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Story From A Fire Victim
From Berlene Jacques -
Nov 3, 2003 Today I returned home after being an evacuee for six days
as a result of FIRESTORM 2003. I live on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, San Diego County,California, which is located in the Paradise Fire area. My people and those that live on the Rincon and San Pasqual reservations were evacuated. Mesa Grande and Santa Ysabel reservations were also evacuated; they were in the Cedar fire area. A grand total of 726 adults and 230+ children had to leave their homes. And NO ONE came to the aid of the Indian people....we had to take care of our own....FEMA never showed and the Red Cross showed up yesterday (as some of us were getting ready to go back to our homes). As a matter of fact, I watched our reservation burn for a day and a half before anyone was put on our fire. If it wasn't for our young men getting out on the line and keeping our homes safe, we would have been burnt out too. Our young men worked night and day to cut fire breaks,
lost wages because they wouldn't leave....and no one gave them credit for it. There was plenty of information about Scripps Ranch in San Diego but not one News reporter came to our area to see how my people were doing. There are almost 100 Indian families who lost everything they had...burnt completely out. Pechanga (pronounced Paw-chun-ga) Indian reservation in Temecula, California has a huge casino and they graciously allowed us to stay in their hotel and gave us food voucher's for their restraints so we could eat. They gave our young people a dance and pizza party and also spent a couple of thousand dollars for the little ones to have a Halloween party. All of the clothing and food donations also came from Indian people. I don't know what I am trying to say but I am very upset to know that Indian people are still treated like we were during this stressful time in this day and age. I hope none of you have to experience what my People have this past week, and if you do, I hope your People will come together the way my People did....it was an experience I will never forget and I thank the Creator above that I am INDIAN! Tsu gv wa lo di I: (Cherokee) "A definite standard by which to live, even when the values of others change by the hour." Youngsters will live on campus at UCSD while participating in a host of health/wellness and academic enrichment activities, including: daily regimens of low impact yoga, karate, hiking, and kayaking/surfing on the ocean, in addition to classes in digital video production, radio broadcasting, website design, science career exploration at UCSD’s School of Medicine and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Also included will be special instruction in aspects of Native American culture, such as tribal law and sovereignty, insight into the traditional use of herbs for health maintenance among Native Americans, natural diet of Native ancestors, tribal values, and Native history. "In essence, this summer’s program will address a wide gamut of areas dealing with the physical, mental and spiritual well being of Native American students," says Marc Chavez, coordinator of the Native Scholars Program. Health and nutrition needs are especially top concerns among Native Americans today, he adds, with diabetes and obesity being particularly high among the Native population. "Increasing awareness and interest among Native youth in developing good diet and exercise habits early is just as important as instilling in them the necessity of pursuing an education – both help create and sustain a sense well being and self-pride which serve students well throughout life." In addition, exposure to various health professions and practitioners this summer through the Young Native Scholars Program will offer students career insight into health and medical fields they can consider pursuing to assist their own communities, Chavez also emphasizes. "We are especially appreciative of the support we have gotten from Native American tribes in the area, including the Barona Tribe which was the first to offer financial assistance to our program," says Chavez. For more information on the Young Native Scholars Program and how to apply this summer, visit the program’s website: www.NativeScholars.org . You may also contact Shonta Chaloux at the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, (760) 751-7676, ext. 101, or Marc Chavez, program coordinator. |
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