Ladybugs are said to bring luck, but there’s nothing lucky about a new type of synthetic drug called amped, also known as exuberance powder. Marketed as a “ladybug attractant,” people use the substance to get high much like “bath salts” or other amphetamine-like drugs.
While high, some of the side effects include:
Increased blood pressure
Increased heart rate
Paranoia
Extreme violent behavior
Hallucinations
Delusions
Law enforcement and lawmakers are playing catch-up with these synthetic products, as many of the chemicals used to make these substances are not yet outlawed.
The consumption of these substances is increasing fast. In 2011, the American Association of Poison Control Centers said there were 6,138 calls regarding exposure to bath salts, compared to 2010 when there were only 304.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Representatives from the Global Indigenous Peoples Caucus have convened in Geneva, Switzerland to make the final push for the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations global mercury treaty.
The final, weeklong negotiating session initiated on Sunday, January 13.
The Caucus is a collaboration of Indigenous representatives from the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Island Sustainability Alliance Cook Islands Inc., International Indian Treaty Council, and the California Indian Environmental Alliance.
Methylmercury is a neurotoxin found in fish and other marine animals. Fish are one of the main sources of protein, and also serve social, cultural and spiritual purposes in many Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples disproportionately suffer the adverse effects of mercury contamination, yet they are not specifically mentioned in the current draft of the mercury treaty text.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to advocate on behalf of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva and look forward to engaging in meaningful dialogue with the country delegates about our priorities,”
said Jacqueline Keliiaa, Vice President of the Board of Directors for the California Indian Environmental Alliance.
“Our communities back home are continually affected by mercury exposure left over from the California gold rush. We deserve a strong treaty that is inclusive of our distinctive status as Indigenous Peoples.”
New studies show that even low-level exposure to mercury contamination over long periods of time may considerably impair health. Indigenous Peoples must be included in the text to ensure that the treaty provides appropriate protections so we can practice our cultures and life-ways without the threat of mercury in our lands, waters, foods or in the bodies of our children.
“The International Indian Treaty Council calls upon all UN agencies and UN member States to implement and follow up on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the internationally accepted minimum standard adopted by the UN General Assembly and now endorsed by all States including the US and Canada.”
“The Declaration recognizes Indigenous Peoples as “Peoples” and not “populations”, and affirms a number of inherent rights that are directly impacted by mercury contamination including rights to health, subsistence, culture and the rights affirmed in Nation to Nation Treaties,”
said Andrea Carmen, Executive Director of the International Indian Treaty Council.
The National Congress of American Indians, the oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the United States has also joined the effort for Indigenous inclusion.
On January 10, the National Congress of American Indians adopted a resolution calling for the United States government to propose treaty text recognizing the impacts of mercury on Indigenous Peoples.
“We are honored and pleased that the National Congress of American Indians recognizes the severe impacts that mercury has had on Native Peoples, our homelands, and our sources of sustenance,”
said Tia Oros Peters, Executive Director of the Seventh Generation Fund, a key supporter of the resolution.
The mercury treaty is amongst the first multilateral environmental treaties to be negotiated since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples in 2007. This is a unique opportunity for the international community and the United Nations system to abide by the standards set out in the UN Declaration, including the recognition of Indigenous Peoples as “Peoples” and not “populations”, as well as the implementation of rights related to environment, health, culture, foods, amongst many others.
The following is an update of Safe Kids activities in Snohomish County.
What’s New?
New Look! Safe Kids Worldwide has a new look. In the next couple of weeks you will see our logo and branding colors change.
New Safe Kids Washington Director! Welcome Julie Alonso, Child Injury Prevention Specialist with the Department of Health. We look forward to seeing all the great things she has planned for our state.
New Role! Kristen Thorstenson is now the new Safe Kids Coordinator for Evergreen Healthcare. Kristen will be stepping down as VP of Media but continuing as our Child Passenger Safety Chair. Thank you Kristen for all your work in Snohomish County and best of luck in your new role!
