Disease is No. 3
Less than 25 years ago, the death rate from diabetes in the Navajo Area of the Indian Health Service matched the national average. Now the disease ranks No. 3 as the cause of death of Navajos, behind traffic accidents and heart attacks.
The Navajo Area IHS found an increase of 290 percent from 10.1 to 40.2 deaths per 100,000 people in the death rate of Navajos from diabetes from 1976 to 1996. During the same two decades, the mortality rate from diabetes for all races in the United States rose from 11.1 to 13.6 for each 100,000 people.
In 1998, there were 14,255 confirmed diabetic patients in the Navajo Area, ranging from 827 in the Winslow service unit to 3,078 in the Shiprock service unit.
There were 2,858 diabetic patients in the Gallup service unit; 2,082 in the Chinle unit; 1,544 in the Tuba City unit; 1,528 in the Fort Defiance unit; 1,201 in the Crownpoint unit, and 1,137 in the Kayenta unit. Another 8,000 people are estimated to have diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed.
An estimated one of four Navajo men and one of seven Navajo women have high blood pressure. One of two Navajo men and one of three Navajo women have high cholesterol. One of three Navajo women and one of five Navajo men do not get any exercise. And one of three Navajo men and two of three Navajo women weigh more than they should.
Two types of diabetes exist. Type 1 used to be called juvenile onset diabetes, and it exists when a body completely stops producing insulin. People with this form must take daily insulin shots to survive. Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes, allows the body to produce insulin, but not enough to properly convert the glucose into energy.

Warning signs
Some of the warning signals of diabetes include extreme thirst, urinating frequently, losing weight, increasing hunger, blurry vision, skin infections, wounds that won't heal and/or extreme, unexplained fatigue. Diabetes tends to be genetic, passing from generation to generation.
Changes in the lifestyle of the Din are thought to have brought about the rapid rise in the disease, according to the walk's co-sponsor, the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project.
Project Coordinator Carol Leonard said the Diné were introduced to processed food during the Long Walk era, upon returning from Fort Sumner to their homeland under the Treaty of 1868.
The disease, called by some an epidemic, has become so prevalent that Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., championed the establishment of the National Diabetes Prevention Center in Gallup in 1997. The center expects to receive $3 million for the current fiscal year if President Clinton signs the appropriations bill for labor, health, human services and education as approved by Congress.
For additional information about diabetes, call the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project at (520) 871-6532, the American Diabetes Association at (800) 342-2383 or the local Indian Health Service clinic or hospital.

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Parade, musical to mark Vets’ Day
Show to feature international cast

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Area organizations are planning to make the Veterans Day festivities next week something to remember.
Besides the usual festivities Thursday morning at the local cem etery, there will be a parade, a num ber of events in the Super Wal-Mart parking lot and an evening perform ance that provides a musical tribute for the ending century.
The ceremonies at the Hillcrest Cemetery will begin at 8 a.m., fol lowed by a parade that is set to be gin at Washington School at 10 a.m. and go to the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Robert Padilla, head of a local vet erans organization, said the parade will honor the survivors of the Ba taan Death March as well as veter ans who participated in the wars of the past century.
Groups that want to participate in the parade can do so by showing up at Washington School by 9 a.m. or they can contact Padilla at 726-9423. Once the parade gets to the Wal-Mart parking lot, a number of events have been planned for both children and adults.
The highlight of the day, how ever, will be the "Tribute to a Century," a professional show that will be the first performance at the new au ditorium at Gallup High School.
This event will also mark the dedication of the new facility and will give area residents their first chance to look at the state-of-the-art facility.
More than 40 dancers and singers will present the tribute by perform ing musical highlights from each decade of this century. The group includes 14 dancers from through out the world and 15 members of the internationally renowned Rus sian State Chorus, which will sing some of the memorable war songs of the past 100 years.
The production will also include a tribute to the great composers of the decade and a salute to the best of Broadway. Performers will sing songs from "A Chorus Line," "Cats," "Titanic" and other Broad way show stoppers.
The tribute was made possible by a $12,000 grant from the Gallup City Council, through efforts by Martin Link and Barbara Whitehill, who reached an agreement with the touring company.
Link said the group was offering to play in Farmington and Gallup and split its usual $25,000 fee, with both cities paying $12,000 each, giv ing them an additional $1,000 break.
There will be no cost to attend the show, Link said, but people who want to come must have a ticket. The new high school auditorium seats only 1,100.
Tickets are available at the city utility department; the mayor's of fice at City Hall; the Indian Trader, 311 W. Aztec; Gallup Lumber, 1724 S. Second St.; Mail Boxes Etc. in the Rio West Mall, and Millennium Me dia Radio Station.
The show will begin at 7 p.m.
15People who want more details can contact Padilla for the Veteran Day activities, 726-9423; Martin Link for the tribute, 722-6694; or listen to Im pact on Sunday, when host George Malti will have these people and others on his show, talking about Veterans' Day. This half-hour show will begin at 7:30 a.m. on KKOR, 8 a.m. on KTHR, 8:30 a.m. on KYVA and 9 a.m. on KXXI.

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