Walkers push wellness, sobriety
Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent
GALLUP — Domestic violence. Alcohol and drug abuse. Suicide.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Absentee fathers. These are problems that
plague human communities around the world.
This weekend, the communities of Zuni and Gallup will host the "Journey
of the Sacred Hoop 2000," a group walking across the United States
to demonstrate their concern about these problems.
In some ways, the group is similar to other groups that have walked
before them. But in many other ways, those who are walking on the
Sacred Hoop Journey are different from previous marchers.
They are not looking for answers to come from outside sources the
government or politicians but rather they are advocating that the
answers must come from within affected individuals in communities
and from a change in people's hearts.
Organizers of the march call it a nationwide walk for healing and
"wellbriety," a term that organizers coined that "combines
wellness and sobriety in a balanced life."
Although it is primarily an Indian organization with
a focus on Native American communities, the walk and all its related
events are actively being promoted to people of all cultures across
the country, whatever the color of their "earthsuits."
Don Coyhis, president and founder of White Bison Inc., a nonprofit
Indian organization that is sponsoring the walk, is the driving force
behind the walk. Coyhis, a member of the Mohican Nation who was raised
on the Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation in Wisconsin, is active in recovery
programs in native communities.
He and other organizers refer to the walk also as "The Wiping
of the Tears" because one of their goals is for the walk to be
a catalyst in the healing process for people affected by domestic
violence, addictions and other destructive life experiences.
On April 2, the group left Los Angeles after a send-off blessing ceremony
by native elders. The group plans to arrive in front of the White
House on July 10.
In the course of the journey, the group will participate in 11 conferences
in 10 cities. A conference dealing with domestic violence and its
prevention was held in Phoenix earlier this week.
A core group of 21 people is making the entire 109-day, 3,800-mile
journey.
Feather Hoop
They are carrying with them the White Bison 100 Eagle Feather Hoop
of Nations. This hoop was created after Coyhis had a vision of a willow
hoop containing 100 eagle feathers from various Indian nations. Coyhis
shared his vision with native elders, and the feathers began to come
in from across the country.
According to Coyhis, in May 1995, they were placed on the hoop during
a ceremony at a sweat lodge. Since then, the hoop has been taken to
numerous Indian communities in conjunction with White Bison's recovery
programs. The hoop contains the four colors of the four directions
red, yellow, black and white which also symbolize the world's different
races.
Laura Hom, a spokeswomen for White Bison, said the group has remained
on schedule thus far. In planning the journey, White Bison officials
were advised by the "500 Runners Club" on how to pace a
major walk like this and how to take care of the participants.
Hom said the group arrived in Blythe, Calif., ahead of schedule.
Hom said people can help the walkers in a number of ways, one practical.
The walkers could use donations of drinking water and sunscreen because,
according to Hom, those items are "going like hot cakes."
Between 3 and 4 p.m. this afternoon, representatives from the Pueblo
of Zuni are scheduled to meet the group at the Arizona-New Mexico
border, west of the pueblo at the junction of Arizona State Road 61
and New Mexico State Road 53. They will walk to the Zuni tribal government
offices, where the pueblo is sponsoring a dinner in their honor.
The next morning, the group will set out for Gallup. They are scheduled
to arrive at the Na'nizhoozhi Center around 5 p.m. Saturday. A welcoming
ceremony will be held that evening, along with a Navajo taco dinner,
gourd dancing and a women's and men's sweat.
The second conference of the walk will be held Sunday at the Na'nizhoozhi
Center from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (See accompanying schedule.) Golfer
Notah Begay III, a Navajo who recently served a short time in jail
for driving while intoxicated, will be the luncheon keynote speaker.
The conference will cover a number of topics: gang awareness; cancer
issues for men, women and children; substance abuse and HIV; treatment
of co-occuring disorders and alcohol addiction; traditional counseling;
walking in two worlds; healing from substance abuse through native
culture, and a victim impact panel.
The events are open to interested community members, and local people
are encouraged to join the walk at any point for any length of time.
On Monday, the group will begin its journey to Albuquerque. On Easter
Sunday, April 23, the third conference of the walk will be held in
Albuquerque on the topic of "Fatherhood." Five issues are
scheduled to be addressed: alcoholism and other addictions, multigenerational
trauma and cultural oppression, father/son relationships, spirituality
and role modeling and service to the community.
