June 22, 2023

Youth Powwow

The Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in collaboration with Doya Natsu Healing Center held their annual youth powwow on June 22. This warm-up night brought approximately 80 youth from both locally and out of state. Thank you to all the families who participated. We're happy to see our tribal youth learn and practice their traditional  ways. Results are posted below.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Caroline Mills

July will be the last month of employment for Caroline Mills, director of the Fort Washakie Learning Center. Caroline will be retiring from a job she’s held since 1999 with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. That’s when the doors of the Learning Center opened to the community.

Her employment for the tribe dates back to December of 1996 when she was the director of Shoshone Higher Education for two years. From 1998-1999, the Learning Center was created just as the new post office was built. The tribe renovated the old post office building and many programs wanted the space. Clinton Glick at the time requested that the building be used for and by college students. That’s what was decided and a director was needed to help run the program.

Caroline’s knowledge and experience made her a perfect candidate for the Learning Center.

She was an educator and had previously worked as a high school social studies teacher at St. Stephen’s Indian High School from 1984 to 1989. Caroline had also worked for the Nisqually Indian Tribe in Olympia, Washington for five years as an at-Risk Liaison. In addition, she tutored at the Thurston County Jail, a Washington State Prison, and for students at-home, in school and after school.

Caroline received her AA in Liberal Arts from Haskell Indian Jr. College in Lawrence, Kansas, where she met her husband Leroy Mills and a BA in Indian Studies from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. She then got her Teacher’s Certificate from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. She received her Masters degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Wyoming.

“I wanted to teach about Indian Studies and Tribal Government,” Mills said. “And around that time, my kids graduated and I did too.”

Caroline has three children-- Raye, Rose and Sokai. The Learning Center allowed Caroline to continue tutoring students, guiding them through obtaining their GED or high school equivalency diploma. 

When asked about her good memories as director, she recalled two students who worked tirelessly towards their GED for 10 years.
“They would get discouraged, leave and then return…but never give up,” she said. “When one passed the math test, we both had tears of joy.”

The other student eventually passed the tests as well and both got hired by the Shoshone Tribe. One is now a director for the tribe and these stories are proof of what hard work and persistence can bring to a determined mind, she explained. 

When she worked at St. Stephen’s, the textbooks did little to mention tribal history and government. She adapted the curriculum to better teach her students on those topics. She also invited local people who had the expertise in tribal government to talk to her students and offer new perspectives.
Today, Caroline feels she wouldn’t go back to teaching.

“It’s so different now, than it was back then.” Mills said. “It’s all virtual now.”

Virtual learning has replaced a lot of the teacher to student education, and to Caroline that human transfer of information is a necessity. Regardless, the Learning Center has done its best to keep up with the changes in technology, Mills said.

Visitors to the center can now print from their phones and also use them to do virtual meetings. The center offers printing services, and computers equipped with software and devices to have virtual meetings, take tests, browse the internet, create documents and share information. Others stop by to use their social media or make a phone call. 

“And if people ask us for something and we don’t have it, we try to get it,” she said. 

Caroline served two, four-year terms on the Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees, and on the Wyoming Humanities Council also for two, four-year terms. She served on the International Partners in Mission, based out of Cleveland, Ohio for two terms. She also served as Chair for these organizations for one year. Caroline was also a key organizer for the 150th anniversary commemoration in 2018 of the Fort Bridger Treaty.

Caroline has also made an effort to teach people outside the classroom setting or while working towards their GED. At one point, she said the Center employed two assistants who at the same time worked towards their AA Degree from CWC. Most recently, someone asked her for money to pay for their post office box, and Caroline agreed to help in exchange for a much needed service.

“I help some out if they help me by pulling weeds in front of the post office,” she said.

The number of students who try for their GED has been different over the years but ever since the Center opened a total of 120 students have received their GED through the Center. The reasons vary for those who won’t do it, Caroline said but oftentimes the obstacles prevent people from having the motivation.
“It has to be a priority in their life,” she explained. “If it was my goal, I would ride my bike or wait for a ride.”

For some, the lack of transportation is reason enough, while others depend on their family members for a ride or to borrow a vehicle. There’s the occasional pregnancy that delays the process, she added, or they simply don’t want to do it. Since COVID started, Caroline said people may be less driven to pursue a job and also less people are graduating high school.
“I think many programs give assistance so they think there is no need for an education or job,” she said.

While the least favorite part of her job is the paperwork, she adds that her favorite part is being an educator and helping students.
“It changes their lives and it opens the doors to more opportunities,” she said. “But we do have drawers of student files that never finished.”

