Tulalip News

The Great American Smokeout and the National COPD Awareness Month Team Up to Help Smokers Quit

National COPD Awareness month and the Great American Smokeout provide smokers in the U.S. with support to help them kick the habit this November.

Written by Joe Bowman, Healthline

If you are one of the nearly 44 million Americans who have yet to kick their smoking habit, November might be the perfect time to put the cigarettes out for good.

On Thursday, November 21, the American Cancer Society (ACS) will hold the 37th annual Great American Smokeout. In 1976, the California Division of the ACS encouraged nearly 1 million smokers to give up cigarettes for the day. The success of the first Great American Smokeout prompted the ACS to expand the program to the rest of the U.S. the following year, turning the third Thursday of November into a day when Americans can support one another in the fight to quit smoking.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the principal cause of preventable death in the U.S. It is responsible for one in five deaths—or more than 440,000 deaths annually. Tobacco use greatly increases a person’s risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, and a host of other conditions.

The ACS reports that smoking is not only responsible for nearly a third of all cancer deaths but also for about a fifth of deaths from all causes. Changes in attitude toward tobacco usage have helped the percentage of American smokers over the age of 18 drop from more than 42 percent to close to 18 percent. Though many states now have laws that restrict smoking in public areas, it’s estimated that 1 in 5 U.S. adults still smoke.

The ACS believes that even quitting for a day is a step in the right direction toward a healthier lifestyle.

Take a Minute to See the Timeline of What Happens When You Quit Smoking »

Starting a Dialogue About COPD

November is also National COPD Awareness Month. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease that affects the lungs, making breathing more difficult as it progresses. COPD, which is also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, is characterized by three main symptoms: shortness of breath during physical activity and, as the disease worsens, while at rest; chronic coughing; and spitting or coughing mucus from the lungs.

The University of Maryland Medical Center estimates that cigarette smoking accounts for around 80 percent of all COPD cases. With more than 120,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone, COPD moved ahead of stroke in 2010 to become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. While more than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD, the more disturbing fact is that there are likely another 12 million with the disease who are unaware of it.

In an effort to educate patients and health care providers of COPD, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has launched the COPD Learn More Breathe Better campaign, aimed at current and former smokers over the age of 45.

James Kiley, director of the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases, hopes that increased awareness of the disease will encourage more patients and health care providers to discuss symptoms and treatments for COPD in the doctor’s office.

“It’s no secret that early diagnosis and treatment can improve daily living for those who have COPD, but you can’t get there without an open line of dialogue in the exam room,” Kiley said in a press release.

Although there is no cure for COPD, lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation, exercise, and a healthy diet can lessen the symptoms of the disease. You should also speak with your doctor about medications that can also help.

Not Convinced? Here Are 7 More Reasons to Quit Smoking »

Additional Tips to Keep You Smoke-Free

While the task of giving up cigarettes might seem daunting to many current smokers, the ACS offers these tips to help you stick to your goal after the clock strikes 12 during this year’s Great American Smokeout:

Seek out support in the form of smoking cessation hotlines or stop-smoking groups in your city or online.
Look into counseling to give you an additional, professional support system.
Ask your doctor about prescription medications, including Bupropion or Chantix.
If counseling or medication aren’t possible, there are many books out there that can help.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about nicotine replacement products, like patches or gum.
Talk about quitting with friends and family. Don’t underestimate the power of positive reinforcement and encouragement from loved ones.

For more information about quitting smoking and tobacco products, call the ACS at 1-800-227-2345.

NWIC Celebration of Native American Heritage Month

Northwest Indian College presents a Celebration of Native American Heritage Month with multicultural and traditional performances.

Saturday, November 23, 2013 1-9PM

November 20, 2013 syəcəb

SYS 11202013 Nov 20 2013 Download

Code Talkers From 33 Tribes Receive Congressional Gold Medals

Code Talkers from 33 tribes other than the Navajo Nation receive their Congressional Gold Medals.

By Vincent Schilling, November 20, 2013, ICTMN

This morning at 11 a.m., Native American Code Talkers from 33 tribes were honored at the nations Capitol in Washington D.C. Taking the limelight with such notable historical figures as Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa and Astronauts, the Native Code Talkers and their prospective tribes were awarded Congressional Gold Medals.