The other cities with conferences scheduled are: Oklahoma City; Tahlequah,
Okla.; Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis; Nashville; Cherokee, N.C., and
Washington, D.C.
Donations welcomed
According to Hom at White Bison, if people would like to sponsor any
part of the walk at $1 per mile, those financial contributions can
be sent to White Bison. Individuals interested in donating food for
any of the meals this weekend can contact either the Zuni governor's
office or NCI officials.
For more information about the Gallup Sacred Hoop events, call NCI
at 722-2177. For information about the Albuquerque events, contact
Frank and Corey Adakai at (505) 897-1489 or navachip@aol.com.
For information about other aspects of the Journey of the Sacred Hoop,
the Internet website (www.whitebison.org) is updated regularly, or
contact White Bison Inc. at 6145 Lehman Drive, Suite 200; Colorado
Springs, Colo. 80918; phone: (719) 548-1000, FAX: (719) 548-9407;
e-mail: info@whitebison.org.
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Sleep lab helps snorers, spouses get
a silent night
Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer
GALLUP — They are the young men of Gallup virile, healthy and,
their wives say, the owners of a snore that would drown out a rock
'n' roll band.
But the days when Gallup wives could get to sleep only by putting
in earplugs or sleeping in another section of the house possibly located
in another zip code are over, thanks to Dr. Randy Whitsitt.
Whitsitt, the director of cardiopulmonary services at Rehoboth McKinley
Christian Hospital, is in charge of the department's sleep lab, which
tests an average of 15 people per month, most of whom are men in their
late 20s to early 40s.
"Most of them are coming in because their wife tells them that
they're snoring too bad," he said. "Their biggest complaint
is that they're tired all the time, and no matter how much they sleep,
they never feel rested."
While warning signs of a sleep disorder can include heaving snoring,
obesity or having a small airway, he said, those factors do not necessarily
mean a sleeping problem is present.
Initially, a sleep physician decides whether a patient needs to participate
in a sleep study because the analysis is useful only in diagnosing
disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome.
The sleep lab does not handle cases of insomnia.
One form of apnea, defined by Whitsitt as "cessation of breathing,"
is obstructive sleep apnea, which results from an airway obstruction
that prevents air flow.
People with obstructive sleep apnea will wake up hundreds of times
each night, he said, and feel exhausted the next morning because their
sleep has not been restful.
However, sufferers do not experience a full awakening, so it is as
if they never woke up.
The arousals occur because the sleeping patient is trying to breathe,
he said, but cannot inhale any air because his airway is blocked.
To overcome the blockage, the person undergoes an arousal to move
his muscles.
Whitsitt said women in their 30s and 40s frequently suffer from a
similar disorder called upper airway resistance syndrome, which, if
left untreated, will develop into obstructive sleep apnea. Those who
suffer this disorder have difficulty going to sleep, are light sleepers
and if awakened, have a hard time going back to sleep, he said.
"After menopause, women have the same incidence for sleep apnea
as men," he said. "But until then, there's something about
the women's hormones that protect them to a degree."
Another disorder, restless leg syndrome, causes arousals during sleep
because of periodic movements in the arms or legs.
Narcolepsy is a disorder where people fall asleep without any warning,
Whitsitt said, typically occurring when the patient becomes emotional.
The disease can strike older children, teen-agers or adults in their
early 20s and can be treated only with medication.
Whitsitt said he once treated a patient afflicted with three sleep
disorders sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome.
Sleep disorders are diagnosed through the use of polysomnograms, or
tracings of sleep, which record 16 channels of data related to the
body's response during sleep. The procedure is covered by most insurance
companies, Whitsitt said.
In a typical sleep study, he said, the patient is connected to about
22 distinct electrodes that monitor eye movements, muscle activity,
oxygen levels and limb movements. Belts with sensors also are placed
on the patient's abdomen and chest to measure the muscular effort
being expended to breathe.
An additional sensor between the nose and the mouth measures airflow,
and a microphone records snoring.
By examining the waves on the computer monitor, Whitsitt is able to
tell which of the five stages of sleep the patient is under and whether
any is being skipped. While the fifth stage, REM (rapid eye movement)
sleep, is the most restful, the deepest stages of sleep are three
and four, he said.