Meeting Dates & Educational Presentation:
*We meet quarterly to discuss new programs, grant opportunities, budget and funding, membership, media/outreach and more. Following our meeting we will host an educational presentation & lunch—both are FREE to Safe Kids members and as well as the community. Reminders are sent out two weeks prior to the scheduled date.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
9-9:45 am — Safe Kids Meeting @ Providence Pavilion, Third Floor Conference Room
10-12:00 pm — “Sports Safety & Concussion Prevention” presented by Kelly Allen, RN, Trauma Coordinator, PRMCE
Thursday, June 20, 2013
9-9:45 am — Safe Kids Meeting @ Providence Pavilion, Third Floor Conference Room
10-12:00 pm – “Drowning Prevention & Boating Safety” presented by Rodney Rochon, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Kim Schroeder, Fire District One
Thursday, September 26, 2013
9-9:45 am — Safe Kids Meeting @ Providence Pavilion, Third Floor Conference Room
10-12:00 pm – “Child Passenger Safety for the Provider” presented by Kristen Thorstenson, SafeKeepers, llc
Child Passenger Safety Events
May 16 @ Navy NEX, Smokey Point
July 18 @ Molina Healthcare, Everett Mall Way
September 20 @ Babies R Us, Lynnwood.
Bike/Pedestrian
National Bike to School Day Event, May 8 @ Cedar Valley Community School, Lynnwood
Drowning Prevention
Life jacket loaner cabinets are scheduled to open on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013
Sports Safety & Concussion Prevention
Join us April 18, 2013 for an in depth look at concussions, second impact syndrome and prevention. Learn how to host a concussion clinic and more.
Home Safety
Includes falls, fire/burns, poisoning, drowning and more. Last year we saw a 29% increase in window falls! Children also suffer burns that include campfire, BBQ’s and fireworks. We received an Medication Safety Grant from Safe Kids Worldwide and will be rolling out a campaign to reduce accidental poisonings. Every year, more than 67,000 children are treated in emergency departments. That’s one child every 8 minutes.
Please Join us in Protecting Tulalip Children from Child Sexual Abuse
The Legacy of Healing Child Advocacy Center is Hosting 3 Lunchtime Events at the Tulalip Tribes Administration Building:
Wednesday April 10th 12-1 Room 162
Question & Answer format: Ask your Questions about Preventing & Healing from Child Abuse.
No need to sign up-Pizza provided Room 162
Wednesday April 17th 12-2 Room 162
Stewards of Children-Free abuse prevention training. Designed for adults to learn how to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse. One hour of education leave in addition to your lunch break (with supervisor approval).
Stewards of Children-Free abuse prevention training. Designed for adults to learn how to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse. One hour of education leave in addition to your lunch break (with supervisor approval).
The “fast diet” involves eating regularly five days per week and fasting the remaining two. Adherents are supposed to consume only a quarter of their typical caloric intake, about 500 calories, for two consecutive days.
While this diet fad it taking England by storm, the concept of intermittent fasting is not new. Dr. Michael Mosley, the UK-based doctor responsible for popularizing the weight loss regimen and author of “The Fast Diet,” spent months researching findings on the practice after he was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, reported the Huffington Post. Mosley opted not to take medication to manage his cholesterol and instead to make a drastic lifestyle change.
Mosley tested the diet on himself, closely monitoring his progress, and saw quick improvements. His cholesterol and insulin resistance lowered and he shed 19 pounds of fat.
“I went into it quite skeptical because I’ve looked at diets over the years and I’ve always assumed they’re rubbish. Really seriously rubbish,” Mosley told the Huffington Post. “But the people who study in this area are really top scientists—world-class scientists who are hugely reputable in their areas. And they were all coming at it from their areas of expertise: cancer, dementia, diabetes—they were approaching it from different angles, but coming to the same conclusion. I found that very convincing.”
All fasting is not the same, Mosley clarifies, firmly debunking the theory that juice cleansing—a recent diet rage—is beneficial.
