Indians in Minnesota Begin

Page 12 Spilyqy Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon September. Indians in Minnesota begin crisis hot line to fight high suicide rate Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- llambeau tribe who proposed Shcpard, and the statistics with the Department Monica Yellow Bird was 17 the hot line, American Indians seemed to keep piling up, she of Health. are to dis- when her cousin hanged himself. age 15 to 24 are three times said. ( )rganiers starting 1 tribute business cards with the The boy, also 7, was ambi- more likely to commit suicide Organizing the hot line "was for line number all over tious and had plans for die fu- than any other racial or ethnic a very intense experience hot phone the Officials out that ture but drank alcohol, Yellow group. me," she said. "I knew some- state. point word mouth is a ad- Bird said. One day, her family Officials say isolation, alco- thing had to be done." of strong vertiser in the American Indian J ' returned to her grandmother's hol, drugs, violence and family Almost $40,000 has been t IV and the hot line's home where they found him problems are among the prob- spent developing the hot line, community r success will on that. r hanging by a sheet. lems that contribute to high sui- which is being administered by depend I Cards will also be handed out "As Native people, we keep cide rates among American In- Women of Nations, a group that Honor the Y'outh everything inside," said Yellow dian youth. supports battered women and during the which at Bird, now 23. "We think it Shcpard, whose own brother their families and already runs Spiritual Run, began f-f- and winds e makes us stronger. But people committed suicide, said she was its own hot line. midnight Wednesday Ta 300 miles the need to talk about youth suicide researching American Indian More than 30 Minnesota almost through at the Red Lake in our community." youth suicide rates for a presen- agencies and community groups state, ending Reservation. will Many American Indian com- tation when the shootings at Red have supported the hot line, Participants a staff adorned with munity leaders agree, Last week, Lake Reservation in northern which will cost an estimated carry eagle American In- Yellow Bird joined American Minnesota happened. In March, $280,000 a year. feathers through 24-ho- ex- communities. Indian teens and community Jeff Weise killed The hot line is dian Many promi- members will leaders to announce the Native nine people - including seven at pecting to receive most of its nent community Y'outh Crisis I Iodine. Red Like I ligh School - before calls from 12- - and participate. "We're children According to Pat Shcpard, a turning the gun on himself. but it plans to serve people up losing very sui- said Minneapolis social worker and The shootings and memories to 18, said Ann Gaasch, a cjuick, very fast," Shcpard. member of Wisconsin's Ic du of her brother haunted cide prevention coordinator 1 1 the hurdles. sprint, it would just grab," he blessed that it went 2, 5 years. sprinters usually try I fell in love Crear: said. "And the trainers thought More important than the med- It was something "1 it was a torn abdominal muscle, als is the friendships, the con- with because I was pretty good the more I worked a strain, so they kept putting nections, the representing your at, and hard, i ' message results were." their elbows in it, trying to break country, your God, your family. the better the is I le went on to win a colle- inspiring up the scar tissue. But there was Those things arc precious. blessed that I've in 1992 and (Continued from page 6) no scar tissue there. There was "I've been giate championship and I'm moved on to his Bnan MortensenSpilyay Winning the silver was a mo- a cut there." been drug free, proud professional Even it was of that. If work hard, and career. I lis recent autobiography mentous occasion for Crear though painful, you Rev. Leland Johnson, the "Gospel Elvis," was among is Silver is Gold. called it know that, called Why My five-da- because he was able to share the Crear "a rewarding you why you're doing the and evangelists at the y tent lives in Ca- speakers two-wee- k and from he ended then won't do that But if Crear Valencia, moment with his old time," it, up you meeting conducted by the Warm Springs Full Gospel focus hard on and lif., a few mindtes from daughter. with a bronze medal, edging out you winning, away Church Aug. 17-2- 1. become his and he is the "And I also broke my arm Johnson by a hundredth of a only winning, then you church, parent and Mark 3. two weeks before the Olympics, second (13.22 to 13.23), as obsessed, and you'll do anything of Ebony, 9, Jr.., so it was like a bittersweet, joy Anier Garcia of Cuba won in to win, and anything means any- and sorrow time," he said. 13.00 seconds. thing. People get caught into the He broke his left arm in a "He wasn't too thrilled about limelight, the media, the cam- fo- drill two weeks before the At- that," Crear said of beating eras, the publicity. I always lanta Games and let no one Johnson, who competed in the cus on why I'm running, because know about it. 2004 Athens Games. "Great I love the sport. I love being I love "I was fatigued, and I was competitor. We went back and competitive. just being out sur- and it on the pushing it, perhaps too much. forth for a lot of years. I'm there, just putting I didn't he's still hanging on. He line for 13 seconds. But it's so 4 It was painful, but give prised 4 behind And it teaches up, because I knew God didn't was a couple years me, competitive. you how a of life.. bring me there to give up," he but he's still there. What he's to bq competitor hurdles." said. "I was so focused, you doing is phenomenal." Especially the I his could have shot me in the leg He could have made his third Ie said favorite countries and I still would have been Olympic Games but fell just short in Europe to compete in are finals. and Sweden. ready to run. It was just a zone. at the qualifying meet Monaco, Germany he is much And it was a special time be- "I had third place going into Track and field, said, V more in than in cause I got to share it with my die eighth, ninth hurdle, but one popular Europe U.S. daughter." thing with the hurdles, you miss the L it's said. "I Crear didn't start in track and He admits he took that spe- one, and over," he P in cial moment for granted and hit the eighth, kind of stumbled, field until he was a junior high one like it in and then me, Allen Johnson, and school. I le started out in hurdles l anticipated Sydney csHF-SJi- leaned for the because that's where all would-b- e i xpiiliiiJB four years later. this other guy ijcsdltes i his "I was on a mission to bring third spot.." track athletes started on Crear and school "whether my daughter back for a victory Johnson was in; high team, because no- lap," he said. Ron Bramlett (4th) were out. you're short or tall, said. But this time, he had a double Crear said he does, and body likes them," he be a hernia, which prevented him doesn't, miss the competition of "I was too slow to world-clas- s field. but too fast to be a long- from pushing off the starting track and sprinter short-live- d, long-lived- ," distance he said, "So blocks with any strength. "It was but runner," "I could jog, but when you he said. "I've been sprinters who aren't super 00 Honda 97 Chevy Accord Cavalier AC, Loaded AC, 4-cy- l., AWD Was $2,895 Was $3,495 N0W$2,695 N0W$3,195.

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