A plethora of Senatorial and Congressional notables were present at the awards ceremony to include House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH), Tom Cole (R-OK), Ron Kind (D-WI), Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV).

Also in attendance were family members and tribal leaders representing the Native Code Talkers as well as 96-year-old Edmond Harjo.

Speaker John Boehner opened the ceremony by applauding the efforts of Harjo who had recognized a fellow soldier’s language in 1944 and was later utilized by the U.S. military as a code talker.

“Edmond and his brothers were at Normandy and Iwo Jima and they mobilized the weapon of language to thwart the fiercest enemy the free people have ever known and made a difference …join me in applauding their perseverance and the deeds that have been relegated to legend and may they now live in memory,” said Boehner.

Native American Congressman Tom Cole then shared his thoughts. “It is an enormous honor for me to get to share this moment with you – no one has fought against an alliance like Native Americans. Native Americans enlist at a higher rate than any ethnicity in this land. Most famous of those warriors are the Navajo code talkers of World War II, but 33 different tribes contributed to the code talkers.”

“From my home state of Oklahoma three are Choctaw, Comanche and Kiowa they saved lives and won battles. They did so by giving the United States the unique battlefield advantage of secure communication,” said Cole.

Similar appreciative sentiments were also given by Kind, Johnson, McConnell and Inhofe who also described ways code talkers were critical to war efforts. Their descriptions included how code talkers could decipher their messages instantly with 100 percent accuracy, while machines took up to 30 minutes to decipher alternative codes. Also, more than 800 battlefield communications were shared in the first 48 hours of Iwo Jima. Several speakers mentioned that code talkers enlisted at a time when they were not even honored as citizens.

Pelosi expressed appreciation for representing California as a state with the highest percentage of Native Americans before thanking the code talkers.

“The code talkers, using their language… committed to the cause of freedom. Their sense of duty was never shaken nor was their resolve. Their patriotism never wavered nor did their courage. Their bonds of brotherhood were never broken nor were their codes. Their heroism and sacrifice and these contributions went unrecognized for too long. It is a privilege for Congress to bestow the Native American code talkers the highest honor we can bestow, the Congressional Gold medal,” said Pelosi.

After Pelosi, Senator Reid delivered a poignantly truthful account of the history of Native people and their contribution to the war efforts of the United Sates.

“According to firsthand accounts from the pilgrims, who arrived to this continent, Native Americans did not farm the land so this wasn’t truly their land. According to the pioneers who pushed past the Mississippi, Native Americans were not civilized, so they didn’t truly own the land. According to the prospectors who rushed for the hills of Nevada, California and even Alaska, Native Americans did not speak English so they did not truly own the land.

“Strangers had forced the Native peoples from their lands slaughtered their game, stifled their religions outlawed their ceremonies and ravaged their communities…in the late 1800s, the United States government forced Native American children to attend English only boarding schools. Native children were torn from their families, taken far from home in boxcars and buggies, given English names, forced to cut their hair short and teachers beat the children with leather straps when they spoke their Native languages. The government told them their language had no value, but the children held onto their language, culture and history at great personal risk.”

“In this nation’s hour of greatest need these same Native American languages proved to have great value in the early years of World War II…Why would Native Americans, who had been robbed of their land and their culture agree to use their precious language to protect the country that had neglected and abused them for centuries? As one Navajo Native American code talker by the name of Chester Nez put it, ‘Somebody has got to defend this country, somebody has to defend freedom,” said Reid.

Watch the video here.

Cherokee Nation Responds to Offensive ‘Trail of Tears’ Banner

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker

Cherokee Nation; Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

The Cherokee Nation has responded to an offensive banner displayed at an Alabama high school football game that has drawn national attention. The banner, made by McAdory High School students for a football playoff game, referenced the opposing team’s mascot, the “Indians,” by displaying the message: “Hey Indians, get ready to leave in a Trail of Tears, Round 2.”

In the 1830s, the Cherokee Nation and many other tribes were forcibly removed from their homelands in Alabama and other states in the Southeast, and marched hundreds of miles to Indian Territory, now present-day Oklahoma.  Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker issued the following statement.

“Ironically, the Cherokee Nation is commemorating the 175th anniversary of the start of our Trail of Tears this year. About 16,000 Cherokees began the trek to Oklahoma from our homelands in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky, but only 12,000 lived through the harsh conditions that winter.