“I think juicing is a terrible idea,” he told the Huffington Post. “The biggest problem is that it removes the fiber. And the really good thing that’s in fruits and vegetables is the fiber. Fiber reduces your risk of bowel cancers — all sorts of cancers — and it also keeps you satiated and it also stabilizes your glucose levels.
If you take an apple and you eat it, you get loads of fiber in it, it fills you up. Studies show that having an apple before your meal means you’ll probably eat fewer calories in that meal. If you drink apple juice, basically, almost all the skin has been removed and all the vitamins are in the skin. A glass of juice is really just a sugar hit. And that is going to make you feel hungry, it’s going to make your insulin levels go up. It’s going to be empty calories.”
What’s fresh, fragrant and tastes like springtime itself? Zegweskimen (Abenaki for raspberries).
They peak from May to September in most places yet are available year round. This flavorful berry grows both wild and cultured in temperate climates worldwide. Botanists cannot decide on their origin, although Eastern Asia has two hundred known species; North America has three important species and a few minor ones as well. They are a genus of the rose family mostly in the subgenus (Idaeobatus) category, meaning perennial with woody stems and a biennial growth habit.
These juicy buds are easy to grow because all they need is water, sun and well-drained soil, plus a little mulch to keep them moist. Ninety percent of this very important commercial fruit crop in the U.S. comes from Oregon, Washington and California.
The main varieties in North America are red, black and gold. There are also purple raspberries, a hybrid blend of red and black, which are not often produced commercially. Some do grow wild in Vermont and other places where both red and black varieties grow wild. I am fairly certain those are the ones we found in profusion on this property years ago—so many that they had to be picked every couple of days for about a month.
When picking them, they should slip right off a little hollow core easily. If not, it isn’t ready; leave it on the bush to ripen further. They do have nasty stickers on the stalk, and once my mother fell backwards while picking. We were pulling those pesky, mini balls of spikes out of her back for a week.
When berry picking, not too many made it into the house to be used for freezing or cooking; picking encouraged tasting immediately for maximum flavor. It was hard not to pop every other one into your mouth. Raspberries are a great favorite of those on a low-glycemic diet, or any diet for weight loss, because they have no sodium or cholesterol. Nutrition buffs will appreciate they are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, iron and potassium.
Raspberries are highly perishable so should be used within three days of purchase. Buying loosely packed berries is best.
Raspberries play well with balsamic vinegar as evidenced by today’s popular raspberry-flavored vinaigrettes. But a simple of drizzle of balsamic across raspberries is a very unique and delicious pairing. Raspberries also make a wonderful combo with chocolate in baked items, as well as a topping for cheesecake or other desserts. A lot of people make them into sauces, jams or jelly. Native American use was not limited to pressing them into cakes as is done with chokecherries. Our ancestors (and Natives still today) also dried them for future use, boiled them with meat, or made the berries into a refreshing drink. Native use of the raspberry leaves as tea was medicinal—especially for soothing urinary tract issues, labor pains and menstrual cramps, or to prevent miscarriage in some cases.
There is a myth whose origin I cannot find, but it tells of a fox who didn’t like to eat meat. He loved raspberries and ate his fill every time he came upon them. The more he ate, the redder his fur became. This story is of the first fox, I imagine.
Elegant Raspberry-Rhubarb Dessert
For a base to this lovely offering, try a slice of pound cake, a little sponge cake, or even a homemade biscuit.
1 cup raspberries
1 cup rhubarb, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup sugar or substitute
4 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
Put the raspberries and rhubarb in a large bowl and gently toss with the egg, cornstarch and sugar. Add the cinnamon and melted butter. Put water in a medium saucepan and bring nearly to a boil and add fruit mixture, reduce heat and stir gently until it thickens and then turn off heat. Let cool; spoon warm fruit over cake or biscuit and top with whipped cream.
