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Roberta
Kitka, Tlingit, a Wellbriety Firestarter
and Chairwoman of the Kootéeyaa
Project leaves her mark by carving the pole after one of the first regular
Project Healing Circles in July of 2006. She is shown with images of the
pole, still being carved in Sitka, Alaska.
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| (All
photos of the Wellbriety totem pole in this
issue courtesy of SouthEast Alaska Regional
Health Consortium.) |
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And
Don’t Forget...
White Bison’s 6th
Annual Conference
Wellbriety Movement in Motion Youth, Families and
Suicide Prevention
Denver, Colorado
October 27-29, 2006
Visit www.whitebison.org for complete information |
 |
| The Pole in a shelter on the Mt. Edgecumbe Campus
of SEARHC in Sitka, Alaska, early in the carving
process. |
An important healing event will
take place in Sitka, Alaska on October 14, 2006. On that day, participants
in the Kootéeyaa project will raise a Wellbriety
totem pole on the Mt. Edgecumbe campus of the SouthEast
Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) campus in
Sitka.
Kootéeya refers
to totem poles carved from logs of red cedar and
other trees by the Tlingit and other coastal indigenous
peoples to commemorate events having significant
spiritual, cultural, community or personal meaning
in the Northwest coastal traditions. The
Wellbriety Kootéeyaa will honor the commitment
to Wellbriety among Native and non-Native peoples alike
in the region served by SEARHC and will also provide
a model and inspiration for other communities of Alaska
and Canada to follow suit.
“This pole is the first pole of its type—a
true healing pole. Every step of the way so
far, every bump in the road that we’ve hit
on this project has led to healing for the community
and for people involved directly,” says
James Diffin, the Program Coordinator for the Kootéeyaa
Project, and a VISTA volunteer who’s excited
about his role in this historic event and honored
to play a part.
Roberta Kitka, Tlingit, a drug
and alcohol treatment specialist at SEARHC’s Gunaanastí Bill
Brady Healing Center and Déilee Hít Safe
Harbor House chairs the project. A White Bison
Firestarter and a participant in the Wellbriety Movement
since the early 2000’s, Ms. Kitka saw the opportunity
of using the Wellbriety journey and her culture as
a unifying force for the people of Southeastern Alaska. She
first envisioned the possibility of using a totem pole
as a visible symbol of healing commitment in 2003. She
explains her vision when she says, “Wellbriety
Kootéeyaa means healing, hope, unity,
and forgiveness for Tlingit people
and anyone who is working on the healing of body, mind
and spirit,” mentioning the four gifts of
the Sacred 100 Eagle Feather Hoop of the Wellbriety
Movement. Her comment expresses the ethnic inclusivity
of the project as well as in SEARHC’s own mission
of healing in Southeastern Alaska. Current plans
call for the Hoop to be present at the pole raising
ceremony on October 14.
The weeks leading up to the raising
of the pole will see many different healing circles
convene in Sitka, inspired by the event to take place
in October. These
circles will be open to all and will have special focuses,
including alcohol, substance abuse, cancer, veteran’s
issues, diabetes and many others. Please see
the brochure for a more complete listing. The
healing circles began on July 10 and will run until
the pole is erected. Some may continue beyond
that date depending on the individual group. These
circles will utilize whatever format appropriate for
the people involved. Some may have a cultural
basis, some may be for men or for women and some will
be 12 Step based. All will be confidential, allowing
participants to share the experience, strength and
hope of their own healing journeys.
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Wayne Price, Tlingit master carver,
poses with an adz used for carving the Wellbriety
Kootéeyaa totem pole |
Traditional carver
Wayne Price, who was chosen to design and carve the
pole, is currently carving the totem pole in a shelter
on SEARHC’s Mt. Edgecumbe
campus. It was important to locate a carver who
is in harmony with the wellness and Wellbriety vision
for this particular pole. He says in his own
mission statement for the pole, “My name
is Wayne Price, a Tlingit wood carver from Haines,
Alaska. Today in recovery, I am free from drugs
and alcohol….I call on thousands of years of
history passed down through the carving of wood to
help me. Our rich history, culture and way of
life are not lost as long as our art can be held and
admired.”
Price suggested a design for the
pole in keeping with Tlingit traditions and the goals
of the Wellbriety healing vision alike. When
erected, it will merge Tlingit tradition with a specific
healing and wellness theme not undertaken in quite
this manner before.
“Once we were warriors,” states
the mission statement. It goes on eloquently,
bridging today’s needs with traditional life
and values. “We were free from booze
and drugs. Knowledge was passed down and oral
history was kept alive. Traditions were kept. Everyone
had a role in the village and everyone knew what that
role was. Unity and honor, as well as your word,
had value. We lived in harmony with nature. This
was the way for thousands of years.
“Much has changed in the last
one hundred and fifty years. Booze, drugs,
disease, loss of identity, and introduction of foreign
religion were forced upon us. Our land, our
freedom, and our way of life were gone forever. Gangs,
guns, law enforcement and court systems overwhelm
us. A person that is not trained in this new
way will be overwhelmed at best, with death by suicide
the ultimate worst. This happens way too much. Jail,
attorneys, halfway houses, government programs, therapists,
and ways that don’t make sense do the rest. Once
we were warriors….I stand before you now as
a warrior.”
As the pole is carved, individuals
will have an opportunity to make their marks on it
with a carving tool and to write their name on one
of the wood chips from the carving. To support
their own commitment to wellness, each person may
take a chip from the pole and either keep it, or
place it in a plexiglass memorial container. This
allows those on a healing journey to have direct physical
contact with the pole and a tie-in to its meaning so
they honestly feel a part of it.