“ The Trail of Tears was arguably the most horrific period in the Cherokee Nation’s history and among the worst atrocities ever sanctioned by the United States government.  The legacy of that terrible era has had a profound effect on generations of tribal citizens, and still lingers today.  This unfortunate display shows how much improvement is still needed in the understanding of Native peoples, our triumphs and our challenges, both historical and modern.

“We hope this becomes an opportunity for administrators at McAdory High School, and at schools all across the United States, to teach our young people not only the terrible history behind the Indian removal era, but also the resilience of tribes across the nation.”

November is also Native American Heritage Month. To learn more about observances this month, please visit NativeAmericanHeritageMonth.gov.

24,000-Year-Old Body Is Kin to Both Europeans and American Indians

Niobe ThompsonA view of Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia near where the young boy buried at Mal’ta was discovered. — Niobe Thompson
A view of Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia near where the young boy buried at Mal’ta was discovered.

By Nicholas Wade, The New York Times

The genome of a young boy buried at Mal’ta near Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia some 24,000 years ago has turned out to hold two surprises for anthropologists.The first is that the boy’s DNA matches that of Western Europeans, showing that during the last Ice Age people from Europe had reached farther east across Eurasia than previously supposed. Though none of the Mal’ta boy’s skin or hair survive, his genes suggest he would have had brown hair, brown eyes and freckled skin.

The second surprise is that his DNA also matches a large proportion — some 25 percent — of the DNA of living Native Americans. The first people to arrive in the Americas have long been assumed to have descended from Siberian populations related to East Asians. It now seems that they may be a mixture between the Western Europeans who had reached Siberia and an East Asian population.

The Mal’ta boy was aged 3 to 4 and was buried under a stone slab wearing an ivory diadem, a bead necklace and a bird-shaped pendant. Elsewhere at the same site some 30 Venus figurines were found of the kind produced by the Upper Paleolithic cultures of Europe. The remains were excavated by Russian archaeologists over a 20-year period ending in 1958 and stored in museums in St. Petersburg.

There they lay for some 50 years until they were examined by a team led by Eske Willerslev of the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Willerslev, an expert in analyzing ancient DNA, was seeking to understand the peopling of the Americas by searching for possible source populations in Siberia. He extracted DNA from bone taken from the child’s upper arm, hoping to find ancestry in the East Asian peoples from whom Native Americans are known to be descended.

But the first results were disappointing. The boy’s mitochondrial DNA belonged to the lineage known as U, which is commonly found among the modern humans who first entered Europe some 44,000 years ago. The lineages found among Native Americans are those designated A, B, C, D and X, so the U lineage pointed to contamination of the bone by the archaeologists or museum curators who had handled it, a common problem with ancient DNA projects. “The study was put on low speed for about a year because I thought it was all contamination,” Dr. Willerslev said.

His team proceeded anyway to analyze the nuclear genome, which contains the major part of human inheritance. They were amazed when the nuclear genome also turned out to have partly European ancestry. Examining the genome from a second Siberian grave site, that of an adult who died some 17,000 years ago, they found the same markers of European origin. Together, the two genomes indicate that descendants of the modern humans who entered Europe had spread much farther east across Eurasia than had previously been assumed and occupied Siberia during an extremely cold period starting 20,000 years ago that is known as the Last Glacial Maximum.

The other surprise from the Mal’ta boy’s genome was that it matched to both Europeans and Native Americans but not to East Asians. Dr. Willerslev’s interpretation was that the ancestors of Native Americans had already separated from the East Asian population when they interbred with the people of the Mal’ta culture, and that this admixed population then crossed over the Beringian land bridge that then lay between Siberia and Alaska to become a founding population of Native Americans.

“We estimate that 14 to 38 percent of Native American ancestry may originate through gene flow from this ancient population,” he and colleagues wrote in an article published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

A European contribution to Native American ancestry could explain two longstanding puzzles about the people’s origins. One is that many ancient Native American skulls, including that of the well-known Kennewick man, look very different from those of the present day population. Another is that one of the five mitochondrial DNA lineages found in Native Americans, the lineage known as X, also occurs in Europeans. One explanation is that Europeans managed to cross the Atlantic in small boats some 20,000 years ago and joined the Native Americans from Siberia.

