New Native Language App Starts Small, WIth Animal Names in Four Tongues

By Leeanne Root: April 23, 2012

This app is currently available in the iTunes store. It is based around 4 different languages: Diné, Lakota, Mvskoke and Ponca. There are up to 14 different animals in each language where it shows how to say the animal in English and the language desired. There is even a way to hear the word in the Native language, to make sure you are saying it correctly. The app has great potential to be an amazing thing to help children learn their Native language in this rapidly fast growing technology market. Apparently the app is meant to target younger children because of the attachment to animals, but it has been met with some resentment by people who have bought it.

“14 animals and that’s your app? Come on, do these languages some justice.”

The app is said that it needs room for improvement and that this was just a starting point. I understand how this can be a starting point, but I think I would have developed it more before sending it out into a raging public. I check the app on iTunes and it has some terrible rating and some horrible comments about the app in general. The Lakota is apparently extremely messed up and everyone is saying that the words are incorrect for the pictures. I guess that is what happens when you put out an app and people are able to comment on it anonymously. They are beyond evil with what they say. The woman that helped create the app learned Lakota from her great grandfather and grandmother, but apparently she didn't learn it correctly or her grandparents taught her a different way of speaking. Even with all the problems that this app has been having I understand why it was put out in the first place. It is a way to save a culture and a language, especially with how fast technology is evolving. It can reach a larger number of people in a shorter time period and help people reconnect with their culture. I like where this idea is going and it has helped some people, maybe? I would like to track the app and see how is ends up at the end...or even if it reaches it's full potential. I don't know if I would spend the 2 dollars on it right now.

Why Should We Keep Tribal Languages Alive?

By Sonny Skyhawk: April 6, 2012

"I canʼt stress enough the importance of retaining our tribal languages, when it comes to the core relevance or existence of our people. Our languages can teach us many things through daily use. Language can teach us respect, for ourselves and each other, our elders, women and most importantly, the things that allowed us to exist."

I don't think that anyone realizes how bad the loss of languages is becoming, not just tribal languages but other Native languages. It is said that 6,000 languages are at risk of "dying" out. That is a terribly high number of languages from all over the world. I understand that it might not seem that important to some, but language is a way of communication and a way of life for most people. What would it be like if English didn't exist anymore, that you were the last native speaker? How terrible would that be? To loose your culture and ability to connect with the outside world. This doesn't seem fair. It is especially bad with Native populations as a whole. Who is going to teach the children? I think this needs to be addressed or help or at least put into the spot light! Where are the celebs now?! I hope that something can be done in the future to help this.

University Recognizes Native Students With Awareness Week and Powwow

Dancers at the 2011 American Indian Awareness Week powwow at Black Hills State University in Rapid City, South Dakota.
By ICTMN Staff: April 10, 2012

Black Hills State University in South Dakota is hosting a Powwow in honor of the large population of Native American students that tend the college. This will be the 29th annual powwow to be hosted here, lasting for three days (April 13th - April 15th). There is going to be traditional dancing and this event is open for all of the public. This would be a great place for people to learn about the Native Americans and for Native people to have pride in who they are. There has been a lot of struggles with Native people not wanting to be Native and hating who they are. This is a great chance to change that opinion, to help Native people embrace who they are without the fear and hatred. I think more colleges should do this, to help out the people that have been beaten down to believe that they aren't as important or that their hertiage is terrible. I know that Michigan State hosted a powwow. I didn't get to attend, but I heard that it was wonderful. :)

"Today starts the school’s week-long focus on Native culture which will feature speakers, a hand drum and singing competition and a three-day powwow. American Indian Awareness Week is organized by the school’s Center for American Indian Studies and the student organization Lakota Omniciye."



Suicide Survivor Arnold Thomas to Kick Off Red Lake Youth Conference

Arnold Thomas (Shoshone-Paiute) is a suicide survivor.
By Michael Meuers: March 26, 2012

The thought of suicide has crossed most people's minds while they were growing up, whether it was in high school, adulthood, or because of life problems. There have been several cases in the news lately about young people in middle school or high school that have committed or attempted suicide. The actions of bullying or family issues that appear to have no end could possibly drive a younger individual to suicide, but this is why Arnold Thomas has decided to help out, to get involved in the Sixth Annual Red Lake Youth Leadership Conference, at Red Lake Humanities Center in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Thomas states what happened to him here...