They can always try again, and some components of the testing have gotten easier, she explained. For instance, students can now use a calculator for the entire home math test-- not just for half of it. Caroline understands that students learn differently and she gives more help to those who struggle more than others. If she can do a little bit more for that student that’s struggling, she’ll help.

And if there’s doubt about Caroline’s knowledge-- it should be noted that she is a “fraction blaster.”

“I love fractions,” she said with a smile. “I can race you with fractions.”
If she were to give any advice to the next director, she would recommend that the Center stay open during the lunch hour. It’s important to be available during those hours, she explained, and she would also encourage them to be helpful in any way possible.

“Be here for the people, for the community,” she said. “Because we have people that need a letter typed, need to do a resume, or are looking for a job.”

She shared stories of people who used the Learning Center when other schools, much closer to them, wouldn't help them.

“We help any color, and tribe,” she added. “And we honor our graduates every year.”

Currently, she is very passionate about the Restoring Shoshone Ancestral Food group that she’s a part of. Through this group, she’s able to explore, learn and teach about the ways in which the Shoshone gathered plants for food and medicinal purposes on Shoshone ancestral lands.

Through a grant and collaborative efforts, a photo and recipe book was created to document the group’s efforts and create a traditional foods database. As described in the book, “Despite great loss in gathering and consumption of traditional foods among Indigenous communities, there is great hope for reclaiming and preserving knowledge. The Restoring Shoshone Ancestral Food Gathering (RSAFG) is a community group leading grassroots efforts on the Wind River reservation to reclaim Shoshone ancestral foods and promote food sovereignty. The story of the RSAFG promotes equitable, decolonized, and community empowered methods of reclaiming Indigenous foods by sharing three of RSAFG's acts of decolonization: 1) enacting treaty rights through gathering traditional plants, 2) demanding equitable partnerships in community-based research, and 3) sharing the story through radical authorship via layered narratives.”

Caroline plans to stay active in the group and continue her joy of picking berries. She also plans to do more sowing especially now that she purchased a new sowing machine. Once she retires she plans to read and bead more often. She also plans on visiting local friends and continuing helping elders with rides or running errands.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe congratulates Caroline on her retirement and her time serving the people of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.

Thanks to the ESTH SDPI

Tribal Member Ruth Celebrates Major Weight Loss

Eastern Shoshone Tribal Health is gearing up to once again begin recruitment efforts for their 4th Cohort of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) which derives from the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP).

It is through this program, that Eastern Shoshone tribal member Ruth Ortegon Thayer, successfully lost more than 100 pounds.

The NDPP is a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program which engages individuals on healthy eating and daily exercise. The program encourages participants to accumulate at least 150 minutes of activity per week. The program targets community members at risk for prediabetes and offers the tools and resources to be successful.

Participants take control of their health in a structured based lifestyle change program, reducing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%. This also allows clients to better their longevity and quality of life.

Ruth’s journey began at a time when she realized she had to make a change. Ruth was fighting alcoholism and also a hip injury, which caused her to develop other problems such as sleep apnea and weight gain.

“The health problems kept piling on, including depression,” Ruth said. “It was getting out of control and I had this guilt…I couldn’t deal with the guilt anymore.”

To fix her hip issue, doctors told Ruth she needed to lose weight. None of this seemed to click in her mind. Ruth drank her problems away and ignored any advice to better herself, all while she struggled with immense physical pain.

One day, Ruth woke up in a hospital in detox. Ruth also suffered from a minor stroke.

“I thought to myself, ‘I can’t continue this, everything just keeps getting worse, I’m going to die,’” she said. “I came to a place where I was just so tired of it.”

Her son, RJ Lopez, recalled his thoughts of feeling worried.

“For me, I thought, ‘I’m going to have to put money away because I might have to bury my mom,” he said.

Not too long before Ruth ended up in the hospital, her brother had passed away. That “shook” her, she said, and he was only two years older than her.

“He lived a lifestyle a lot like mine,” she said. “I didn’t want that to be me.”

She saw the faces of her children and grandchildren and her concern for her health grew. When she finally returned home, Ruth began to envision a new lifestyle for herself. RJ had left behind a box for her. She decided to take a look and she found just what she needed to get started. RJ currently oversees the SDPI while a new coordinator is hired by ESTH. He had encouraged his mother to join the program but was met with excuses.

On this day, however, Ruth found hope in a small box.

“It had everything I needed to start,” she said.

The box contained a food scale, meal prep container, compartment food case, books and journals. It also had a water bottle, blood pressure reader and other devices to help her track her activity.