Dr. Willerslev thinks it more likely that European bearers of the X lineage had migrated across Siberia with the ancestors of the Mal’ta culture and joined them in their trek across the Beringian land bridge.

November 20, 2013 syəcəb

SYS 11202013 Nov 20 2013 Download

Enhance Your Holiday Landscape

by Melinda Myers

By Melinda Myers

Add a little holiday sparkle to your landscape for you and your guests to enjoy. No matter the weather outside, a few decorative touches can greatly increase the beauty and enjoyment of your winter landscape.

Try one, two or all eight of these tips to improve your landscape’s winter appeal.

Add some solar powered accents. Light a pathway, your favorite tree or front porch without installing additional outlets. Look for unique colors and shapes like the solar star lantern or the changing colors of northern lights spheres (gardeners.com) for added appeal. The wide variety now available can help create a memorable winter display. Be sure to select solar accents that provide hours of enjoyment when fully charged.

Create an outdoor holiday tree for you and your feathered visitors to enjoy. Decorate a few of your evergreen trees and shrubs with purchased or homemade birdseed ornaments. Holiday shapes made of energy rich birdseed and suet give the trees a holiday flare, while providing important food for birds to enjoy. These also make great gifts for your favorite gardener or bird watcher.

Light up your winter containers. Fill a weather-proof planter with potting mix or play sand. Purchase greens from your favorite garden center or trim a few from your landscape. Stick the cut end of the greens in the potting mix or sand to create an attractive display. Add some colorful berries, decorative twigs and ribbon. Then add some height and light to your winter container with fiber optic solar lights. Place the container by your front steps for holiday visitors to enjoy day or night.

Increase color and motion with the help of heated birdbaths. Attract greater numbers and variety of birds by providing water year round. Northern gardeners should consider heated birdbaths to insure water is available even during the coldest months. Further help the birds by adding a few stones or branches to the birdbath. This allows the birds to drink without getting wet; helping them to preserve their body heat.

Create your own homemade outdoor lights. Line pathways, accent plantings or dress up fence posts with ice globe luminaries. Produce your own or purchase ready to make kits. Use colorful outdoor LED lights or tea candles to light up blocks or spheres of ice. You and your family will have fun creating these memorable nighttime accents.

Add some livable art. Hang a few colorful and unique birdhouses in your backyard. They provide color and whimsy to the winter garden and will be ready for your feathered friends to move in this spring.

Include a “gingerbread” house for the birds. Hang decorative birdseed houses from a shepherds crook or tree branch. Be sure to place it in an area where you and the birds can enjoy the decorative treat. Look for a sheltered, but open area where the birds can watch for predators while enjoying their winter feast.

Move your holiday tree outdoors. Place your cut tree in a snow bank, vacant spot in the garden or make it part of your bird feeding station. The tree provides some extra greenery in the often drab winter landscape as well as shelter for the visiting birds. Then add a few of those birdseed ornaments for added food and winter decoration.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments. Myers is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips.

Learning to live with, and heal from, generational trauma

Ryan AkinAndrew Gobin/Tulalip News — Ryan Akin
*Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News*

By Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News

TULALIP − “It’s about language and perspective. How issues are talked about. How issues are presented and received,” said Ryan Akin, one of the new additions to the child and family therapy team at beda?chelh. As he transitions into his position in the Tulalip community, Akin discusses his views on mental wellness and what it takes to get there.

“I’d like to explain a little bit about what I do,” he began. “I am a counselor, not a therapist. Therapy in practice works to identify a problem and help people fix that problem. Counseling moves away from the very sanitized and sterile practice of therapy, focusing on people. Everyone here is an individual. We respond to the person, not the issue.”

Grief counseling is one aspect of his job, and in an effort to understand the people he is working with, he was encouraged to attend a funeral service for a tribal member to experience the grief of the family and the community. He offered grief counseling to kids for a week following the funeral.

“This is so different than the institutionalized idea of people. Rather than learning about them and their needs, I live with them and experience who they are in order to understand their needs,” Akin explained.

The Tulalip community is unique, as are most tribes. They have a history of generational trauma intertwined with tradition and cultural revitalization.

“Understanding generational trauma is integral in helping people to wellness. You have to know that each piece that shapes behavior potentially stems from these traumas. It’s the difference between ‘and’ and ‘but’. I’m trying to be ok but I have this trauma, versus, I have this trauma and I will be ok.”