"From Thomas’ biography: “One warm summer night soon after I turned 18, I stuck a hunting rifle under my chin and pulled the trigger. The gun shot wound severely damaged my face and left me completely blind. I was unable to speak for several years. With the steadfast support of my hometown community, my family and my friends along with my own renewed will to live, I survived this challenging period of my life and slowly began to put the shattered pieces back together.'"

Because of Thomas' great efforts to help the young of the nation and tribal members to understand that suicide is not the only option. That things do in fact, "get better" (as the youtube campaigne is trying to teach the younger generation and protect them from suicide). He has been at this service for 15 years. He has served as a member of the National Institute of Health’s C-SAT (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) work group, and he has assisted in creating cultural sensitive materials for the Indian Health services’ Emergency Medical Services for Children in Washington D.C. Thomas also served as a spiritual advisor for Native American inmates incarcerated in the Utah State Correctional system. He has also recently started working with homeless Native Americans.

Thomas is truly an inspiration to everyone who has ever thought about or tried to commit suicide. There are other options that can help: talk to someone (anyone). His actions speak a hundred more times than his words ever could. He is a strong individual that is standing up against something that he once had to face. I understand that sometimes we think there is no way out and we think the best thing we can do...is check out. I don't understand this logic, no matter how horrible things are. No matter how terrible everything appears to be...there is always a tomorrow. There is always someone who wants to help, who wants to change your life. "Suicide is a way of telling God...you can't fire me, I quit." I don't think that it is time to quit. I think it is time to stand up.

More Than Frybread Mockumentary Going Rez to Rez

By Jack McNeel: March 24, 2012

This looks like it is going to be one of the better mockumentary that I have heard about or watched in a long time. I understand where he is going with this. It is generally a really good idea and the video at the end of the article makes it so much better. The amount of 'cheesy-ness' is amazing. It hits the right spot for a mockumentary. I seriously hope that this film comes out soon for the whole public to see and not just bouncing around reservations then disappear.
The film is about a fake Frybread Competition that is bring together several different tribes as they compete for a trophy to be the best frybread maker. I think that this is a amazing idea for a film, because it brings together several tribes. Frybread is a major part of several tribes and the film is going across several reservations to help connect all the individuals. Weirdly enough frybread really isn't an original traditional food for Native people, but it has become one over the years. The pride that people take in making it is rather interesting. I love how this film is going to explore the cultural identities of people who live on reservations and the connection they have with frybread.

Below are some questions about the film that I thought would explain better.

"What is your background in this field?
I go out to the rez, non-Native, a missionary and just got a degree in anthropology from Northern Arizona University. It’s kind of funny. Three strikes against me right from the start to work with Native people. But it’s fine, I love working on the reservations.

Why did you choose frybread as a subject?
I wanted to make a movie that got us outside the Navajo reservation. I wanted something where we literally had an excuse to shoot on another reservation and make new friends and I thought frybread was a good thing to bring people together. I didn’t realize how frybread is kind of universal so we’re getting people from all over the U.S. and Canada to come and view the film.

Frybread is more important than life or death in Indian country. Have you found anyone offended by making light of it?
We had a world premiere February 3rd and sold out a show of 900 seats and almost sold a second show out the same evening. I think we’ve had one lady that’s seen it that came up with concerns, one out of possibly 10,000 people now that have seen it.

What other reservations are you hitting on this tour?

We’ll hit 11 reservations. On the journey up we started at the Hualapai Reservation, then Umatilla, Yakama, and Nez Perce. Now we’re here [at the University of Idaho] and then we’ll hit Colville, Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, Rocky Boy in Montana and then Fort Duchesne, the Uinta-Ouray, and we finish up in San Carlos. We’ll be gone 15 days and 14 of those days we’ll be showing the movie on 11 reservations in six states.

Final question, why does a white guy make Native films?
I get that question all the time. I came to a better understanding a few weeks ago, someone talking about a hybrid. It’s an interesting idea. That’s the kind of film making I guess I’m involved with, hybrid film making. Here’s this outsider coming to Native communities and working together. I feel we can make a better movie doing it that way."