Dale Carson, Abenaki, is the author of three books: New Native American Cooking, Native New England Cooking and A Dreamcatcher Book. She has written about and demonstrated Native cooking techniques for more than 30 years. Dale has four grown children and lives with her husband in Madison, Connecticut.
NAFSI grant will aid Muckleshoot in their efforts to access more traditional foods
By Monica Brown Tulalip News writer
The Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project has been awarded a $37,500 grant from the First Nations Development Institute. The grant will help fund the project s explorations of the Muckleshoot Tribe’s food assets and increase access to local, healthy and traditional foods. Through explorations, participants will gain an understanding of Native foods and build food security throughout the community.
Project participants enjoy community engagement through workshops, harvesting and feasts. Hands-on workshops are designed to teach traditional food principles and how to approach preparing them in a more modern way. Project coordinator, Valerie Segrest states
“The Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project is community driven and aims to increase access and revitalize a traditional and local healthy food system.”
Tribal cooks and established community groups are coming together to develop a new policy about food which will focus on a more traditional and nourishing food program. The new policy development is facilitated by professional chefs who are invited to meet with tribal cooks and the community groups during cook retreats. The project participants are working to join tribal kitchens and create a menu program. By creating a reliable menu that can be used throughout tribal kitchens they will be able to assess the food quantities needed for when they are ready to produce their own food. The menu program will also inform the five-year food sovereignty/action plan that is currently being organized.
The project comes from a community based participatory research project which was conducted in partnership with Northwest Indian College and the Burke Museum in 2007. The project operates year round and is open to all community members.
The First Nations Development Institute’s Native American Food System Initiative (NAFSI) grant is intended to help tribes and Native communities build sustainable food systems such as community gardens, food banks, food pantries and/or other agricultural projects related to Native food-systems control. The 31 grants were made possible by the generous support of the AARP Foundation, The Christensen Fund, CHS Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Advocacy and Outreach, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, Walmart Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
To read more about the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project please visit their website at
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker announces a copy00 million investment in the tribe’s health care system. (Cherokee Nation)
The Cherokee Nation runs the country’s largest tribally operated health care system. And now it is investing copy00 million from its business holdings to improve it.
“This is exactly what our businesses were designed to do,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker in a press release. “Our financial success belongs to the Cherokee people. For the first time ever, we are taking a substantial amount of money directly from our businesses and putting it where it counts the most—health care for our citizens. Using our businesses to invest in and improve our health care system is the right thing to do, and it will literally save Cherokee lives.”
The tribe plans to replace or renovate four health centers and build a new hospital over the next two to three years. Cherokee Nation Businesses’ construction division will manage the entire project, hiring dozens of Cherokee subcontractors certified by the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO), which will help boost the local economy.
A major component of the health system expansion is a new 100-bed hospital, which replaces the current W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Built as an Indian Health Services facility in 1984, the hospital was constructed to serve 65,000 outpatient visits each year. Today, the facility is serving more than 400,000 patient visits per year. The new $53.1 million hospital allows the current hospital to become an outpatient center.
The expansion projects also include a new 28,000-square-foot health center near Ochelata and a 42,000-square-foot health center in Jay. The Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw will see a 30,000-square-foot expansion and 11,000 square feet of renovations. In Stillwell, 28,000 square feet will be added to the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center.
The CNB board of directors unanimously approved the investment. Under current Cherokee law, an annual dividend totaling 35 percent of CNB’s profits is deposited in the Cherokee Nation’s general fund. The Cherokee Nation general fund supports a variety of services, including housing, education, social services, health care and more. Last year, that dividend payment totaled $57 million.
“The needs of the Cherokee people are so diverse that the dividend payment helps us get closer to where we need to be on health care, but very slowly,” Baker said. “This infusion of copy00 million, solely to health care infrastructure, helps us impact the health outcomes of Cherokees so much quicker. Our businesses have become so successful in recent years that it just makes sense and, quite frankly, is the right thing to do.”