For many people, REM is the most dangerous stage of sleep, because
they tend not to breathe well and end up being deprived of the most
restful sleep.
Sleep studies ordinarily are done on two separate nights the first
night to determine whether there is a problem and the second night
to administer the treatment. Unless the patient is a night shift worker,
in which case the study would be done in the daytime, patients stay
overnight, so the lab technician can obtain seven hours of recording.
Whitsitt said the hospital tries to make the observation room as homey
as possible, furnishing it with a television and a humidifier to moisten
air so the patient will feel comfortable.
Sleep apnea typically is treated by wearing a continuous positive
airway pressure mask throughout the night. The nasal mask has a hose
connected to a device that creates a small amount of pressure at the
back of the throat, Whitsitt said.
He described the treatment as a small, quiet fan blowing in and creating
a back pressure that keeps the airway open. After three weeks of treatment,
patients usually are back to normal, but must wear the mask for the
rest of their lives.
Patients also can opt to have a surgical treatment in the back of
the throat to tighten muscles and take away tissue. However, Whitsitt
said, 50 percent of those who have surgery still have to wear the
mask.
Left untreated, a person can die from sleep apnea. If the disorder
continues without treatment for months or years, Whitsitt said, it
progresses to the point where the oxygen level drops lower and lower,
causing damage to the heart.
"The key thing is, there is treatment for it," he said.
"You don't have to be miserable. You don't have to be tired all
the time."
Whitsitt said the exact cause of sleep disorders is
unknown, but a person who is feeling tired all the time or has a family
member with a sleep disorder should find out why.
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Mayes free in July
Family of victim is afraid
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Thomas Mayes Sr., who has spent the last eight
years in state prison for shooting Ella Johnson, will be released
on parole July 5.
McKinley County District Attorney Mary Helen Baber traveled to Window
Rock on Thursday to tell Johnson's family members of the news. Family
members and friends of Johnson were spending the day outside the Navajo
Nation Inn collecting signatures for petitions to try to get the New
Mexico parole board not to release him early.
But Baber said she heard from the state the parole had already been
approved, although a hearing on the matter is still scheduled to be
held April 24 in Santa Fe.
"I'm very disappointed in the parole board," said Baber,
who has been campaigning on the need to take action to curb the growing
problem of domestic violence in the area. "This is just another
case where the justice system here has failed the Johnson family."
The case of Ella Johnson has been cited as an example of a failed
system, since members of her family had complained to Mayes' superiors
on the Gallup police force several times about Mayes' violence to
her and other members of the family.
Mayes was convicted of killing Johnson and wounding Ocelia Slinkey,
while the two, plus two of Johnson's children, were in a car in the
parking lot of the Gallup Holiday Inn.
Sonlatsa "Sunshine" Jim-Martin, Ella Johnson's niece and
one of the organizers of the petition drive, said her group collected
about 500 signatures Thursday afternoon and plans to keep on getting
signatures despite the ruling by the parole board.
"I'm p- (exceptionally angry)," she said. "We received
a letter from the parole board, which we thought allowed us as victims
to have some say in whether he would be paroled or kept in prison
longer."
She said the family has also been told the parole board has already
agreed to allow Mayes to return to Gallup to live with his mother.
"That means we stand a chance when we go to Wal-Mart or Safeway
of seeing him there," she said.
Baber said the possibility of coming upon Mayes while shopping or
doing their daily business would upset not only members of the Johnson
family but many others in the Gallup area.
"There were about 20 or 30 people from this area
who testified against Mayes at his trial," she said. "They
won't be happy seeing him around the Gallup area either."
Jim-Martin said family members are still afraid for their safety,
because she and others saw Mayes' violent behavior first hand.
And then there is the question of how this will affect Johnson's two
children, who are now 15 and 10 years old. Mayes is their father.
After the shooting, Mayes' mother temporarily cared for the children
for about a month before the courts turned over permanent custody
to Johnson's sister. Jim-Martin said the children had been taken by
Mayes' mother on a number of occasions to visit Mayes in jail, despite
court rulings prohibiting this.
"I'm sure that he's going to try and get custody of the children,"
Jim-Martin said, "but we plan to fight that."
