ALASKA NATIVES COMMISSION
JOINT FEDERAL-STATE COMMISSION
ON
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AFFECTING
ALASKA NATIVES
4000 Old Seward Highway, Suite 100
Anchorage,
Alaska 99503
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ANCHORAGE TESTIMONY - OCTOBER 15, 1992
DEPOSITION EXHIBIT #1 - TESTIMONY OF CHARMAINE V. RAMOS
ANCHORAGE NATIVE CONCERNS COMMITTEE
Public Testimony on Urban Native Issues in Anchorage
1. Establishment of a Native Community Center
2. Substance Abuse Subcommittee Recommendations
3. Alaska Native Women Concerns Subcommittee Findings
October 15, 1992
Egan Convention Center
Anchorage, Alaska
Good morning, Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you, the Alaska Native Commission. I am Charmaine V. Ramos, and I work for the Municipality of Anchorage, Department of Health and Human Services. I am charged with addressing Urban Native Issues in Anchorage, First, I will introduce the Anchorage Native Concerns Committee (and its priorities) and second, I will share the health and social facts we have heard to date.
To help me address these large, complex health and social issues in Anchorage, a 22 member committee, the Anchorage Native Concerns Committee (ANCC), was formed in December of 1991. The membership represents both community and statewide leaders in Native and non-Native organizations. The membership list is attached for your information.
The Committee's mission is to identify issues affecting Alaska Native and Native American people in Anchorage and to recommend responses that empower these peoples to address their needs through:
Cooperation, commitment to others
Awareness
Respect, responsiveness
Empowerment, education, economic and
Spirituality
The first several meetings of the Committee involved introducing the members to Anchorage issues such as: homelessness, public inebriates, and mental illness; and specifically, addressing the Native population within these areas. The presenters were the providers of these services including John Titus, founder of the Fort Yukon Spirit Camp, who informed the Committee on the history of the Camp and where it is today. After these presentations, the Committee identified and prioritized its concerns into the following categories: health, education, employment, homelessness and attitudes. The first four categories are self-explanatory, and the fifth category identified issues such as lack of self-esteem, racism, transition, values, and spirit of the Native people.
To address these identified concerns, the Committee formed several subcommittees such as: the Substance Abuse committee, the Alaska Native Women Concerns subcommittee, and an executive committee. Each subcommittee is in a different stage in addressing its assigned issue, from investigation to draft recommendations. In addition to identifying their concerns, the Committee explored various solutions to address them. One of the solutions was the establishment of a community center which the Committee has chosen as its priority. A Community Center Subcommittee was formed to address this priority.
Former Mayor Tony Knowles stated "Anchorage is the largest Native village in Alaska". I would like to state that unlike the small villages we are not a "Native Community". As one committee member stated, "We
do not get together, we do not have a center for activities,
we do not influence the political or economic structures of
Anchorage as a group, and we do not provide a unified voice
for change. Until we can form into a community with a unified
voice and a structure to advocate for our social, emotional,
cultural, spiritual, political and economic needs, our needs
will not be considered a priority by the policy makers and
the people who control the purse strings."
This is not the first time Natives in Anchorage
have tried to establish a center. Mr. Emil Notti, President
of Alaska Native Foundation (ANF), stated Nick Gray started
working on establishing a center 30 years ago, and in the last
four years, ANF has lobbied in Juneau for funding of the center.
In 1990, State Legislators passed a bill supporting the center's
funding; however, Governor Cowper vetoed it. This past year,
ANF applied to the Administration of Native Americans (MA)
for funding; however, Anchorage did not qualify for funding.
The ANF proposal states the ANCSA regional corporation system
was designed to localize service provision and administrative
functions. The BIA and Indian Health Service contract with
Native Regional non-profit corporations which have the mandate
to respond to the needs of Natives who are enrolled to (or
shareholders of)their respective regions. This system implements
federal law and rightly gives authority to tribal entities,
but it has also prevented federal urban Indian" funds from coming to Alaska, because of the federal interpretation that with the regional system and the absence of reservations there are no "urban Indians" in
Alaska by definition."
Not to be discouraged by this definition and not qualifying for ANA funding, the Committee defined the goal of the center to directly and indirectly address the health and social issues of Natives in Anchorage, those in transition to Anchorage from rural Alaska, and those visiting Anchorage. To meet this goal, the Committee Center Subcommittee developed general guidelines for the establishment of the center and divided them into three stages. These guidelines were adopted by the full commmittee.
Knowing that Natives as a people generally do not request services and/or do not know what services are available from them, the first phase is to immediately meet the needs of as many Natives in the best way possible by establishing a Native welcome-social-referral-advocacy center with a large multi-purpose room and a kitchen for public use. A counseling program would be developed serving individuals and families with an information and referral service, advocacy on their behalf, and a place for them to socialize. In addition, appointment setting at agencies and transportation services for those in need will be provided.