“This is a great opportunity to show the Cherokee people why our casinos are here,” said Shawn Slaton, CEO of CNB. “Our goal is to create jobs, grow businesses and provide funding to the Cherokee Nation for services to the Cherokee people. We are proud to be in a position where we can make such a huge contribution to the health and well-being of Cherokee citizens.”
Aside from annual dividends, this is the first major investment the tribe’s businesses have made directly to tribal infrastructure. CNB will pay for the construction of the facilities and lease them back to the tribe for operation. One of CNB’s subsidiaries, Cherokee Nation Construction Resources, will serve as the prime contractor and construction manager of the project.
“By managing this project in-house, our construction division grows in its capabilities and gains an important past performance résumé, which they can use to win contracts from the federal government and private developers,” Slaton said. “This is a real win-win for CNB and the Cherokee Nation.”
Cherokee Nation Construction Resources, a division of CNB’s environmental and construction portfolio, is managing the construction of the health system expansion. The company is using this as an opportunity to perform work for the tribe and earn past performance credit, which is a valuable credential in both government and commercial contracting.
“When we do a project, we always know that the revenue it is generating helps the Cherokee people, but normally that’s through providing jobs and via the dividend payment,” said Cheryl Cohenour, executive general manager of Cherokee Nation Construction Resources. “But this project is so much more meaningful to us. For the first time, our work will directly affect citizens in ways the 35 percent dividend or job creation cannot. There is so much pride in knowing that as a Cherokee Nation, tribally owned business, we have something tangible to show our businesses’ commitment to making change for the Cherokee people. These new, updated health facilities are going to be a source of pride for our company, as well as the entire Cherokee Nation.”
The Cherokee Nation’s health system supports 1.2 million patient visits annually. It consists of eight health centers throughout the Cherokee Nation and W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah. Most Cherokee Nation health centers offer medical, dental, lab, radiology, public health, WIC, nutrition, contract health, pharmacy, behavioral health, optometry, community health service and mammography, or a combination of those services.
The Cherokee Nation also has future plans to make renovations at the Three Rivers Health Center in Muskogee and build a new Jack Brown Center in Tahlequah. The Jack Brown Center serves Cherokee citizens who may be struggling with an alcohol or drug dependency.
“I promised to make the health of our people a main priority,” said Baker. “This is a major step in the right direction.”
By Grace Marks, Indian Country Today Media Network
When it comes to internal customer service, the most common complaint is negativity in the workplace. Negativity can show up as gossip, complaining, blaming, backstabbing or jealousy affecting morale and productivity.
Words carry tremendous energy. They can generate joy or inflict long-lasting and devastating pain.
Gossip is Bullying
Grace Marks
Gossip is a form of bullying. It is an act of intimidation to have power over another and occurs in all age groups and cultures. The Workplace Bullying Institute estimates that 53.5 million Americans report being bullied at work—that is roughly the combined populations of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Workplace bullies are insecure, quick to jealousy, and generally unhappy with themselves. By uniting with others to share secrets about someone’s misfortune, they create a false sense of intimacy and feel better about themselves.
Non-verbal messages are a passive way to bully. Consider the rolling of the eyes, scanning someone up and down, sighing, sneering, or being ignored or whispered about. The best move is to stop gossip before it starts. An innocent, Here’s what I heard about … may destroy a reputation. If you find yourself in a gossip situation, change the subject, keep quiet, walk away from the conversation, say you’re uncomfortable gossiping, or share something positive about the person who is the subject of the gossip.
Complain—Get More of the Same
Constant complaining also has negative side effects. Most of us complain all day every day. The average person complains between 15 and 30 times per day. We complain because it makes us feel better (in the short term) and because others can agree about how we feel and how hard we have it. You may temporarily feel better after going on and on about how you have been wronged, victimized, used, manipulated, or disrespected. Despite the initial relief, complaining is like a virus eating away any sort of happiness, responsibility and purpose in your life. Complaining usually leads to greater unhappiness, negative thinking and relationship problems. Since words have energy, complaining usually gets you more of what you are complaining about.