Baber said she is committed to doing whatever she can to lessen the
plight of the Johnson family, but her office has no authority in this
matter except to make the parole board aware of the feelings of the
community.
"There's a slim chance that something can be done at the April
24 hearing to get the parole board to approve an alternative plan,"
she said.
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Shiprock gears up for Clinton
S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The Shiprock Boys and Girls Club will host President
Clinton's visit Monday to Shiprock, according to Ray Baldwin Louis,
public relations representative to Navajo Nation President Kelsey
Begaye.
The club is still under construction, but the event will be held outside
and the public is invited, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The gates will open about 2 p.m., but Clinton is not expected to appear
until 5:30 p.m.
"The community is really involved in this,"
Louis said. "They will provide entertainment while people wait
to see and hear the president."
Some seating will be available, but there will also be a section for
people bringing their own chairs. Special sections will also be provided
for tribal leaders, invited guests and dignitaries.
"The public needs to understand that this is considered a high-security
event," Louis said. "Everyone will need to be patient because
it will be slow. Everyone needs to go through metal detectors.
"People need to understand this is what it's like wherever the
president travels."
In addition, Louis warned about the limited parking available at the
Shiprock Boys and Girls Club.
"We are suggesting that people park at the Shiprock Fairgrounds,"
Louis said. "There will be a shuttle available to transport people
to the site."
Decisions regarding Clinton's visit to other Shiprock locations have
not been finalized. If time permits, Louis said, Clinton may visit
Diné College and meet with students. "This would not be
open to the public, however, because the room at Diné College
would be too small."
The president is expected to land at the Farmington airport around
4:30 p.m. Then he will be shuttled by helicopter to Shiprock.
Airport personnel have had extensive meetings with the president's
advance team, including Secret Service agents.
The airport has had to be slightly altered to accommodate the planes
used in the president's envoy C130s, DC-9s and a Gulfstream 14, according
to Joe Schmitz, Farmington planning and development administrator.
Schmitz was assigned to oversee the airport for the Clinton visit.
Clinton is expected to use the Gulfstream instead of Air Force One
to get to Farmington.
Ten minutes before Clinton enters Farmington air space, the airport
will be closed to other air traffic, Schmitz said.
"After his plane has touched down and the airport is secured,
then it will be reopened to other air traffic," he said.
Clinton is expected to leave New Mexico around 8:30 p.m. Monday.
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Shortage of air flights bothers city
S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer
GALLUP — City councilors here spent part of Thursday discussing
why Gallup does not have convenient and economical air flights into
and out of the city.
During the second day of budget hearings Thursday, councilors questioned
Airport Manager Mark Ripley about the lack of flights from Gallup
to anywhere but Albuquerque.
America West used to provide services to other Southwest cities from
Gallup. When Mesa Airlines took over, however, they discontinued service
to all cities except Albuquerque...
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Gallup Invite hits the road this year
Problems at Public School Stadium force meet to be
held in Grants
Gallup Invitational
Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer
GRANTS - This year's Gallup Invitational won't be held at Public School
Stadium. Instead, it will be held in Grants on Saturday morning.
The track surface at Public School Stadium was resurfaced incorrectly
over the winter, making the surface unusable for any track meet. The
track fields at Tohatchi and Thoreau could not be used as well since
neither track has a pole vault pit. Wingate is also hosting its own
invitational Saturday but its track also does not have a pole vaulting
area. Grants, Gallup head track coach Spencer Sielschott said, offered
the use of its track which was redone a couple of years ago...
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Schools press for money to fix buildings
Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The state bought itself additional time Thursday to
create a permanent source of money to construct and maintain school
buildings a fund the McKinley County District Court has been asking
for since last year.
Zuni, Gallup-McKinley County and Grants/Cibola County School Districts
sued the state because it unequally distributed money to the state's
89 school districts and left many schools without enough money for
their buildings...
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Tribe plans economic summit
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation will look at eight major barriers
to tribal development at the second major economically oriented conference
it has hosted in less than two months.
The economic summit May 1-3 at the DuBois Conference Center of Northern
Arizona University in Flagstaff follows a high-powered banking summit
in late March, also hosted by the Division of Economic Development.