Oglalas Ask Courts to Cap Whiteclay Beer Sales

Street scene in Whiteclay, Nebraska.
By Stephanie Woodard: March 19, 2012

The Oglala Sioux Tribe was the original lawsuit against the Whiteclay for an estimated sum of $500 million in damages against the tribe. The alcoholism is running rampid through the tribe and it said to affect 85% of individuals on the reservation. The lawsuit was soon amended to try and put a cap on the amount of alcoholic that whiteclay could sell to tribal members. Apparently the alcoholic is either consumed illegally on and off the reservation.

"With Nebraska’s top legal advisor indicating the state would not enforce its own liquor laws, the tribe was left with “no adequate remedies at law” to stem the ongoing flood of alcohol across its borders, says its most recent complaint."

What else are they suppose to do? How can the tribe stop this huge company from selling alcohol illegally to the people who live on the reservation. Even if the alcohol suppliers stop, then bootleggers are sure to show up. I feel like cutting out the alcohol completely is not the best way to go about this plan of action. I understand that it is for the bettering of the community as a whole, but you have to fix the people and their issues first. If the alcohol stops coming, that doesn't mean the people will sober up. It means that they will go elsewhere to find alcohol. You can't stop an alcoholic from having a drink, unless the alcoholic wants to stop themselves. I understand there is good behind this lawsuit and the idea is there, but it will not completely stop the problem. Maybe with all the money they will get from the lawsuit it will be put towards treatment programs. I'm interested in seeing how this ends up.

"Bootleggers set up shop across the border in Whiteclay, Nebraska, almost immediately and began to peddle booze onto Pine Ridge, which to this day suffers crippling rates of alcoholism and alcohol-related public-health issues, overwhelming the tribe’s health-care, social-services, education and justice systems."

Most of the children are born with fetal alochol syndrome. That is a huge problem. Someone needs to help educate these people for them to understand what they are doing. I think that alcohol abuse can be one of the worse forms of abuse because you it is legal to get. It's easy to abuse something when there is no sigma against it and you can stop at any store a buy it. If you have nothing better to do then drink, why wouldn't people? They need better opportunities to prove themselves. Where is the will power to be better than the last generation? I get that they have been pushed to the side, but it is time to stand up! Isn't it?

Canadian Singer Grimes Honors Missing Aboriginal Women in NYC

Grimes, a.k.a. Claire Boucher, will hold a silent auction of her artwork in New York City to benefit Sisters in Spirit and its programs supporting missing and murdered aboriginal women.
By ICTMN Staff: March 10, 2012

Claire Boucher, the Canadian singer and artist known as Grimes, is going to preform in New York City at the Mercury Lounge on March 23 and at Glasslands Gallery on the 24th. The same weekend she will debut a visual arts show that she has curated and hold a silent auction to benefit Sisters in Spirit, Canada’s group that combats violence against aboriginal women.

The exhibit will be at the Audio Visual Arts (AVA) gallery, in the East Village, and sponsored by the website Refinery29.

She sat down with The New York Times recently to declare that she shies away from designer clothes and likes to show “the beauty of women, but with a dark side,” she said. “I like creating beauty out of scary things."

I think it is an amazing thing that she is going to dedicate a part of her time and energy to raising awareness about what is happening to aboriginal women. I think it is about time that someone famous point at what is happening. For some reason no one cares to listen, until someone famous points out an injustice. It is the way that society works and it is depressing. I don't understand why it takes someone that we consider "famous" to get anything done for a group of people. No one would have noticed the struggles before, but now it has a spot light on it. I guess it can be considered a curse and a blessing in the same breathe. Finally someone is taking notice of the issues that are happening, but it took someone "famous" to point it out. People that aren't famous should care about these issues. What if it was you? You were the person standing there being hurt and wronged and no one lifted a finger to help you...then someone famous pointed at the problem and everyone rushed to your side. I understand that is can be frustrating, but I guess some help is better than no one knowing at all.

Pine Ridge Residents Halt Canadian Mine Equipment Transportation Through Reservation

Pine Ridge Reservation residents sit in the middle of the road blocking tractor-trailers carrying mining equipment from passing through the reservation.

By Vincent Schilling: March 9, 2012

One morning a Wanblee resident was forced off the road as huge semi-tractor-trailers made their way through the Oglala Sioux Nation’s Pine Ridge Reservation. The woman made a few phone calls to other residents and within a short time a parade of cars came to stop in Wanblee, just inside Pine Ridge. Tribal residents set up an impromptu blockade and did not allow two trucks bearing the logos TOTRAN Transportation Services, Inc. to progress any further. After a six-hour standoff, several tribal members were arrested and tribal police escorted the trucks on their route.

It was not clear if the trucks were equipment with parts for the Keystone XL Pipeline project, although the drivers of the semi-trucks said they were heading to Canadian mines. According to the paperwork of the drivers, their two oversized vehicles were hauling equipment called “treater vessels” (equipment that uses intense heat to separate gas and oil and other elements) from Houston, Texas to Alberta, Canada.

One of the residents contacted Poor Bear, a leader in the community. While Poor Bear was in transit to join tribal members at the blockade he spoke with JR LaPlante, the Secretary of Tribal Relations for the Governor of South Dakota Dennis Daugaard and that LaPlante admitted to the arrangement.

“He said, ‘Mr. Poor Bear, I want to apologize. The South Dakota Department of Transportation and… ’—and then he named a couple senators and himself—‘had a meeting a couple weeks ago to reroute these trucks that are holding these pipes and water tanks that are going to Canada for the Keystone pipeline,” said Poor Bear. “He said, ‘We had to reroute them through your reservation.’”

Poor Bear says the tribe is setting up a meeting with Daugaard and LaPlante and the Department of Transportation, scheduled for either March 13 or 14. At that meeting Poor Bears says he plans to inform the state that the trucking company owes the Nation $100,000 for using Nation roads, since the Canadian Corporation was going to pay a $50,000 permit fee for each of the two trucks to pass through the state of South Dakota.

The people appear to be outraged by the fact that the trucks are moving through their land. I understand they they probably want to stop the project all together, so using their land to get to the project is against their beliefs. I don't think the trucking company should have just used the roads in the first place without contacting the Native people that live there. It is their homes that these trucks are going to be passing thought. I would consider it a safety issue if nothing else. I can't believe the company would feel so entitled to using other peoples lands. I hope they end up having to pay all that money to the reservation.

Guest Post | A Native American Student Responds to a Times Article About His Home

A rambling stretch of scrub in central Wyoming the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, Wind River has a crime rate five to seven times the national average and a long history of homicides.
By Katherine Schulten: February 20, 2012


The original article was by a man named, Timothy Williams called "Brutal Crimes Grip an Indian Reservation" when a Native American Student caught a glimpse at it, Willow Pingree.

.

Willow Pingree, a student at Fort Washakie Charter High School on the Wind River Indian Reservation

Willow frowned upon the article and commented,

"I have lived on the reservation since I was born. I will be only twenty in July, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve seen my share of good and bad things on this reservation. Not EVERTHING about this reservation is bad. Sure there is a huge problem with domestic violence and alcoholism, but we try to work together as a community to fight it. We have not given up. … What many people who are not from this reservation, or perhaps any in particular, don’t understand is that there is a strong spiritual bond that we have with our culture and our homeland. Alcoholism has spread like the Black Plague of the European countries, but we do what we can to fight it. … It is a sad thing that people are quick to judge about a place where they have not lived."

This actions caused the principle of the school to invite the reporter and Willow Pingree to sit down and talk about the issues. Willow wrote an amazing essay as a result. He defended his community against the attack the reporter had originally represented. He spoke about the issues that are facing the community and how his people are trying to better themselves. The article attacked his community acting as if there was no chance that the people would ever be able to govern or help themselves. Willow did not ignore the problems that his community are facing, but he instead addressed the way his community is trying to help solve these issues that are plaguing the community to put them in a negative light.

Below is a link to his essay. It is extremely well thought out and interpretive of the situations that are happening around his community.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/guest-post-a-native-american-student-responds-to-a-times-article-about-his-home/

Registration Open for Native American Language Fair

A young member of the Numunu Turetu Comanche Nation group enthusiastically sings Animal Songs at the 2011 Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair.
By ICTMN StaffFebruary 16, 2012

This article spoke about the two-day Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair! It takes place April 2nd - 3rd at Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. Students of all ages (K-12th grade) are encouraged to share their language in various ways.