These services would be provided by agencies, programs, and organizations that are already offering the services in Anchorage, i.e. non-profit health corporations, Native Outreach, Association of Stranded Rural Alaskans in Anchorage (ASRAA), and Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, as well as church organizations. The social activities will target Native families, teenagers, and individuals.
Phase Two in the development of the center
includes the scheduling of cultural activities, training activities,
and "Urban Survival Skills" classes. These skills include but
are not limited to:
Landlord/tenant laws,
How to protect yourself against crime,
How to handle culture shock,
How to work with depression,
How to catch a bus,
How to register children and youth in the Anchorage School District system,
How to connect household utilities, and
How to find, research, and screen daycare homes and centers.
Phase Three is the expansion of the counseling program to include long-term (6-18 months) case management leading to economic independence for the Native client. Also in this phase would be researching and obtaining of a crisis/assistance money for clients in need.
General discussion around the Community
Center includes the following: first, the Center would be for
all age groups; second, it should be alcohol and drug-free;
third, the Center's location should be away from downtown and
4th Avenue in order to be alcohol and drug-free; fourth, as
stated by one Committee member, communication, between all
the various organizations, is a vital part of the planning
process. It is a key requirement for success of the Center
and in serving the client's needs," She continued by stating "One
way to alleviate some of the obstacles for the establishment
of the Community Center is to inform the agencies, clients,
and communities of the Center's purpose. Once they understand
what the Committee is trying to accomplish, it will be that
much easier to gain overall acceptance and participation from
all involved.
As a member of the ANCC, RurAL-CAP took the lead in getting the word out and gaining support for the establishment of the Center by sponsoring the first reception this week. Over 150 service agencies and/or individuals representing the Anchorage area or statewide agencies were invited to the reception. The ANCC and its Community Center Subcommittee plan to continue to define the Center and gain support for its establishment here in Anchorage.
The second part of my testimony is to share the health and social facts we have heard to date. I will start by reading the draft summary of the Substance Abuse Subcommittee recommendations.
During the months of July and August 1992, the Substance Abuse Subcommittee met
with various substance abuse treatment program providers to ascertain services
offered and to clarify additional needs as seen by those providers.
The Subcommittee was formed due to concerns expressed by various members of the Native community regarding the lack of cultural sensitivity and programming by substance abuse treatment programs. Preliminary results of the interviews with providers indicated that such is the case. Most programs do not offer culture-specific activities for their Native clients although there was general consensus among the providers that such programming is needed. The Subcommittee supports such programming as a major factor in the increased treatment success of Native clients.
Throughout the interviews, several points were emphasized and reiterated by the providers and with subsequent Committee discussions, they are listed below:
1. Increase funding for intermediate care treatment beds including short-term and long-term beds).
2. Explore the formation and operation of "urban Spirit Camps" as
an option for substance abuse treatment for Native people.
3. Establish funding for and mechanisms
to provide post-treatment support services (money to set up
households, transportation, "babysitter pools" , and counseling).
4. Increase outreach services to Native people to provide information about various substance abuse programs and other resources available to help.
5. Increase the cultural awareness and sensitivity of providers counselors, administrators, program directors, and volunteers).
6, Increase funding for transitional housing to support those who have completed treatment and are attempting to live a drug-free lifestyle in the community.
7. Increase awareness of employment services and training opportunities for those who are leaving treatment and establishing themselves in the community.
8. Provide employment opportunities for clients once they have completed treatment.
In general, substance abuse clients in publicly funded programs need either rehabilitation (the relearning of socially acceptable skills and behaviors which have been unused or forgotten) or habilitation (the learning of socially acceptable skills and behaviors). For those needing rehabilitation, less structured forms of treatment, such as Outpatient Services or short-term residential care, may be successful. However, for those needing habilitation, longer term treatment in a more structured residential setting has proven to be most effective.
Last week, the Subcommittee decided to follow-up
on the providers' presentations by interviewing the clients
of the same substance abuse treatment programs. The goals have
stayed the same, that is, to ascertain services offered and
to clarify additional needs as seen by those clients.
Also at this meeting, the Subcommittee arrived at six essential directions to
explore which it believed would aid in addressing alcohol and
drug abuse issues among Native peoples. These are, in order
of general priority: one, the development of an "urban Spirit Camp" model; two, support existing treatment programs while recommending that they become more "culturally sensitive" to the needs and values of their Native clientele; three, emphasize the importance of family involvement in substance abuse recovery by supporting such activities within existing treatment programs and by exploring the possibility of "family camps" revolving
around recovery; four, rethink the way in which alcoholism
is viewed in. terms of providing treatment services; five,
concentrate on prevention and education activities for Native
people; and last, look at developing an improved system of
emergency services to care for those inebriated or incapacitated
due to alcohol consumption. The Subcommittee's recommendations
are still evolving as it continues its research into the field
of alcohol and drug abuse.
