran Desert landscape in Canada.  The word Nk’Mip translates to “Bottomland” in English, being located at the southern end of the Osoyoos reservation.  Here is their website with a bottle that has native inspired design:  https://www.nkmipcellars.com/product/NkMip-Cellars-Winemakers-Merlot

In North Carolina there is the Morgan Crisp. She is the owner of 7 Clans Brewing.  From their company website, “Seven Clans Brewing will be focused on product development and strengthening their brand through state-wide distribution. Seven Clans Brewing has contracted with BearWaters Brewing in Canton, North Carolina, to facilitate the brewing process of their recipes until the Seven Clans Brewery is constructed.”    Here is their website page with beers available: one of their art designs has a native woman on it:  http://www.7clansbrewing.com/index.php?page=our-beers

In retrospect, it seems acceptable to use “generic” indigenous art or symbols as part of labeling an alcoholic beverage.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)

Another line that is blurred is to what extent alcohol is involved in Indigenous women being murdered or missing? MMIW is a grass roots effort to raise awareness to the disproportionate number of Indigenous women in Canada and the U.S. that are experiencing violence. It has expanded to also be recognized as MMIWG and MMIWGTS, to represent the addition of girls and two-spirits. It is usually recognized on May 5th each year. The cause has become more recognized in the past 5 years, but the impact and statistics draw from the 1980’s through until recent times. One of the more known awareness efforts is the red dress project by Metis, Jaime Black. Here is the symbolism behind it:

Black chose the colour red after conversations with an indigenous friend, who told her red is the only colour the spirits can see. “So (red) is really a calling back of the spirits of these women and allowing them a chance to be among us and have their voices heard through their family members and community”.[5] Black has also suggested red “relates to our lifeblood and that connection between all of us”,[4] and that it symbolises both vitality and violence.[6]

Here is the link to where the above came from and I encourage you to follow it to get a better grasp of this project: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REDress_Project   While you are there I also recommend using the link in the opening paragraph that will take you to the article about MMIW. It is very thorough.

Screenshot of Google image search for Red Dress Project

Another indicator of the urgency of this problem is less than a month after our first-ever Native American Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, took office she announced the creation of a special unit to investigate missing and murdered Native Americans. For more info about that, here is a link to an interview with her on NPR:  https://www.npr.org/2021/04/04/984290211/interior-departments-new-unit-to-investigate-missing-and-murdered-native-america

I have to say though in numerous links explaining MMIW not one of them mentioned the role or the extant to which alcohol or drug use may have been involved. Does this mean it is ok to use alcohol sales to help this problem?

Looking Ahead

One of the key components to me is the process that was used to make these decisions. In the Native way you want to involve your Elders and leaders in this. In the case of Tribal casinos, I am assuming they held council meetings which were open to the public enabling input prior to opening their casino. In the articles about stand-alone breweries I searched during the writing of this posting, I didn’t read that in any of them.  The process seemed limited to an Indigenous individual and their close partners as in a typical business venture.

Separation of powers is a phrase that may be useful as we forge ahead. Not as in the 3 branches of government as you may expect, but in keeping the spirits of alcohol several processes away from Traditional spirits of the Native way of life. The more we are able to embrace our Traditional ways into our everyday function of living in this “new world,” the more Wellness our families should experience. Yet, we need continuous funding to help us reach and maintain a level where we can participate in these Native ways.

In closing, can Natives use alcohol appropriately and what does that look like? Keep in mind, this is just my opinion and most of what follows is actually just based on what seems to be already happening. I am just trying to share observations.

• Have a separate building away from sacred areas for the selling and consuming of alcohol.
• Have separation of people by roles involved, too. We can’t expect a person to be a bartender one minute, then doing a traditional ceremony the next.
• Also, keep our sacred stories, symbols and items separate from the location of where this alcohol use is going to occur.
• Let’s make sure to keep Elders in the loop all the while. If they suggest modifications, try to follow them.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, if you see your friend’s or relative’s alcohol use is creating problems for them and those they love, speak to them in the best you way you know how and encourage them to seek professional help before it is too late.

