It’s a work in progress, but I wanted to get it up as soon as I could. Get the feel of the great Walk for Life! What a positive event for our community!
Music by Chris Rene and Friends of Emmet
About 150 people from all walks of life- Students, Construction Workers, Teachers, Medical Folks, Law Enforcement and more- showed their support and walked together in support of suicide prevention in the 2012 Walk for Life. The walk to the people from the Bethel Regional High School to the Bethel Native Corporation building and back to the High School. The first part of the walk was dedicated to those who have been lost to suicide. The second half of the walk was dedicated to those who survive and those in crisis. After the walk many gathered in the gym to hold up signs with one reason they want to live. The Teens Acting Against Violence (TAAV) spoke briefly and the crowd heard a poem by Annie Lee.
The photos speak for themselves of the importance this issue to our communities and friends. The message was clear– Your life does matter!
Thank you to everyone who walked and recorded the event today! Video from the event will be posted soon!
The annual “Walk for Life” is scheduled for May 11, 2012, beginning at the Bethel High School at 2:30. Participants will walk to the BNC complex and return to the high school. A work session to create materials and do the final planning is set for May 7th at 11:00am at the Public Health Nurses facility on Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway. In addition to this years event , all other communities in the region have been invited to join Bethel by participating in the walk on May 11. Any interested persons may contact Paul O’Brien at 545-3606 or e-mail at obrienak69@gmail.com. Any other participants will be provided materials (small posters, Careline cards, wristbands, etc.) to help facilitate their “Walks”. Please join us to make this a region wide event.
After decompressing for a few days some thoughts on our suicide prevention efforts at Cama-i.
First-Thanks to all those who helped. YKHC-MSPI for funding the Matachin Dancers travel, the dancers themselves, and ME School for giving them a place to stay. Alfred Wallace and Christof Swope for their awesome rap songs about living and their tremendous performance on Saturday and Sunday. The young people from TAAV (Teens Acting Against Violence) for helping make all the posters and for sitting in at the Memory Room. To all the BRHS Junior and Senior High students who made “life links” for the chain that went from the entry to the Memory Room and back again. To Annie from TAAV for the beautiful original poem ”Beauty” that she recited in the Memory Room. To Joy Shantz for her artistic vision. To those who sat in while I took a break or watched some dancing. To my beautiful wife Jeanette and my daughters Haley and Kelly for their help and for the support they always give when my spirits are low. John Wallace for his great work on the website, his ideas and the use of his kids. To all those who visited and those who added to the Memory Room Wall. To Hailey Martinez for her spiritual input in creating the medicine wheel and conducting the pipe ceremony. To her husband Jessie who had his hands full with their little one and to Haileys father, my good friend, Reynel, who’s medicine and words have helped me heal. I’m sure there are others and to them thanks.
We accomplished good things. People came to the Memory Room and found no statistics. There was a face or name where statistics would have been. People looked, talked, cried, laughed and wrote. They gained closure. Mostly they remembered and healed. The performances by the dancers were full of energy and their message was one of hope for the future.
We established some great contacts and were invited to do our Memory Room again next year. A cultural exchange is also in the works for a Bethel dance group to go to Texas. All in all a great event and one we look forward to participating again. When culture, sharing, helping, and cooperation meet great things happen. Thanks everyone.
Video – Danza Matachin Pavo Real
This was the final performance for Danza Matachin Pavo Real and they honored those who brought them here and organized the event. It was amazing to have them here with us. Thank you Danza Matachin Pavo Real!
Amazing Weekend!
The Memory Wall had an incredible response from the Cama-i Festival crowd. The weekend was filled with events that we were so fortunate to be a part. Word of our efforts spread quickly and there was a steady stream of visitors through the event. Thank you so much to the Cama-i organizers for all of their help and support. It had a profound effect on all of us. Here are a few photos from the weekend.