“The vision that I see,” says
project coordinator James Diffin, “is a mother
and child walking down the street 20 years from now. The
child is looking at the pole and asks the mother what
it is about. The mother has experienced one of
these healing circles, has been a part of it, and can
pass it’s meaning on from generation to generation. The
real vision is to have more of these poles carved out
in the smaller communities. We hope to see this
happen. The smaller communities are very, very
interested.”
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| Roberta Kitka in traditional
regalia poses in front of an existing traditional
totem pole in Sitka, Alaska |
Project Chairwoman and Wellbriety
Firestarter Roberta Kitka emphasizes the inclusivity
of what’s taking
place in Sitka. “We’re involving
all of the community,” Roberta says. “We
need to be inclusive of anyone who wants to be included. Regardless
of what race we are, we all can participate.”
The Wellbriety Kootéeyaa project is a great
example how regional culture, customs and ways may
be utilized in visible community support for recovery,
healing and wellness. It puts a clear face on
the healing/Wellbiety journey and says, “We’re
in healing and we’re proud of it. Join
us.” On behalf of the Wellbriety Movement,
White Bison, Inc. wishes SEARHC and the Sitka community
the greatest success in this endeavor!
Contact James Diffin at 907-966-8603
or e mail james.diffin@searhc.org to
see how you may participate in the project.
Download the project brochure for more information
by clicking here.
Visit the SEARHC website at www.searhc.org for
more information about SEARHC.
To receive a totem pole pin commemorating
the project through a donation of $5 to the project,
visit the White Bison website, www.whitebison.org
Richard Simonelli, Editor,
Wellbriety!
Online Magazine
Wellbriety
Kootéeyaa
Totem
Pole design concept by Wayne Price
Tlingit Master Carver
Raven, our Creator, will be carved
holding the sun in his mouth. The light held in
his mouth is leading our people to wellness and
healing, away from addiction, grief and turmoil
of mind/body/spirit. He is drawing us to the light
of recovery and showing our people the path of
wellness found in our culture. His light shows
our people the old way. He shines light on another
choice.
Open stretches of the totem will be adzed to represent
the bright sky. Contemplative areas for our minds
and spirits to look ahead. Transformational spaces
for our hearts to heal. Healing spaces to divide
light from dark as we progress on our Wellbriety
journey.
Our shaman is here with us.
He has power to enter into the dark world of
disease, addiction, torment and sadness. He gathers
our peoples’ spirits
and wards off darkness. He directs us to the light
of recovery and wellness. Shaman is wearing Eagle
regalia––apron, hat, rattles and has
long hair.
Between Shaman’s feet is a Wolf spirit helper
who helps the Shaman on vision quests into the
darkness, helping to direct our people’s
feet onto the paths of recovery and wellness, as
they begin to step out of the darkness.
Open stretches will be adzed
to represent a “bright
sky” transformational healing space below
Wolf spirit helper.
Medicine Woman is holding a cedar basket full
of herbs and plant medicine. She is our Grandmothers,
Aunties, and Mothers who reach out to embrace us
with medicine, tradition, culture and love. She
is always there. We are a matriarchal society and
this is our ultimate strength. It is the backbone
of who we are. Our Mother that gives life to us
all. Her bare feet are strengthened for her journey
of wellness as she stands tall and proud, in solid
contact with Mother Earth. She honors the light
with her Sun Princess necklace. Medicine Woman
is dressed in Raven regalia.
Mother Earth is at the base
of the Wellbrierty Kootéeyaa, to sustain us, teach us, and
connect us all as we choose the path of healing
and the sacred ground of wellness. Devil’s
Club plants represent our medicine of yesterday
and today in Southeast Alaska. It is prominent
in the SEARHC logo. It is used as a traditional
medicine and tea by us today, as it was by our
ancestors. |
| Wellbriety Kootéeyaa
Ravens and Eagles were very sad about the many
things their people have endured.
Diseases that wiped out many Ravens and Eagles
and their Shamans
Missionaries that told them their ways were wrong,
not to speak their language, or to do their ceremonies,
burning the regalia and totems. Shamans were thrown
in prison and their hair was cut short, causing
much grief amongst the Ravens and Eagles.
Ravens and Eagles grieved for
generations to come: “Multigenerational
Grief.”
Many illnesses followed, such as alcohol and drug
abuse, mental health problems, domestic violence,
HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C virus, and cancer, to name
a few.
Ravens and Eagles are stepping out of the darkness.
Ravens and Eagles have come
full circle, moving back to cultural ways for
healing the mind, body and spirit––Transformation
that occurs from moving from the dark into the
light.
Ravens and Eagles have entered a time of healing
and regenerating the mind, body and spirit.
Ravens and Eagles are stepping into the light
and healing multigenerational grief issues so they
do not pass onto the next generations.
Ravens and Eagles are coming into the light and
healing from alcohol and drug abuse.
Ravens and Eagles are coning in to the light and
helping the people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, Hepatitis
C, and other diseases.
Ravens and Eagles are coming into the light and
entering a time of the Wellbriety Generation.
GRANT YOURSELF THE POWER OF CHOICE!
Roberta Sue Kitka
“Taa.soo” |
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A
Wellbriety Kootéeyaa
Photo Album
July, 2006 |
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| Project participants stand with the log cut
for the Wellbriety Kootéeyaa in the Winter
of 2006 (left). Carver Wayne Price makes
the first cut on the log in the Summer of 2006
(right) Detail on the carving in progress
(below) |
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|
Project participants
leave their marks on the pole after one of the
first
Healing Circles in July of 2006 |
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| A Kootéeyaa Project
informational display in the Spring of 2006 |
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