“I felt like it was time for me…I finally decided to make these changes,” she said. “It was a slow progress…it took time.”

She had the initial thought of making changes and decided to join the third cohort of the SDPI. With coaching and education from staff of the program, she learned about developing new, good habits. She began to plan her meals and became aware of her food choices. Staff helped her find ways to exercise and change her mindset. She focused on eating more protein and less junk food.

“My thoughts turned into actions that turned into habits,” she said. “These habits turned into a destination for me…It’s a whole mindset that helped me make changes.”

Pretty soon weight started to come off and that really motivated her to keep going. She realized she could do it. Ruth’s doctor set a goal for her. She could get hip surgery only when her Body Max Index was at 40 or less.

Due to COVID restrictions the cohort met virtually to discuss their progress and challenges. ESTH staff helped address questions or obstacles that participants had. The cohort becomes a family all with a similar goal. Ruth was able to connect with another participant during the Thermopolis Swim Day. There was a time during the program that the whole cohort was plateauing at the same time. They all worked through it together with the guidance from ESTH staff. Ruth felt that having a family in this weight loss and lifestyle journey was crucial to her success.

At the next doctor’s appointment, Ruth’s BMI measured at 39. The doctor scheduled her surgery within two weeks. She was excited. On May 16, she got a new hip. Thanks to her weight loss, the surgery helped release her from the terrible pain. She also gained about two inches in height as it was affecting her back and forcing her to lean over.

“I had no more pain…I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself anymore,” she said. “The surgery helped straighten me and helped me deal with the arthritis I had developed.”

“She can stand straight up now,” RJ said. “And she visits us regularly.”

Lack of family visits and family time was something she couldn’t do before the surgery, RJ explained.

“We made a bet… between her and my baby who will walk first,” RJ said with a laugh.

Ruth smiled as she talked about spending time with her grandchildren and her recovery. She uses a walker now but is gradually working her way out of it and often tries to walk without it.

“It’s been a journey and I’ve been just watching the pounds come off,” she said. “My other goal was to walk down the aisle without an apparatus.”

Ruth had a big wedding where she was able to walk down the aisle with no help. She was proud and felt accomplished. She was also happy to relieve her now husband from a lot of the work he had to do for her before the surgery and weight loss.

“I was so dependent on him and I don’t want to rely on him so much,” she said. “I want to do things on my own.”

Ruth credits much of her success to the cohort and the staff. Participants were presented with many scenarios on lifestyle, different advice, motivational exercises, and other tasks to implement their goals. RJ explained that the program is designed to provide almost everything you need to work towards preventing diabetes.

If clients feel they don’t have the time or motivation, SDPI tries to help with that too, he said.

“We’re lifestyle coaches as well,” RJ said. “We help motivate and remind them of their goals and that this is about life changes and not just a deadline.”

Participants use a phone app that also serves as a guide.

“There’s times when you don’t see progress but you’re able to manage, make changes and take sessions,” RJ explained. “You’re able to input your metrics and calorie intake.”

Since her weight loss, Ruth has also freed herself of her asthma. She sleeps better and has revisited her spirituality.

“My whole life has improved dramatically,” she said. “It took lots of prayer..I had to get that in check and I surrounded myself with positive people.”

Ruth, who felt she was a prisoner in her own body, has gradually recovered since the surgery and continues to work towards better habits. She wakes up happy and notices that her family is happier with her too.

“I don’t have that guilt and I’m not trying to numb it with drinking,” Ruth said.

Participants are able to join a cohort more than once and are encouraged to visit The Zone fitness center at no cost. They also receive incentives throughout their time in the program and other gifts when they graduate. RJ said their support staff focuses on seeing clients succeed and continue a healthy lifestyle.

“We’re here to help,” he said. “We want to get the community invested in what we’re doing here and want to get people involved.”

Ruth found success with the accountability component, especially when she learned about tracking her protein intake. Where she lives in Denver, Ruth said she hasn’t found a program that targets her background and goals. She convinced herself that making the right choices now will make her life easier in the long run.

ESTH is in the preliminary stages of being fully recognized by the CDC as a Nationally Recognized NDPP Program- a dream of past diabetes prevention coordinators, Lopez said.

“That was Stormi’s and Morning’s goal,” he said. “It takes time.”

As a nationally recognized program, they will be able to tap into more resources and funding for tribal members.

The ESTH SDPI team will graduate their third Cohort in July of 2023. To sign up for the fourth cohort contact RJ at ESTH at 307-332-6805 or email rlopez@esthealth.org.

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