Why Native Americans May Have COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

By John Marcus
Descendant from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico; Mohawk of Six Nations, Ontario; and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

In the end, like all of life’s hard decisions, it is up to each individual to make that choice, but it is also up to each individual to do their homework. If you are buying a car and you value reliability, then you try to find data to back up that characteristic. In the case of vaccines, where do you find the independent research, especially when new technology is involved? Or, might Native Americans be inclined to not even attempt research? For me, the advisory panels provided the clinching information, but I did not reach this point right away.

To add some background to this decision I will have to include some history, though the nature of which may not be unique to Native Americans, but is very much relative. As a Native American I did feel what may be called an innate reluctance to try it probably due to the disease small pox, which decimated unknown thousands of Native Americans across North America. At times, small pox was intentionally¹ introduced to tribal nations by the Europeans invading and occupying this continent.

Today vs Yesterday

Research into the history of the Indian Health Services indicates the small pox vaccine was one of the earliest examples of healthcare between the U.S. and tribal nations. Though, as it was given to those Native Americans living near the fort, I have to reign in the feeling it may have been used as leverage to “bring in the Indians” from traditional lands that were expansive.²

This reluctance could also be a part of what we Native Americans call “blood memory.”  While working here at American Indian Health & Family Services I have been lucky to attend quite a few trainings and workshops. Trauma is usually brought into the discussion either directly or indirectly and in one of these workshops I learned trauma can be passed down through the genes into the successive generation. In fact, our most popular video on our YouTube channel talks about trauma as it relates to Native culture. It features Dr. Darryl Tonemah.

In the Native world we have lost pieces of our culture due to forced assimilation, e.g., the boarding schools³, but we are also in the process of rebuilding those pieces. Quite often when a Native person hears a piece that had been lost or engages in physical activities, such as a dance, associated with that knowledge, they will say “this feels right” or “I feel like I’ve done this before.” That is blood memory. I have to wonder if that trauma from the small pox era is also causing our blood memory to flinch at these modern day circumstances echoing our not too distant history, genetically speaking.

In order to add more context to this subject, I have to mention that during this time the relationship between the United States government, and the tribal nations, was the responsibility of the Department of War. Let that sink in for a minute. Native American healthcare started as a responsibility of the same Department that had waged war against Native Americans.

Eventually the relationship changed enough that the U.S. government had shifted native healthcare to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Within this department in 1955 it created the Indian Health Service. In 1981 Everett R. Rhoades, M.D. (Kiowa), became the first American Indian Director of the I.H.S.  In its present embodiment, it has come a long ways towards improving delivery of certain treaty obligations made long ago.

Still, there are real world challenges associated with the logistics of delivering the vaccine to Native Americans. I am fortunate to live near and work here at AIHFS. More specifically we are amidst the infrastructure needed for delivery and storing of a Pfizer type vaccine, such as reliable electricity, access to medical supplies, decent roads and company vehicles available. A lot of the Indian Health Services across Turtle Island do not have this. It makes for a challenging process on how to make the vaccine available in a safe, efficient and timely manner. As an example, consider these words by Timothy Nuvangyaoma, chairman of the Hopi Tribe.

“… the logistic and cultural challenges of delivering a Covid-19 vaccine with precise temperature requirements and two-dose administration to members of the Hopi Tribe are vast: Hopi often live in remote locations and only one-third of the population has reliable means of transportation, according to officials with knowledge of vaccine distribution planning. Hopi lands span more than 1.5 million acres and encompass parts of both Coconino and Navajo counties in northeastern Arizona. Power supply is always a concern, brownouts are common, and generators are a luxury. The Hopi Health Care Center has to outsource much of its care.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/practical-hurdles-cultural-distrust-native-communities-could-hamper-vaccine-distribution-n1248308

Now shifting back to where I am writing this from, American Indian Health & Family Services in Detroit Michigan, I am including additional resources that I had found helpful and may help you in making your decision. In fact, I thought they may be helpful enough to others that I had decided to submit them to our quarterly newsletter. “Top Myths and Misconceptions” and “Immunization Advisory Panels” are reprints from our January through March 2021 newsletter.

