“Too much sugar in the blood.”
Georgia Perez, a Community Health Representative in New Mexico who served Nambe Pueblo communities for 19 years, heard these words in her dreams as she and her team worked to promote health.
Georgia’s dreams featured a bald eagle who spoke sadly about seeing changes in his community; children were not as active and often did not eat healthy foods. Many older people had type 2 diabetes. The eagle recalled the traditional ways of eating and physical activity, which strengthened the health of the people.
Her expertise and her dreams inspired Georgia to write, “Through the Eyes of the Eagle” a story that came to be loved by adults and children.
American Indian and Alaska Native adults are twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. Native American youth aged 10 to 19 years are developing type 2 diabetes at higher rates than youth in other racial and ethnic groups of this age. This alarming statistic prompted Tribal leaders to advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.) to focus on youth and deliver good health and nutrition messages by drawing from tribal cultures and traditions, including storytelling.
The stories by Georgia Perez became The Eagle Books series, including four storybooks for children (pre-K to 4) featuring a young boy, Rain that Dances, his friends, and animal characters who teach them about the wisdom of their ancestors. Interwoven into the stories are health messages and values such as respect and gratitude. Patrick Rolo (Bad River Band of Ojibwe, Wisconsin) and Lisa A. Fifield (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Black Bear Clan) vividly illustrated the stories.
The Eagle Books toolkit offers animated versions and downloadable activities and materials to help students, educators, clinicians, and families explore and explain health concepts in culturally-relevant ways.
One printed copy of each storybook can be ordered free of charge through CDC. Multiple copies can be ordered from I.H.S. for programs serving tribal communities and organizations. New materials are added regularly, so check often.
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