by Deone Benninghoven, M.S.M. (about the author)
Though
my father lives in Switzerland, I was raised at the intersection of
three First Nation tribes in Montana, USA: the Blackfoot, Flathead, and
Nez Perce tribes. Several of my friends were native and I often
attended events. Which at times felt a little odd given that I'm about
as Native American Indian as I am Czech.
Regardless,
I felt a deep connection to the tribal cultures and ways of being. The
values made sense to me. Honor mother earth, one another, and humanity
to honor yourself. The honor included honesty, generosity, and
compassion.
As
I progressed through my life, it was always a dream of mine to work
with a First Nation group. Since I never saw an entry point for such
work, I went on with my life. Then several weeks ago, I saw a posting
for a Project Coordinator position with Pullayup Tribal Health Authority (PTHA). I applied in a why-not manner and as of yesterday, my dream came true.
I am now
supporting The Puyallup Indians who "have lived along the
shores of Puget Sound for thousands of years." In their native
language they are "known as S'Puyalupubsh, meaning 'generous and
welcoming behavior
to all people (friends and strangers) who enter our lands'" (extracted
on 16 March 2010 from http://www.puyallup-tribe.com/).
Like many First Nation tribes, the Puyallup Indians
have "grown considerably in recent years" and now are "in excess of
3,800 people" (extrated on 16 March 2010 from http://www.puyallup-tribe.com/).
Many
exciting developments are emerging from this generous and welcoming
group. Starting with the Land Settlement of 1988, the Puyallup
International, Inc. turning a simple bingo hall into Emerald Queen
Casino riverboat, which grew responsibly to one of the most profitable
casinos in the Pacific Northwest. Moving on to the funds from that
enterprise growing into a marina, an international port, the Chief
Leschi School, a model health care clinic serving approximately 32,000
First Nation members, a center for elders, a justice center, a
philanthropic body that donates millions each year to the surrounding
area in King County, USA, social services for all tribal members, and
ongoing improvements in facilities and community development.
Few First Nation tribes were as affected as the Puyallup Tribe by treaties with the US Government. "For years,
members of the Puyallup Tribe suffered from serious
health and social problems, many of which could
be attributed to the reservation process, federal
government neglect, and discrimination against Indians
practiced by more recent settlers to the Pierce
County, WA (Puget Sound) area. And the members of
the Puyallup Tribe were not alone—the larger
Native population in the county suffered from the
same problems. In the early 1990s, for example,
95 percent of the Indians living on or near the
Puyallup reservation had, or were affected by someone
who had, a substance abuse problem. As recently
as the 1970s, the Indian population on the reservation
and in Pierce County generally had little or no
health care. The Puyallup Tribe provided a few contract
referral services through the Indian Health Service
(IHS) and managed a small dental clinic and women’s
health clinic in a church basement, but apart from
these, there were virtually no other services available
to meet local Indians’ health needs" (extracted on 16 March 2010 from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hpaied/hn/hn_1999_quality.htm).
On
the banks of desirable industrial land and waterways, the tribe clung
to hope. The tribal leadership "remained strong, consistent and
dedicated in regaining" their rightful place on their "reservation. It
has not always been an easy path but one that has moved forward. . .."
As they "approach a new Century" their "vision for a better life for"
their "people has not diminished." They "recognize there are many
issues yet to be resolved." Stating, "We are thankful and appreciate
all who help us along this path" (extracted on 16 March 2010 from http://www.puyallup-tribe.com/index.php?nav=history&id=7).
As
I step into this new experience, I will keep you posted. May we learn
to traverse the difficult paths in our life by moving forward and
approaching our future with an undiminished vision for a better life.
Tomorrow the weekly Livable
series will feature Miami and some of the amazing things that they are
doing there to make their city a more livable place to be. Again, my
goal the week is to
get ahead as much as possible so there won't be any more lags with the
unexpected events in life. It may take me a few weeks to do this, but
we will get there. Thank you for your patience and support.
Deone Benninghoven, M.S.M.
..
