HOPI TRIBE HOSTS FIRST ALCOHOL & DRUG SUMMIT

Three-Day Session On Strategies To Tackle Abuse

POLACCA --Youth on the Hopi Reservation have a drug and alcohol problem,
and every entity needs to come together to help address the problem.

Those were the two key points that continually arose during the Hopi
Tribe's drug and alcohol summit held at Hopi Jr/Sr High School April 4-6.
More than 200 attended the first two days and more than 150 attended the
final day.

Hopi Chief Justice Gary LaRance, co-chairman of the summit, said community
leaders will come together after the summit to come up with strategies to
address the drug and alcohol problem.

"Now, what are we going to do?" he asked. "When we come together for
another summit in two to three years we want to look at how the numbers
have dropped."

Health care workers, law enforcement, educators, elected officials and
students participated in the summit by serving on panels or giving speeches.

Multi-Faceted Issue

Lynn Root, substance abuse prevention counselor at Hopi Jr/Sr High School,
gave a Power Point presentation showing that a drug and alcohol problem
exists, and what steps are being taken to confront the problem.

Root said that there is no one single factor that can solve the problem
because many factors cause drug and alcohol abuse. He stated that the
students' response in the Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that the
Hopi youth have a drug and alcohol problem that is higher than the state
average.

Research, Root said, shows that a lack of surveillance, physical
deterioration of a community and high rates of adult substance abuse all
contribute to substance abuse by teenagers. He said these factors are
present in Hopi communities.

But, he said, laws have to be sensible and prohibition didn't work in
America. He said one to two drinks in a pleasant circumstance can be good,
but he added drinking when your fighting with your spouse is not a good idea.

Root also said that drinking to excess isn't good.

"It's been said that if the ocean was beer that Hopi's would get a straw
and suck it dry," he said.

Root said the survey stated that the youth feel they don't have
opportunities in their communities for social involvement. He praised the
Hopi Office of Youth Affairs for trying to get more opportunities for youth
going.

Root pointed out family problems impact children, and he urged parents not
to fight in front of their children. He added that the survey showed that
students were less likely to drink when they felt that they were a valued
part of the family, but 80 percent of the youth reported antisocial
behavior within their family.

Root said, however, there are "some students who use drugs even if their
family is perfect."

He said academic failure increases with the risk of drug use and
delinquency. On the other hand, if a student likes school, does their
homework and sees school as relevant they are less likely to abuse drugs
and alcohol.

One interesting point was that there was a high academic failure rate among
the students yet they had a high commitment to attending school. This means
they were attending school either for the socialization or to obtain drugs.

"You kids are using too much dope. It undermines everything," he told the
students.

Root also had a message for the bootleggers.

"I can't understand how you can do that to your own people," he said.

Others also addressed the bootlegging problem. Hopi Police Chief Alfonse
Sakeva said it's just a matter of time before they get caught.

Hopi Councilman Marvin Yoyokie said the tribe needs to toughen the laws on
bootlegging.

Root said the survey showed that Hopi teenagers are using cocaine and meth
more than the state average. He also noted that students are getting
suspended for discipline problems at above the state average.

Root said the community, the school, the family and the children all need
to be treated in order to decrease the drug and alcohol problem.

Root said the school is addressing the problem through intervention,
starting more activities for youth and having clubs such as Students
Against Destructive

Decisions and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

He said the community is addressing the problem through the Wellness Court,
Behavioral Health, Guidance Center and several other agencies.

Chairman's Stance

Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. issued an executive order last year calling
for the drug and alcohol summit.

Chairman Taylor told the crowd that the idea was to get all the data and
have a public dialogue in order to create a healthy Hopi community to raise
the children properly and make the elders feel safe in their homes.

He said a recent survey showed that many Hopi children face risks from
antisocial behavior such as alcohol and substance abuse, family problems
and depression.

"In many cases, the risk factors at Hopi High exceed those of other state
schools. Methamphetamine use has been identified by many in our community
as a growing problem," he said.

Chairman Taylor said the future rests with the young people.

"We all want them to be happy, healthy, confident and productive,"' he
said. "A lifestyle that causes our young people to become angry and
depressed--to use drugs and alcohol--is not good."

Chairman Taylor said some place the responsibility for juvenile drug and
alcohol abuse solely on the young people. He added that this suggests that
in the good old days people worked hard and didn't need drugs or alcohol to
make their lives complete.

"That is not true, of course," he said. Chairman Taylor stated that some
blame the parents. "It truly must be bad parents to shoulder such blame,
for it is the parents who give our children the greatest gift of all. It is
the parents who give them life."

Chairman Taylor said the burden of responsibility falls on everybody.

"As the saying goes, it takes a village," he said.

The chairman asked what the community is doing to support its young people
and what they are doing to provide meaningful activities for the youth. He
said this is needed in order to help them develop good sound values so they
can make critical life decisions that will not lead them to drugs or alcohol.

"That's really what the Hopi way of life is all about: strength in the
community, working in the fields. Village dances and ceremonies. Going to
the kiva, learning from your uncle, godparents and grandparents those life
values that sustain us through the end of our days," he said.

Chairman Taylor said there was a breakdown in the traditional Hopi ways.

"But all is not lost. The Hopi culture remains. The extended family system
of parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles and godparents remain strong
in many families," he said.

Chairman Taylor said he wants to break down the walls of silence, suspicion
and distrust that divide people.

"We need to build on what unites us," he said. "I want a plan to make life
meaningful for Hopi people today, so that we will all enjoy a better tomorrow."

Student Skits

The Hopi High drama class performed a skit at the beginning of each day.
The first skit was about how it was in the past, the second skit was about
how it is currently and the third skit was about how it should be in the
future.

Beth Giebus, drama teacher, gave the students high marks for writing all of
the material and for strong performances. She said that student actress
Connie Thompson gave a powerful monologue on the second day. Thompson
played Crystal who spoke about how her teachers and parents didn't
understand her, so she gets high and then gets into a car crash.

"I think they did a good job of getting the message across," Giebus said
about her acting students.

Giebus said the class researched the issue, but one student crafted it and
Bucky Preston from Polacca helped.

"A lot of people said the performances were powerful and enjoyable," she said.

A Hopi drug abuse prevention center offers a 24-hour hotline where people
can telephone for help at 928-309-9251. Self-help and outreach groups are
available through this number.