Ultimately, Akin’s goal is to help remove the generational trauma Tulalip people, and all Indian people, have been steeped in. Healing the community now will prevent the coming generations from experiencing these same traumas.

“We focus on the small steps towards healing, not the five to ten years it takes to get there. This is not a doctor’s office. There is no checklist or agenda. It is based on the person.

“For Indian people, the road to wellness is more like a filter. Holding on to what was, bringing that forward to what is now, and looking to what will come next, while continuing to bring the past forward,” he concluded.

Akin acknowledges the team of counselors he has joined. It is their joint work to promote mental wellness and work towards building a strong connection with the community in order to create a comfortable and safe environment for everyone.

“I want people to understand what we do here. I want anyone to be able to come and talk about things that we can help them with,” he said.

For more information contact Ryan Akin at rakin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov, or by phone at (360) 716-3284.

Andrew Gobin: 360-716-4188; agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Officials from the Marysville School District hold break out sessions working to improve community schools

Dr. Becky Berg leads a discussion on Marysville schools.
*Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News*

by Andrew Gobin, Tulalip News

TULALIP − Coming to the MarysvilleSchool District, Dr. Becky Berg aimed to “hit the ground running,” according to the Marysville Globe. True to her word, Berg wastes no time when it comes to improving community schools. On November 14^th, she and other district officials held a community meeting at the TulalipAdministrationBuilding, the first in a series of meetings, in order to identify concerns and provide information about this year’s levy.

Dr. Becky Berg opens the community meeting November 14th
*Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News*

“We want to hear from you all,” Berg said. “What are the concerns you have about your schools? What are some positive things or what would you like to see continued?”

Two breakout sessions, facilitated by Berg and assistant superintendent Ray Houser, were a forum where the community spoke on a personal level with district officials, discussing their past experiences attending Marysville schools or having children attend Marysville schools, what works in the district, changes that they’ve seen, improvements that need to be made, and programs they’d like to see developed. One major issue raised by parents and teachers at the meeting was the drastic educational gap in the classroom.

“We have high school math classes with students meeting and exceeding their level, mixed with students that are stuck at a 5^th grade level,” said heritage principal Shelly Lacey.

Other topics discussed were programs that have been cut, including evening transportation after extra curricular activities like sports, band, clubs, etc., and problems with the schools’ environment such as bullying, apathetic staff, and teachers uninterested in whether or not students learned.

“We don’t feel welcome. Our kids feel unwelcome at school, and we as parents feel that we can’t approach the teachers,” said Misty Napeahi. She has children in school now, as well as graduates of the MarysvilleSchool District.

Many of these issues were addressed in the levy presentation that followed the discussions, which highlighted specific areas that need improvement. Line items included in the levy are programs for high achieving students, students needing to be brought up to grade level, transportation, teachers and aides, support staff (nurses, counselors, etc.), staff training and development, extra curricular activities, and upgrading district technology, each addressing various academic needs. Each of these items discussed, as well as dollar allocations, emphasized the levy as the means to helping every student to succeed. The support staff and staff development portions are crucial to changing the environment of Marysville schools, which is a constant concern at Tulalip.

Upgrading technology and accessibility may be the most crucial for academic success at the current time.

Jim Baker presented the proposed 2014 Levy, which will be on February ballots
*Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News*

“We spent all the time, money, and effort to put in the fiber-optic network we have now, yet it remains inaccessible because of a lack of hardware,” said Jim Baker, the district’s executive director of finance. “With the proper tools and training, we hope to improve student performance in the classroom, as well as the effectiveness of the teachers.”

District officials stressed the need for the levy to pass in order to provide better resources in the classroom.

“As it stands, there is more advanced technology and capable users at McDonald’s than there is in our schools,” noted Berg.

This levy truly is all encompassing, addressing academic, structural, and environmental needs. If passed, the levy stands to increase funding for these programs by $85 million over the next four years. The issues discussed at this and other community meetings will be deciding factors in how the money is spent, specifically with regards to staff development. The next community meeting and levy presentation is slated for December 4^th of this year, 6:00 pm at the district office. More information is available on the district website, or you may call the district office at (360) 653-7058.

Andrew Gobin: 360-716-4188; agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov