AMERICAN INDIAN CANCER FOUNDATION
ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
The American Indian Cancer Foundation,
a national nonprofit committed to eliminating cancer and its impact
on American Indian families, announced the new members that will join
its board of directors in October 2014: Andrew Adams III, JD
(Muscogee Nation), Bret R. Benally Thompson, MD (White Earth Ojibwe),
Mary Fairbanks, DNP (White Earth Ojibwe), Mark Fox, JD (Mandan Hidatsa
Arikara Nations), Margo Gray (Osage Nation), Samuel A. Moose, MTAG
(Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe) and Kalina Newmark (Sahtu Dene First
Nations).
These individuals bring an impressive
set of energy, passion, partnerships and skills to the board that
will help the foundation advance its mission. In addition to their
service with the American Indian Cancer Foundation, the new members
serve in many professional and volunteer capacities devoted to
improving and strengthening American Indian communities.
The AICAF Board of Directors is made
up of 12 American Indian leaders from across the United States. The
seven founding board of directors who successfully launched this
foundation have served their maximum terms. The current board of
directors led the process to identify and elect new board members to
join the AICAF board of directors and guide the next phase of the
organization’s development.
“We are so honored to welcome the
new additions to the American Indian Cancer Foundation Board of
Directors. Their individual and combined dedication and service to
serving American Indian communities are well known and respected
across the nation. Their drive is just what we need as we work to
expand our capacity to address cancer issues in American Indian
communities across the country” said Kristine Rhodes, executive
director of the American Indian Cancer Foundation.
The U.S. has celebrated declining
rates of cancer mortality over the past two decades, yet American
Indians face increasing cancer mortality compared to other
populations.
Today, many American Indians face
alarming inequities in cancer incidence and mortality. Cancer rates
vary by tribe, region, and gender. But according to a 2014 American
Journal of Public Health special issue, cancer is now the No. 1 cause
of death for American Indian men and women in many states and for all
American Indian women in the United States.
The American Indian Cancer Foundation
(AICAF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to address
the tremendous cancer burden faced by American Indians. Its mission
is to eliminate the cancer burdens on American Indian families
through education, prevention, early detection, treatment and
survivor support. AICAF supports transformational interventions that
engage communities in the discovery of best practices. AICAF believes
that communities possess the wisdom to discover the solutions to
effectively address challenges but are often looking for resources
and support. The American Indian Cancer Foundation strives to be a
partner trusted by tribes and organizations working toward effective
and sustainable cancer solutions.
For more information, visit
IHB RECEIVES $250,000 GRANT FROM OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION
Health and Human Services Secretary
Sylvia M. Burwell announced on Aug. 26 that $35.7 million in
Affordable Care Act funding would go to 147 health centers in 44
states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to support
patient-centered medical homes through new construction and facility
renovations.
Among those facilities, agencies and
organizations was the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis. It was
awarded a $250,000 grant from Health Resource and Service
Administration to support clinic renovations to support the Medical
Home at IHB. The Medical Home model of care focuses on providing a
team approach to care coordination and providing the highest quality
of service.
“Health centers provide access to
quality health care for millions of Americans regardless of their
ability to pay,” said Sec. Burwell. “We’re making these
investments so that health centers will be able to provide even
higher quality services to the patients that rely upon them.”
The patient-centered medical home
delivery model is designed to improve quality of care through
team-based coordination of care, treating the many needs of the
patient at once, increasing access to care, and empowering the
patient to be a partner in their own care.
Currently, 1,300 health centers
operate more than 9,200 service delivery sites that provide care to
over 21.7 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. Health
centers are also playing a critical role in helping the public learn
about new coverage opportunities under the Affordable Care Act, by
conducting outreach and enrollment activities that link individuals
to affordable coverage options available through the Health Insurance
Marketplace. The awards will help support high quality care and
updated facilities for the millions of newly insured.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TASK FORCE
PARTNERING TO COMBAT TOBACCO USE
This summer, the Indigenous Peoples
Task Force and its youth are spreading the word about tobacco
products that attract kids and threaten their health.
Tobacco companies are making products
that taste like candy and are priced like candy. Cigarillos such as
Swisher Sweets com in flavors like grape, cherry and tutti-fruitti.
They’re sold nearly everywhere and they’re much cheaper than a pack
of cigarettes. Two packs of flavored cigarillos are sold for as
little as 89 cents. A three-pack of Sweet Show costs 99 cents. Kids
can buy them with pocket change.
Cheap, flavored tobacco products
attract kids. In fact, nearly twice as many kids smoke cigar products
as adults do. Almost one in five 12th grade males smoke ciagrillos on
a regular basis and at a rate higher than cigarettes. Public health
experts are concerned that these flavored tobacco products are
deceiving young people who don’t understand that they’re as addictive
and deadly as cigarettes. And, these products may act as products
that addict kids to nicotine and lead to a lifelong smoking habit
that will increase their risk of cancer, heart disease and premature
death.
Shisha is another flavored tobacco
product that’s becoming increasingly popular with young people.
Smoked in a hookah pipe, usually shared in social situations, shisha
is as addictive as a cigarettes and potentially more harmful. Smoking
hookah for 20-30 minutes is the same as smoking 100-200 cigarettes in
the same amount of time.
To raise awareness about the harmful
health effects of these products, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force
is working with the City of Minneapolis on a Project called Tobacco
Free MPLS. The organization will educate youth in the community on
the harmful effects of commercial tobacco products and we teach them
about the traditional use.
The Indigenous Peoples Task Force’s
efforts are part of the Minneapolis Health Department’s Tobacco Free
Minneapolis campaign, funded by a Community Transformation Grant from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
WINNERS OF SMSC’S ANNUAL WACIPI
ANNOUNCED
The annual Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux
Community Wacipi featured nine winners from Minnesota. Over 800
registered dancers of all ages from the United States and Canada
participated in more than 30 dance categories at the Wacipi from Aug.
15-17 at the Wacipi Grounds on the SMSC Reservation.
A social gathering where friends and
relatives celebrate the Dakota culture and way of life, the Dakota
word, “Wacipi” (pronounced “wah-chee-pee”) translates to
"they dance."
Following are partial results of this
year’s Wacipi: Jr. Girl’s Traditional (ages 6-12): Victory
Randell, Sacramento, CA (first place); Sparrow Little Sky, Kyle, S.D.
(second place). Jr. Girl’s Jingle (ages 6-12): Yanabah Whitehorse,
Standing Buffalo, SK (first place); Coral Benton, Hayward, WI (second
place). Jr. Girl’s Fancy (ages 6-12): Micayla Silas, Oneida, WI
(first place); Lara Pansy Lasley, Montour, IA (second place).
Jr.
Boy’s Traditional (ages 6-12): Elijah Bear Leonard, Baraboo, WI
(first place); Terry Brown Otter, Fort Yates, ND (second place). Jr.
Boy’s Grass (ages 6-12): Chaske Jacobs, Oneida, WI (first place);
Bodie Nordwall, Fallon, NV (second place). Jr. Boy’s Fancy (ages
6-12): Wayne Silas, III, Oneida, WI (first place); Tyler Thurman,
Shawnee, OK (second place).
Teen Girl’s Traditional (ages
13-17): Wamblie Little Sky, Kyle, SD (first place); Aerius Benton,
Hayward, WI (second place). Teen Girl’s Jingle (ages 13-17): Kia
McCloud, Harrah, WA (first place); Shaydee Pretends Eagle, Bismarck,
ND (second place). Teen Girl’s Fancy Shawl (ages 13-17): Beedoskah
Stonefish, Peshawbestown, MI (first place); Oke-tw’sha Roberts,
Atwood, OK (second place). Teen Girl’s Jingle (ages 13-17): Kia
McCloud, Harrah, WA (first place); Shaydee Pretends Eagle, Bismarck,
ND (second place).
Teen Boy’s Traditional (ages 13-17): Talon
White Eye, Sarnia, ON (first place); Lakota Little Sky, Kyle, SD
(second place). Teen Boy’s Grass (ages 13-17): Therien Paskemin,
Sweetgrass, SK (first place); Jai Knight, Thunder Valley, SD (second
place). Teen Boy’s Fancy (ages 13-17): Koy Bearstail, Sioux Falls,
SD (first place); Sonny Means, Eagle Butte, SD (second
place).
