He also pulls bunches of long weeds in the prairie grass, to dry for use as a firestarter.
"I have to be careful," Hale says matter-of-factly as he pulls a few fistfuls. "Sometimes there are some snakes. Rattlesnakes. Nothing to mess around with."
He is 54 years old, aveteran of two Army combat tours in Vietnam, a member of the Lakota tribe and part of two stunning statistics, even as communities across America deal with the pain and challenges of recession:
The unemployment rate on his reservation runs higher than 80 percent;
Ziebach County, where he lives, is the nation's poorest, with just shy of 56 percent of its residents below the poverty line. Poverty among children in the county eclipses a staggering 70 percent.
After the Army, Hale worked 16 years as a firefighter. But he began having some back problems in the early 1980s and then, "cancer caught up with me. I have a brain tumor."
He says he gets a check for just shy of $17 every week from a tribal welfare fund, and tries to find odd jobs to pay for his food and to help out a diabetic sister.
But there's a catch: Tiny Cherry Creek has no such jobs. There are one or two one-room homes like Hale's, but it is mostly a collection of a couple dozen simple modular homes provided by a federal and tribal housing program. It doesn't even have a gas station or general store.
So Hale heads out most days toward Eagle Butte -- 17 miles up one road and then 21 miles more up the next. A few more twists and, "It's about 42 to 43 miles, someplace around there."
he also pulls bunches of long weeds in the prairie grass, to dry for use as a firestarter.
"i have to be careful," hale says matter-of-factly as he pulls a few fistfuls. "sometimes there are some snakes. rattlesnakes. nothing to mess around with."
he is 54 years old, aveteran of two army combat tours in vietnam, a member of the lakota tribe and part of two stunning statistics, even as communities across america deal with the pain and challenges of recession:
my first thought when i read this was "i'm 54 and there is no way i could have served two tours in vietnam because i would have been 16 in 1973, when us military involvement ended in vietnam".
i see this thread is from 2009 and the link from cnn has a disclaimer on that part of the story:
"herbert hale was identified as a veteran who served two combat tours in vietnam. that description was based on information provided by mr. hale and several friends. in subsequent reporting, however, three government sources told cnn that while mr. hale served overseas in the vietnam era, he did not serve in vietnam". probably need to delete that highlighted part from the original post.
if he was 54 in 2009 when this article was written, he would have been 18 in 1973, when the vietnam era ended for the us military.
as to the other issues, i live in an area with multiple american indian tribes and yes, there is a myth that casinos take care of all of them. only one tribe runs the local casino.
Natives want what we all do. To be treated with dignity and respect.
You can help by treating those you come accross kindly. By explaining what is happening to them in plain language. Not condescending, but clear.
You can help by not laughing, nodding, rolling your eyes, or agreeing with coworkers when they make rude comments about their NA patients. You can help by advocating for full assessments and equality when ETOH is blamed for whatever accident or illness put them in the hospital.
These things are a help, because when people are treated like PEOPLE, they are more willing to come to the clinic or the hospital for treatment before they are in need of amputations or other drastic measures. These things are a help, because when a young woman has a baby, and knows nothing about newborns, she will be more willing to bring her sick baby into the hospital for care, instead of being fearful that CPS will be called because her older children don't have perfectly fitting, stylish clothes to wear. She will be more willing to have a home health nurse come and give guidance, instead of being fearful that the peeling laminate floor and the broken front window will be cause for child neglect investigations. It is frustrating, but it's not hopeless.
I applaud your curiosity and willingness to help. Being openminded, and not beleiving all the stereotypical crap is a great start.
It's very easy to fixate on the negative, and forget the beauty, the culture, the people, that are at the heart of it.
You should be a teacher or at least a guest speaker in nursing schools across the country.
I applaud your willingness to share on this thread.
I miss Thunderwolf - wonder if he still reads these old threads?
Specializes in Nurse Educator, Culturally Sensitive Nsg.
Julieanneb,
I'm sorry that you feel so frustrated. Negativity from either side does nothing but stir up anger. And we should feel strongly, but put that energy into positive action, and you can accomplish much!
Keep reading ababout disparities, but with the knowlege that news tends to be sensationalized, and every side has two stories. Learn to be a fabulous, kind, nurse and help people the way you seem to want to....that is making a change.