Steps Towards Change
The first step is to increase your awareness of your behavior and words. If you are a gossiper, recognize the power of your words and find the courage to speak up positively. You can be a role model to others. If you are a complainer, direct your conscious focus on what you are grateful for and think of possible solutions. Sometimes you do have to accept a situation as something you cannot change and recognize the destructiveness in complaining about it. If you find yourself saying negative things out of jealousy, focus on your unique qualities and talents.
Putting an end to negatively and bullying begins with each of us—how we think and speak about ourselves and others. Pay closer attention to negative self-talk and judgments. Cancel or delete them in your mind whenever they surface and replace with something positive. Pat yourself on the back more often rather than being self-critical.
Choose More Healing Words
Use more healing words such as thank you, I appreciate you, I’m sorry, good work, or well done. Offer assurance to those who are anxious or troubled. Remind your family and friends they are loved, respected and valued.
Healing words can bring comfort, inner peace, and enhance overall well-being. They can improve your mood which has a positive effect on all those around you.
Grace Marks, MPH, CPC is a certified life coach, motivational speaker and holistic stress management instructor with Native Empowerment: Solutions for Health and Harmony providing customized training programs for tribal organizations and businesses. Visit www.nativeempowerment.com.
Defeating Diabetes
Brenda Davis & Tom Banard | Healthy Living Publications
280 pp | $14.95
ISBN 9781570671395
Levi Rickert, Native News Network
It is no secret to any American Indian or Alaska Native that there is a strong preponderance of the possibility of developing diabetes.
The numbers speak for themselves.
American Indians and Alaska Native are 2.2 times more likely to have diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. The death rate due to diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives is three times higher compared with the general US population. American Indians and Alaska Natives are three to four times higher at risk for developing cardiovascular disease with diabetes than Natives without diabetes.
Even with the dismal numbers associated with diabetes among American Indians and Alaska Natives, there is hope.
Earlier this year, hundreds of American Indians participated in the Longest Walk 3 – Reversing Diabetes. The Longest Walk was a walk across America, from the West Coast to Washington, DC, that sought to bring attention to the devastating effect diabetes has had within Native communities. The message of the Longest Walk also was American Indians can reverse diabetes.
American Indians are fighters; American Indians are survivors.
Beyond Native communities, we know diabetes is at epidemic rates among society.
A book called “Defeating Diabetes: A No-Nonsense Approach to Type 2 Diabetes and the Diabesity Epidemic” by a registered dietitian Brenda Davis and medical physician Tom Banard is a great tool for American Indians to pick up to read about how to defeat diabetes. Even the book’s title takes a position of strength.
Published in 2003, “Defeating Diabetes” is about making lifestyle changes about diet and exercise. Most would agree that that is a lot easier said, than done. But, the book is a quick read that provides common sense, backed with medical rationale, to alter lifestyles.
“Defeating Diabetes” contains many tables with information on fat counts, sugar content, and some 50 healthy recipes. Some of the numbers of contained in the book will make one think. For instance, one Mister Misty DQ Slush, 32 oz. contains 28 teaspoons of sugar; an ounce of hard candy has five teaspoons of sugar.
Weight control is paramount to one trying to defeat diabetes. The book’s authors provide “Seven Simple Steps to Lifelong Healthy Weight”:
Set realistic goals
Center your diet on whole plant foods
Use beverages to your advantage
Limit fat intake to not more than 25 percent of calories
Build healthy habits
Make physical activity a priority in your life
Take care of your inner being
One chapter, “Kitchen Wizardry: Tricks of the Trade” will help the reader to better understand what to buy at the grocery store, with suggestions on where to shop, how to read food labels and food storage guidelines.
“Defeating Diabetes” is a practical guide on how to defeat diabetes. Do not buy this book for your bookshelf, it must be read and used. American Indians and Alaska Natives should have this book at their fingertips if they are truly serious about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and want to defeat diabetes.
