COYOTE AND THE TURTLE’S DREAM Created by The Native Diabetes Wellness Program Written by Terry Lofton Illustrated by Patrick Rolo and Lisa A. Fifield Based on the original Eagle Books characters by Georgia Perez The Eagle Books In the original Eagle Book series, a young boy, Rain that Dances, discovers an unhappy eagle. Mr. Eagle is tearful because many of the people in the community are developing a disease called type 2 diabetes. Rain the Dances invites his friends Thunder Cloud, Little Hummingbird, and Simon, to hear what the eagle has to say about staying healthy. The great bird assures the children that people can help to prevent type 2 diabetes by eating nourishing foods, being active, and following the traditions of their ancestors. Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream In the original Eagle Books stories, Rain and his friends were about six years old. However, in this new story, Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream, they are entering the seventh grade. Once again, the eagle gives a warning to Rain, but this time it is about the disappearance of water on their reservation. Never forgetting the health messages taught to them by the eagle, the kids embark on a mystery/adventure to solve a riddle about ancient fossils that will restore the water’s flow. For more information about diabetes and diabetes prevention, go to the National Diabetes Education Program’s website, http://ndep. nih.gov. Under “Find Publications for Me,” select the drop down box for “Age” and find “Teens and Children.” Posted are tips for teens with diabetes, and tips for how kids can lower their risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Praise for Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream For Native people, the eagle is a messenger representing vision, courage, healing, and strength. In Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream, the eagle brings this wisdom and a new challenge to Rain that Dances and his friends that is full of mystery, adventure, and ways young people can help their communities prevent type 2 diabetes. – Buford Rolin Chairman, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama Chairman, Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee Native children reading this book will find a real connect with their lives. They will be especially encouraged by Rain that Dances, a young boy who has made type 2 diabetes prevention a way of life. I can see this book developing into a series that can have a great impact on young readers. – Dr. Judy Goforth Parker Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma Former Member, Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream is a book of adventure, guidance, humor, and compelling warmth. This book illuminates Native American culture, diabetes prevention, and the beauty of storytelling. It will inspire the imagination of young readers while addressing type 2 diabetes. – Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Executive Director, American Indian Research and Education Center University of Nevada Las Vegas Praise for Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream I re-read this book several times, so I wouldn’t miss any of the important messages: ways to promote diabetes wellness, protecting sacred sites, passing on the Tribe’s life ways through grandmother’s stories, the kids’ longing to learn these life ways, and the courage and loyalty of friends. – Lorelei DeCora, RN Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska (Ho-Chunk) Health Educator/Diabetes Talking Circles Facilitator Former Alternate, Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee Humans probably first passed wisdom from one generation to the next via storytelling. Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream continues this ancient practice, seamlessly blending Native American and western knowledge to help all who choose to listen to what Sky Heart, the eagle, has to say to prevent diabetes. – Dr. Lawrence Barker Associate Director for Science Division of Diabetes Translation Centers for Disease Control and Prevention I’m so excited for this new book! Kids who have read the original series and are now older can read this amazing story. I love how it refers to the original Eagle Books and reinforces the importance of healthy choices. It’s a great read! – Caitlin Baker Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma Competitive American Indians Turning Lifestyles into New Beginnings (CAITLINB) About Diabetes Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Type 1 diabetes, which was previously called insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes, may account for about 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to be much different than those for type 2 diabetes, though the exact mechanisms for developing both diseases are unknown. The appearance of type 1 diabetes is suspected to follow exposure to an “environmental trigger,” such as an unidentified virus, stimulating an immune attack against the beta cells of the pancreas (that produce insulin) in some genetically predisposed people. Researchers are making progress in identifying the exact genetics and “triggers” that predispose some individuals to develop type 1 diabetes, but prevention remains elusive. Type 2 diabetes, which was previously called non-insulin- dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes, may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a major federally funded study of 3,234 people at high risk for diabetes, showed that people can delay and possibly prevent the disease by losing a small amount of weight (5 to 7 percent of total body weight) through 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week and healthier eating. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Diabetes Public Health Resource at http://www. cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/index.htm This book is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Dr. Janette Carter (1952-2001). COYOTE AND THE TURTLE’S DREAM Created by The Native Diabetes Wellness Program Written by Terry Lofton Illustrated by Patrick Rolo and Lisa A. Fifield Based on the original Eagle Books characters by Georgia Perez Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream Created by the Native Diabetes Wellness Program Written by Terry Lofton Illustrated by Patrick Rolo and Lisa A. Fifield Graphic Design by Linda Beatty Based on the original Eagle Books characters by Georgia Perez U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services www.samhsa.gov DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Indian Health Service Division of Diabetes Translation Division of Diabetes Treatment Native Diabetes Wellness Program and Prevention Preface In 2005, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Native Diabetes Wellness Program introduced elementary school children in American Indian/Alaska Native communities to the Eagle Books. These stories, beautifully written by Georgia Perez, quickly became popular and loved by both national and international audiences. If you haven’t read the four original Eagle Books and would like to request free copies for your family, just call the phone number listed on the inside back cover (or go to our website http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/diabetes-wellness. htm). We think you’ll find the illustrations by Patrick Rolo and Lisa Fifield amazing — especially the drawings of the eagle. Plus, you can see what the characters in this book looked like when they were little children. We decided to develop another book about Rain that Dances (Rain or RD to his friends), Thunder Cloud (Boomer), Little Hummingbird (Bird) and Simon to reveal how talking with an eagle (not to mention a rabbit and a coyote) changed their lives in intriguing ways as they grew up. One thing you’ll learn is that by the time they are 12 years old, Rain and his friends know a lot about diabetes. In fact, in this story, they have a new friend, Arianna, who has type 1 diabetes. She teaches the children how eating healthy and being active can help people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. You will also learn how our young heroes have been helping people in their community eat healthy traditional foods. Oh, did we mention that the eagle comes back and vii involves the kids in an adventure about a ring of fossil poachers who are stealing the bones of an ancient turtle? Well, you’ll just have to read the story to find out how they use science and a great-grandmother’s knowledge to restore harmony to their community. To help you picture the scenes in the book, Patrick Rolo and Lisa Fifield, our illustrators, have created some dramatic color pages. We also think the map will help you “get around” the reservation and the town of Thunder Rock. And if there are some words or terms you don’t understand, just look them up in the glossary at the back of the book. On behalf of the author, Terry Lofton, and the people of the Native Diabetes Wellness Program, we hope that you enjoy Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream. As Arianna, our new character, would say, “May the insulin be with you!” viii Acknowledgements The Native Diabetes Wellness Program (Wellness Program) would like to thank the following people who played a role in the development of Coyote and the Turtle’s Dream.