But learning to moderate our own reactions is a big part of nsg. Emotional intelligence is critical, especially if you want to work with minority clients. There will always be someone ready to fight....you have to be ready to diffuse that tension to be effective....not feed into it. :-)
Ya know,this is a message board,It isn't in person,I feel I have a right 2 at least rant in typing. Technology......so odd. I am a kind fabulous nurse.....I am not sure what you mean by that? At any rate,I will do my research from here,I don't understand message boards,And Rainey,let me know if your people need a warm head,as I asked earlier. Julie "brushfire" Brush.
Specializes in Nurse Educator, Culturally Sensitive Nsg.
I'll put some feelers out... I think our CA program has a bin full of homemade hats and blanket throws. What if you contact clinics on the Pine Ridge and ask if they could use them? It's much colder up there... I bet they would have ideas!
I'll put some feelers out... I think our CA program has a bin full of homemade hats and blanket throws. What if you contact clinics on the Pine Ridge and ask if they could use them? It's much colder up there... I bet they would have ideas!
Rainy,I googled the PINE RIDGE RESERVATION and I at random called a phone number on the web site I found and talked at length with a man that lives on the Rez. I watched a disturbing documentary the other nite,and it got me researching beyond belief. This man I called let me question him as though I were an investigative reporter. It was awesome. Can I ask what reservation you work on? Did you grow up on a reservation or you just had a passion for it and moved to the rez?
Specializes in Nurse Educator, Culturally Sensitive Nsg.
Julieanneb-
I was on the Navajo from 2-4, and an Apache Reservation from 4-18. I now work on a Pacific Northwest rez. I'm glad you got to ask some of your questions of someone that was forthcoming. People tend to be more reserved with strangers. I find that my issue tends to be a reticience to publically discuss the negativity that can be found on many reservations because 1) I don't want to perpetuate the negative stereotypes that the NA population is fighting, and I beleive that when those that have no exposure to the POSITIVES of the culture are exposed to the negatives, that becomes all they see and 2) I have a job and a reputation to protect. :-)
I was on the Navajo from 2-4, and an Apache Reservation from 4-18. I now work on a Pacific Northwest rez. I'm glad you got to ask some of your questions of someone that was forthcoming. People tend to be more reserved with strangers. I find that my issue tends to be a reticience to publically discuss the negativity that can be found on many reservations because 1) I don't want to perpetuate the negative stereotypes that the NA population is fighting, and I beleive that when those that have no exposure to the POSITIVES of the culture are exposed to the negatives, that becomes all they see and 2) I have a job and a reputation to protect. :-)
Rainey,I have so many questions for you! I had no idea of the negatives whatsoever! I don't want to know the negatives,I want to know the positives! Rainey,would you talk on the phone? Having MS,myy brain cannot type words for very long. The words start looking weird. Rainey,I have always always gottten in2 different cultures,and should have been a documentary film maker/reporter...I have called authors,went to woods where I heard a person was living away from the world and hung out and talked with them,I love love love to hear people's stories. My fiance thinks It's awesome. If i could talk to you,I would love it. I will give you my phone number,you know my last name,I will even give you my address,anything,so you do not feel distrusting of me. Let me know. Wow.when I started posted on this thread I did not realize you had lived on a reservation. I get it,you haave a rep 2 protect. would love to talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And if it makes you feel better I am a registered cherokee? does that help?
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
my first thought when i read this was "i'm 54 and there is no way i could have served two tours in vietnam because i would have been 16 in 1973, when us military involvement ended in vietnam".
i see this thread is from 2009 and the link from cnn has a disclaimer on that part of the story:
"herbert hale was identified as a veteran who served two combat tours in vietnam. that description was based on information provided by mr. hale and several friends. in subsequent reporting, however, three government sources told cnn that while mr. hale served overseas in the vietnam era, he did not serve in vietnam". probably need to delete that highlighted part from the original post.
if he was 54 in 2009 when this article was written, he would have been 18 in 1973, when the vietnam era ended for the us military.
as to the other issues, i live in an area with multiple american indian tribes and yes, there is a myth that casinos take care of all of them. only one tribe runs the local casino.