I think this is a wonderful way to express the language and cultures of the Native people. It should be a great learning experience to encourage the Native languages to grow instead of being wiped out. It looks like it would be an amazing amount of fun to attend. I would love to hear and see all the languages and presentation from the students.

How can on place be so open to celebrating languages while another place is so against it? How are the populations going to get their languages back is no one encourages them? What the museum is doing is a beautiful thing. I think other states could learn from their example. Do not try follow the ideas of "killing the native, but saving the man." We should encourage people to be proud of who they are and where they came from. No one should be ashamed to speak their language, no one should have to worry about losing their language. I don't understand how something so innocent can be turned into something that everyone fears.

Student Suspended for Speaking Native American Language

 Miranda Washinawatok, 12, is a student at Sacred Heart Catholic Academy.

 Miranda Washinawatok, 12, was suspended from a basketball game after being reprimanded for using the Menominee language in class

By ICTMN Staff: February 7, 2012

Miranda attends Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Shawano, Wisconsin. She was suspended after saying two phrases in her classmate in her native language.

A teacher exploded at her asking, "How she would feel is he spoke in Polish and she didn't understand?" The school later stated that this was handled extremely poorly and she never should have got suspended. Schools are there to help students reach full potential and increase diversity, not punish someone for being their culture to school.

I don't understand why this became such a dig deal in the first place. People speak in different languages all the time to their friends in and out of school. I have never heard of a teacher acting so irrational. I wonder if anything is going to be done about his behavior in the situation? Is the school going to apologize to the young girl for the troubles it caused her? Are they going to remove the suspension from her school record?

I have no idea that her speaking in her native language to a friend had anything to do with the teacher who apparently butted into the conversation. I went to a Catholic school and never heard of a teacher just butting into a students conversation unless it was wildly inappropriate. I understand that people fear what they don't know, but this just appeared to be complete ignorance or maybe even worse, racist. 

Reader Photos: New York City’s Oldest and Largest Pow Wow

The 34th Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow Wow
By ICTMN Staff: January 31, 2012

"New York City's oldest and largest Pow Wow, the annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Pow Wow is three days of inter-ribal American Indian dance competitions in the spectacular apple orchard on the 315-year old farm."

More than 40 Indian Nations are represented at the event, along with a selection of American Indian art, crafts, jewelry and food.

The event begins on July 27th and goes until July 29th.

I seriously want to go to this event. This seems like it would be the most amazing expression of Native culture, art, and food. I have always wanted to go to a Pow Wow and this appears to be the most amazing one that has ever come together. I want to experience the way the culture is practice. To see all of the Native people come together and celebrate their beliefs and customs. I don't see a better way to learn about something that I am so passionate about!

Sexual Abuse Complaint Filed in Montana

Fr. Emmett Hoffmann, formerly of St. Labre School in Montana, was recently named in a 12-page complaint about sexual abuse by a former student of the school.
By Heather Steinberger: January 23, 2012

A Native Woman filed a sexual abuse complain against an extremely powerful priest on her reservation. The priest, Fr. Emmett Hoffmann, is a legendary figure on the 440,000-acre Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, located in remote southeastern Montana.

The women was to afraid to confess what happened for 60 years. The ideas of a woman coming forward to confess out against anyone is unheard of. The sexual violence against women on the reservation is completely out of control. The only reason she decided to fill in the law suit is because she ran into the priest after several years.

She wants to help other individuals that probably suffered the worst sexual abuse. This apparently went on for several years, from her early childhood. She would run away and no one noticed her cries for help. The whole ordeal was embarrassing to her.

I don't understand how no one else had came forward about this? It appears that no one wants to come forward or maybe this will be the nudge that was needed? When the priest scandal broke out about the Catholic Church everyone was outraged. There was an immediate public response. Everyone cared, everyone wanted to do something that would help the victims. I don't understand why no one noticed this man for what 40 years or more? Doesn't anyone find it weird that a child doesn't like to be around a priest? I feel horrible for her. She had to hid away her pain and suffering for 60 years. That is an unbelievable amount of time.

Sex Trafficking Rampant in Indian Country; Pimps on Prowl for Native Girls

By Terri Hansen: January 17, 2012

Sex trafficking has got increasingly worse for Native American women and girls due to drugs, poverty, and the silence about it.

"Many Women and girls due to culture of silence in every community....and the legacy of appalling sexual violence committed by white men do not speak about against what is happening to them."

