I am the Program Coordinator of the Tribal Practices For Wellness Grant (TPFW) at the Tucson Indian Center (TIC), which is funded by the Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). My job is to create programming that introduces effective traditional and cultural practices that relates to health and wellness for the Urban Native American population in the Tucson area. Many of our clients are registered Tribal members of the nearby tribes (Tohono O'odham, Navajo, Pascua Yaqui, Apache), but most of them live or work in the Urban area. Because of this many of them don't get the opportunity to interact with their tribe's culture & language. That is why this grant is so important. It allows TIC to provide to the Urban Native community with Native language revitalization, traditional food harvesting and teach traditional uses of the traditional foods, and has also allowed us introduced traditional arts & crafts. I am very thankful and fortunate to be in the position that I'm in. Being able to give back to my own Native American community inspires and motivates me to live a healthier life.

I develop and provide programs that build leadership capacity and advocacy skills of American Indian adults and parents as change agents within their own community.

Assessing Native American Behavioral Risk Factors within the Tucson area to set up support services at the Tucson Indian Center.

The Heart & Mind study is a pilot project to begin to better understand the link between cardiovascular factors and cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Tucson American Indians.

A collaboration with tribes to involve American Indian youth and children in the prevention of obesity through diet interventions and physical activity over a week long summer camp.

The research program is conducted in a culturally supportive atmosphere where each student is encouraged to adopt a strong multi-cultural approach to public health and health research.This 10-week program will help students to develop skills and interests in prevention research and participate first hand in community based, on-going research projects at Diné College and at other institutions on the Navajo Nation and in other Native communities.

Created a rudimentary sculpture using discarded beer and wine bottles that was presented at the National Museum of the American Indian. The overall projects goal is to collect discarded glass and shredding it into useful material.