"With more than 3,000 Navajo people entering the work force every
year," Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye said, "the
Navajo Nation must develop innovative strategies to provide more windows
of opportunity for our people...
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Sacred Hoop schedule
Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent
GALLUP — The following is this weekend's schedule for the participants
of the Journey of the Sacred Hoop.
Today, April 14
3-4 p.m.: Walkers at the Arizona/New Mexico border, west of Zuni.
4:30 p.m.: Sacred hoop travels to Zuni Pueblo.
Saturday, April 15
6 a.m.: Departure for Gallup.
9:30-10:30 a.m.: Gallup walkers will meet Zuni participants with sacred
hoop in Whitewater, N.M.
5 p.m.: Arrival of sacred hoop at Na'nizhoozhi Center.
5:30 p.m.: Grand entry of sacred hoop.
5:50-6:30 p.m.: Supper Navajo tacos and potluck.
6:30-9:30 p.m.: Women's sweat.
7-9 p.m.: Gourd dancing.
9 p.m.: Men's sweat...
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Forest limits gathering of firewood
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST — About this time of the year during normal
years, wood gatherers from across the state flock to this forest for
firewood, poles, vigas and latillas. But this is no normal year.
Despite recent rain and snow, the forest is still extremely dry, so
dry that officials with the Mount Taylor Ranger District of Cibola
National Forest decided to restrict wood gathering this year.
The key word is restrict, not eliminate...
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Deaths
Ernest Vigil Sr.
GALLUP — Services for Ernest Vigil Sr., 73, will be held at 10
a.m. Saturday, April 15, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.
Father Ulric Pax, O.F.M., will officiate. Burial will follow at Sunset
Memorial Park.
Vigil died April 10 in Albuquerque. He was born Nov. 11, 1926, in
Cimmeron.
Survivors include his sons, Andrew Atenico of Albuquerque, David Vigil,
Manuel Vigil, and Richard Vigil, all of Gallup; daughters, LaVene
Hill of Phoenix, Debra Ross of Albuquerque and Marie Vigil of Gallup;
brothers, Benny Diaz of Gallup and Joe Vigil of Albuquerque; 21 grandchildren;
and one great-grandchild.
Vigil was preceded in death by his parents, Juan A. and Annie Vigil;
brother, Juan Vigil; and sister, Emma Sanchez.
Pallbearers will be Michael Estrada, Robert Miller, Craig Ross, David
Vigil, Manuel Vigil, Mary Lou Vigil and Richard Vigil.
The family will receive friends and family after the burial services
at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Mary Josephine Lee
ST. MICHAELS, Ariz. — Funeral services for Mary Josephine Lee,
61, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at St. Michaels Catholic
Church. Father Hickey, O.F.M., will officiate. Burial will be in St.
Michaels Cemetery.
Lee died April 10 in Albuquerque. She was born Sept. 27, 1938, in
St. Michaels for the Red House People Clan into the Edge of the Water
People Clan.
Lee's hobbies were weaving rugs, sash belts and sewing. She worked
for CETA.
Survivors include her sons, Sammie Yazzie of Tolakai, Jason Yazzie
of Winslow, Ariz., Bernard Lee of Flagstaff, Ariz., and Jessie Lee
of St. Michaels; daughters, Jennie White of Ramah, Rita Chee of Vanderwagen,
Dephine Lee of St. Michaels, and Delphine Lee and Darlene Lee, both
of Window Rock; mother; Eva Todicheeinie of St. Michaels; brothers,
Joseph White and Felix Todicheeinie, both of Window Rock, and Leo
Todicheeinie and Chester Todicheeinie, both of St. Michaels; sister,
Mary Warren of Farmington; 28 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Lee was preceded in death by her father, Franis Whitegoat.
Pallbearers will be Dewayne Yazzie, Bernard Lee, Jessie Lee, Jason
Yazzie, Sammie Yazzie and Jeff White.
The family will receive relatives and friends at St. Michaels Head
Start at noon Saturday, April 15.
Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements.
Pedro A. Juarez Sr.
GALLUP — Services are pending for Pedro A. Juarez Sr., 95, of
Gallup.
He died April 13 in Gallup. He was born Oct. 23, 1904 in Durango,
Colo.
Rollie Mortuary has charge of arrangements.
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