Women’s Golden Age Traditional/So. Buckskin/Cloth (ages
55+): Diane Goodwill-McKay, Ft. Quappelle, SK (first place); Carmen
Clairmont, Lakewood, CO (second place). Women’s Golden Age
Fancy/Jingle (ages 55+): Dianne Desrosiers, Browns Valley, MN (first
place); Patricia Eagleman, Black River Falls, WI (second place).
Men’s Golden Age Traditional/So.
Straight (ages 55+): Terry Fiddler, Swift Bird, SD (first place);
Ronnie Goodeagle, Sr., Flandreau, SD (second place). Men’s Golden
Age Fancy/Grass (ages 55+): Wayne Pushetonequa, Montour, IA (first
place); Albert King, Sr., Oneida, WI (second place).
Jr. Adult
Women’s Traditional (ages 18-34): Tara Whitehorse, Standing
Buffalo, SK (first place); Tierra LaBelle, Morley, AB (second place).
Jr. Adult Women’s So. Buckskin/Cloth (ages 18-34): Charish Toehay,
Anadarko, OK (first place); Hauli Sioux Gray, Yukon, OK (second
place). Jr. Adult Women’s Jingle (18-34): Leah Omeasoo, Maskwasis,
AB (first place); Mallary Oakes, Saskatoon, SK (second place). Jr.
Adult Women’s Fancy (ages 18-34): Tanksi Clairmont, Lakewood, CO
(first place); T’ata Roberts, Ada, OK (second place).
Sr. Adult
Women’s Traditional (ages 35-54): Tosha Spottedtail, Sioux Falls,
SD (first place); Orrie Little Sky, Kyle, SD (second place). Sr.
Adult Women’s So. Buckskin/Cloth (ages 35-54): Danita Goodwill,
Reserve, KS (first place); Toni Mule, Norman, OK (second place). Sr.
Adult Women’s Jingle (ages 35-54): Anika Day Topsky, Rocky Boy, MT
(first place); Thea McCloud, Harrah, WA (second place). Sr. Adult
Women’s Fancy (ages 35-54): Nahmi Lasley, Tama, IA (first place);
Kellie LeBeau, Eagle Butte, SD (second place).
Jr. Adult Men’s
Traditional (ages 18-34): Wendall Powless, Odanah, WI (first place);
Eli Snow, Morley, AB (second place). Jr. Adult Men’s So. Straight
(ages 18-34): Denny Medicine Bird, Jones, OK (first place); Terrance
Todome, Tahlequah, OK (second place). Jr. Adult Men’s Grass (ages
18-34): Trae Little Sky, Sioux Falls, SD (first place); Wambli
Charging Eagle, Green Bay, WI (second place). Jr. Adult Men’s
Chicken Dance (ages 18-34): Rooster Topsky, Rocky Boy, MT (first
place); Marty Thurman, Shawnee, OK (second place). Jr. Adult Men’s
Fancy (ages 18-34): Marquel Crawford, Cass Lake, MN (first place);
Eric Bird, Cherokee, NC (second place).
Sr. Adult Men’s
Traditional (ages 35-54): Chaske Le Blanc, Morton, MN (first place);
Russell McCloud, Harrah, WA (second place). Sr. Adult Men’s So.
Straight (ages 35-54): Kelly Grant, Pinehill, NM (first place); Erwin
Morris, Walthill, NE (second place). Sr. Adult Men’s Grass (ages
35-54): Randy Paskemin, West Valley, UT (first place); Clifton
Goodwill, Reserve, KS (second place). Sr. Adult Men’s Chicken Dance
(ages 35-54): Rod Atcheynum, Bismarck, ND (first place); Michael
Davis, Boston, MA (second place). Sr. Adult Men’s Fancy (35-54):
Spike Draper, Kirkland, NM (first place); Michael Roberts, Ada, OK
(second place).
For a full listing of all categories and winners,
visit 2014.smscwacipi.org.