The sex trade has gotten worse in Portland, nicknamed "Pornland," by a reporter because of all the dealing happening out in the open. One pimp states, "with the young girls, you promise them heaven and they'll follow you to hell."

Most runaways are the targets of sex trafficker, offering them a save place to stay in exchange for the sex act. The girls and women suffer horrible emotional and physical abuse with few chances to heal. Native girls are also the girls of choice because they can be sold as "exotics."

There are several health problems associated with being a sex worker that can cause lasting effects. Most of the girls are coerced into sex working-on and off reservations- by drug dealer to pay for their drugs.

Sundvall-Williams, who escaped the street life,

is trying to help Portland women trapped in the

sex-trafficking industry.

Jeri Sundvall-Williams is a survivor of the trafficking business and wants to become an elected official to help the Native girls and women speak about against what is happening to them. Also she plans on making more recovery center available with beds to help save the younger victims.

I think what is happening to these girls in unbelievable. The police seem to overlook the problem because it is so ramped and because they are so underfunded. The lack of recovery center is the most shocking part of this article. Why does no one want to help the girls escape from their situation? Why does no one care about what is happening?

Rape Data for Indian Country Has Failed to Capture Complete Picture

"How we talk about rape and how we count it, makes a difference in how we view it,” said Lynn Rosenthal, the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. “If we don’t know the extent of a problem, it’s difficult to find solutions to that problem.” (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images)

By Rob Capriccioso: January 9, 2012

The national crime statistics already indicate that 1 in 3 American Indian women will be raped in their lifetime. I find this statistic to be completely unacceptable. No woman should have that much of a chance to be raped. Something should be done to help the women more than what is being done currently.

"Native American women suffer from violent crimes at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average."

I don't understand why Native women are the most attacked or under so much duress. I feel terrible for the Native people. The way they are taken advantage of it completely depressing. The definition of rape has changed under President Obama to include, 'rape towards women that were done by an object or mouth on the vagina or anus without consent, and it would begin counting rapes of children and men.' They believe that the number of rapes is going to increase in the Native population as well in the U.S. population as a whole. I'm glad that the definition had changed, in general. Rape is a horrible things that no one should have to experience. People should be protected as much as they possibility can to stop this from accruing.

Congress recently cut millions of dollar to the programs that would aid Indian rape survivors. They have cut over $90 million from the funds. These women have no way to pay for the help they need or the prosecution they deserve to take against their attackers. I find this completely disgusting that these women have to deal with being raped and receive little to no help/justice. This is completely wrong and unfair, yet the general public will never learn about what is happening.

"The only thing that will present violence against Indian women is local control of law enforcement and prosecution" (Ryan Dreveskracht: lawyer).

Sadly the TOLA (Tribal Law and Order Act) is currently underfunded and primarily affects these programs that are local in nature. I hope that things chance in the future for the Native women that are suffering from being attacked. I hope that the efforts to help the victims of rape are restored. I'm slightly embarrassed by what congress did. It makes the Native women almost seem not important, like no one cares about their hardships or problems.

Navajo Nation Deals with Rise in HIV Infection Rates

Elsie Smith, who is HIV-positive, lives in the tiny tribal community of Iyanbito with her two sons and three granddaughters. When she was diagnosed, she asked the doctor, "What is HIV?" (Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times /December 11, 2011/Copyright, 2012, Los Angeles Times. Reprinted with permission.)
By ICTMN Staff: January 6, 2012

This article speaks about how issues like poverty, poor education, alcohol abuse and other hardships in the Four Corners region (home of the Dine people) foster an environment in which HIV can easily spread. It's rather depressing to think that Dine people are struggling so much with this disease. The people are not open to learning about the disease because 'they thought it would bring the curse, bring death into their community.'

"Nobody cares until they have seen AIDs death in their family."

I understand the Navajos have beliefs, but I hope that they can understand that the teaching is trying to keep them healthy. Some individuals have started to receive medical treatment for HIV. The Indian Medical Center in New Mexico is holding the treatments. They are giving the individuals duel treatment: spiritual/cultural beliefs and modern medical treatment. This has help individuals stick to their treatments.

I'm glad that there has been this meeting point between the Navajos and modern medicine. I hope it continues in the future to stop the spread of HIV in the community.