Healthy hearts beat in Red Lake; Students connect with community resources at fair

RED LAKE -- The Red Lake High School gymnasium was transformed into a hub of health Friday afternoon during the Eighth annual Teen Health Fair.

Since 2006, the school has been hosting the event to foster students' faith in the community and introduce them to available resources. Community Education Resource Coordinator Victoria Graves said the fair is in response to the 2005 school shooting tragedy, which had a lasting effect on students.

"It's holistic healing for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health," Graves said. "I believe we as Native people really want our society to be strong, healthy and successful."

A customary drum circle was situated in the center of the gym, representational of the heartbeat of the people, Graves explained. Booths lined the exterior walls of the room offering healthy snacks, massage therapy, intranasal flu vaccination and information on sexual health and safety, diabetes, tobacco prevention and domestic violence.

As the heartbeat in the center of the room, Red Lake Comprehensive Health Services contributed a lung display to show students the effect of smoking on the lungs. Two pig lungs, one damaged and one healthy, showed the dismal fate of a smoker.

Dacia Dickenson said over the years students have been getting the message that tobacco use is expensive not only money-wise, but to overall health. Dickenson has been educating students for seven years.

"Teen tobacco use has declined," Dickenson said. "They're realizing it's not attractive."

Representatives from Indian Health Service, Bemidji State University, Red Lake College, Evergreen Youth and Family Services and Equay Wiigamig (the Red Lake Women's Shelter) were among agencies attending the Teen Health Fair.

"We're so thankful for all of our support from Bemidji," Graves said. "The neat thing is community collaboration shows how much people care about us."

The fair was staffed by the Community Education Leadership Group, students who learn job organizational skills by volunteering to work community events. Graves said 24 students were on staff Friday.

This is the second year 15-year-old Quentin Charboyea has helped organize the fair.

"Doing a little more now can have a big impact later on," Charboyea said. "Just being able to talk to a real person makes a difference."

Natalie Nicholson, nurse practitioner with Red Lake Hospital, said high school girls were more open about asking questions about birth control options than the seventh- and eighth-graders. Younger girls were more inclined to take a brochure and move along.

"The real reason we're here is prenatal health and withdrawal awareness," said Red Lake Hospital Chief Pharmacist Cindy Gunderson. "It's absolutely all too frequent."

Gunderson said she tries to get the message across that if girls and women are using drugs, don't get pregnant. She added PlayItSafe.org is a great resource for teen girls who may be too shy to ask questions.

Evergreen Youth and Family Services Suicide Prevention Coordinator Stephanie Downey and Corey Medina with Rock Sober answered questions at the suicide prevention booth. Downey said a lot of kids stopped by to pick up materials.

"Suicide and mental health are hard to talk about," Downey said. "Suicide is preventable if you know what to look for."

Before the fair ended, Downey told students not to be shy about asking a friend if they're feeling alright and if anyone needs someone to talk to they can text LIFE to 61222 to reach the crisis connection. Students can also visit txt4life.org, which also has versions on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

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