Top Myths and Misconceptions

Myth:  The COVID-19 vaccine is not safe because it was rapidly developed and tested.

Fact:  In addition to the safety review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Advisory Committee on Immunization (see below) has convened a panel of vaccine safety experts to independently evaluate the safety data from the clinical trial. The safety of COVID-19 vaccine will continue to be closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA.

Myth:  There are severe side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Fact: There are short-term mild or moderate vaccine reactions that resolve without complication or injury. The early phase studies of the Pfizer vaccine show that it is safe. About 15% of people developed short lived symptoms at the site of the injection. 50% developed systemic reactions primarily headache, chills, fatigue or muscle pain or fever lasting for a day or two. Keep in mind that these side effects are indicators that your immune system is responding to the vaccine and are common when receiving vaccines.

Myth:  The COVID-19 vaccine was developed to control the general population either through microchip tracking or “nanotransducers” in our brains.

Fact: There is no vaccine microchip, and the vaccine will not track people or gather personal information into a database.

This myth started after comments made by Bill Gates from The Gates Foundation about a digital certificate of vaccine records. The technology he was referencing is not a microchip, has not been implemented in any manner and is not tied to the development, testing or distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Source: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/featured-topic/covid-19-vaccine-myths-debunked

Immunization Advisory Panels

Another measure of ensuring the safety of these, and actually ALL vaccines, are advisory panels. Both the CDC and the FDA have advisory panels that look at the data as these vaccines are being developed and tested. Both of these advisory panels are open to the public. You can watch the meetings as they discuss safety and effectiveness in detail. These advisory members are from all across the United States usually from Universities or Hospitals representing experts in their fields related to immunology.  Here is the video of the FDA Advisory Panel December 10th meeting to discuss and vote on approving the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use authorization. It is the full meeting and it is almost 9 hours long though, so make sure you plan a lunch break or watch it over several days!

Here is the link to the homepage for the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/index.html

As you can see, open and transparent meetings contribute to the accountability of the approval process of both the CDC and FDA. We encourage you to follow these links if you’d like to learn more.

In Closing

As I mentioned in the opening, this is a personal decision and each person should look into how and why you are making it. I watched the FDA Advisory Panels for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. These panelists do not work for these companies and when I watched them asking their questions of these companies, I watched mostly for sincerity. In other words, were these panelists sincerely trying to determine safety and effectiveness or had these companies compromised ALL of them. I found them believable and felt it would be also be incredibly unlikely that these companies would be able to comprise all of them. With each vaccine the Advisory Panel voted to approve them for emergency use. Putting my actions behind my research, I opted to receive the Pfizer vaccine as soon as it became available here and recently received the 2^nd dose. So far I am fine and am grateful I was able to receive it. I did have some of the expected side-effects, namely soreness at the site of injection, which went away after a couple of days, and feeling slightly feverish about a day later.

Lastly, I hope this article has given a little more clarity and maybe understanding to the COVID-19 vaccine as it relates to Native Americans, and in the broader sense, to all Americans cautiously approaching these new technologies. If you have made your decision to get vaccinated, call our clinic at 313-846-6030 to make arrangements. Keep in mind the distribution of these vaccines is constantly evolving, which why we ask that you call us to get the most accurate response.

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1. https://web.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/MayorSmallpox.pdf
2. https://www.ihs.gov/sites/newsroom/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/GOLD_BOOK_part1.pdf
3. https://heard.org/exhibits/boardingschool/