Cherokee Nation Community

[music playing] [Lisa Pivec] When this information came out that this might be the first generation that will have a lower life expectancy than their parents, we decided that that's unacceptable for us as Cherokees. We're not going to allow that to happen here. [Chad Smith] How much more of a sobering call to action can you have? If that didn't bring you to a realization that something's got to change, nothing will. [Lisa Pivec] Our ancestors have perservered, and this is a challenge that we're presented with, and we're going to succeed. [Gloria Grim] Heart Disease is our number one killer. Smoking really decreased the life expectancy within our own community. And secondhand smoke causes the same types of problems that smoking does. [Cindy Sloan] The obesity rate has gone up, and also, the percentage of diabetes in our students. [Jeff Orr] You know, what we saw was kids that simply weren't going outside anymore. They had videogames, DVD, MP3 player. [Lisa Pivec] Fast food everywhere. There's lack of spaces to walk, to run. [Chad Smith] Lack of exercising, convenient healthy foods. [Lisa Pivec] And we want to change that. [Gloria Grim] Cherokee Nation really is trying to make the healthy choice the easy choice for people. You know, one of the easiest ways to do that is by providing smoke free environments. [Brenda Harper] 60 percent of my tenants were smokers before I made this a smoke free complex. [Female Speaker] On this campus of this hospital, you're not allowed to smoke. [Lisa Pivec] The use of tobacco traditionally is very different from commercial use. Commercial tobacco is disrespectful to the tradition, because it's harmful not just to your body, but it's harmful to other people as well. [Brenda Harper] I think I helped people to quit smoking by making it smoke free, because I've had some come to me and tell me that they quit smoking because they wanted to live here. [Gloria Grim] Then it takes a wide variety of things to help people actually make lifestyle changes. And so we rely a lot on education from public health educators from our nurses, as well as trying to get the actual family involved. [Chad Smith] CDC has been very helpful for providing the resources and some guidance as to how to refine programs. We're very thankful for them. [Lisa Pivec] We have a lot of people who say their children, their teens, their kids have encouraged them to stop using tobacco. [Lisa Pivec] I think it takes all of us doing our part. [Chad Smith] Cherokee Challenge actually began with a celebrity run challenge I had for a 15k in the Tulsa Red. It stimulated more walking programs, better food to choice programs, so we just continued and called it the Cherokee Challenge. [Jeff Orr] The community gardens sit right next to the Cherokee heirloom garden. [Cindy Sloan] This is a project at school to give students an opportunity to come outside, and see what it's like to be back in the garden. [Jeff Orr] The kids will plant it, and we'll have it in place by the time that school is out. [Cindy Sloan] Well the response of the students has just been overwhelming. [Jacob Morgan] We have a great community here, to be able to do a community garden, to help, you know, others, realize the same thing that eating healthier is a better way to live. [Chad Smith] We understand that we have to make the better choices up front to be able to be that happy healthy people. [Lisa Pivec] Ga-du-gi means working together for the betterment of the entire community. [Chad Smith] Ga-du-gi is an old Cherokee word. It means come together and work for the benefit of the community. [Lisa Pivec] We hold each other sacred, and we take care of each other. [Cindy Sloan] We would not be able to do this if it weren't for the help of Cherokee Nation. [Chad Smith] The creator has only given us so many days, so many breaths, so many moments, and we ought to enjoy every one of them.