One consideration being discussed is how adequately and appropriately to address the needs of persons who may have organic brain syndrome (damaged brains) due to alcohol consumption. Another area yet to be explored is that of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects adults who may need care other than that which is currently provided by treatment programs. More innovative and creative approaches to care for this yet-unidentified population need to be developed and supported financially.
Since the Spirit Camp concept has been mentioned several times by many people, I have started discussion with Gordon Pullar, Director, Alaska Native Human Resource Development Project, We will form a steering committee in November to further look into this concept.
The third subcommittee just formed has met
once to address the Alaska Native Women Concerns in Anchorage.
At the first meeting, Jewel Jones, Social Services Manager,
Department of Health and Human Services, Municipality of Anchorage,
opened by stating that these Native women on 4th Avenue are
beyond "at risk" and are victimized the most of all the street
people. In addition, she thought they were the toughest group
to crack in terms of addressing their addictions such as alcohol
and/or drug abuse, physical abuse, and mental abuse, just to
name a few.
Jewel stated she wanted to find out what's available for these women, not to dump this issue on the committee. The question is: what can we do for these women?
Two presentations were made at the first meeting, one by Lt. Bill Gifford,
Person Crimes, Anchorage police Department, and the other by Mike Huelsman, planning Officer, Municipality of Anchorage.
Lt. Bill Gifford stated the days of APD
preventive patrol on 4th Avenue are gone because they no longer
have the staff available to do it. Street people are called
the "throw-aways" by the officers because no one wants them.
Gifford reported that the APD caseload is
high: 77 of the 217 adult sexual assaults reported were Native
women which represents 35% of the reported assaults, which
is higher than the Native women population percentage in Anchorage.
He continued by stating that these women are being "selected" and
there are many target areas on 4th Avenue such as dark alleys
where the women could be attacked.
Gifford noted that of the last four female homicides, two of them were Alaska Natives connected to 4th Avenue. The study focused on 54 participants, with 80% being minorities. The study reported that, on the average, one violent incident occurred every 63 days per person. However, individuals reported the incident to the police department only 16% of the time. Many of the victims of crime were Native women who were raped.
Huelsman stated that these women are highly dependent on men for their protection. He said what needs to occur is to have these women removed or separated from the men for their own development and increased self-esteem.
Huelsman continued his presentation by summarizing a study currently being conducted by Dr. Dennis Fisher, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, University of Alaska Anchorage. The purpose of the study is to track drugs used, how they are used, and how these factors may relate to HIV. Of the 350 participants, 51 were Native women. About 50% of these women reported that they have injected their drug, usually cocaine. This action puts these women at high risk of becoming HIV-positive. I would like to add there is the thought that some of these women return to their villages during the summer months.
I would like to call your attention to an
article by the Anchorage Daily News, dated October 4, 1992,
titled "Her Mean Streets, Homeless Woman has Reason to Fear".
This article gives an overview of a Native woman's life on
the streets of Anchorage. The issues conveyed are:
1. What society thinks about her. She is
labeled an "outcast" and they loathe her.
2. How society treats her. She is treated as their scapegoat; she is beaten, raped, and maybe even murdered.
3. What she thinks about herself. Her self-esteem has plummeted and she thinks that assault is part of the price of living on the streets. In order to survive the street life she has emotionally numbed herself.
4. What she thinks of society. She thinks you can't trust people.
"Bean knows that this isn't really the way she should live, but right now it's home". But "I don't know how I can get out of this place",
she says.
The Alaska Native Women Concerns Subcommittee will continue to meet to address this identified issue.
In summary, the Committee recognizes all too well that there are many issues of significance to and greatly impacting the quality of life of Native persons in Anchorage. The Committee also recognizes that it had to establish priorities to address these issues otherwise it would be overwhelmed by these concerns. However, knowing this, the Committee decided to remain open and receptive to hearing and discussing additional needs to be explored and addressed in the future.
I thank the Municipality of Anchorage for giving me this opportunity to help Native people in Anchorage. I also thank the Anchorage Native Concerns Committee for their hard work and guidance. And once again, I thank this Commission for giving me this time to speak of these issues.
ANCHORAGE NATIVE CONCERNS COMMITTEE
MEMBERSHIP LIST
Franklin Berry, Director
Minority Student Svcs
U of A Anchorage
Max Chickalusion
Alcohol Program
Native Village of Tyonek
Pam Duff
Statewide Specialist
AK Council on Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Darleen
Beltz
Chemical Dependency Prgrm
Manager
Southcentral Foundation
Pauly Jerue for
Wilson Justin
Ahtna Anchorage Office
Jeanine Kennedy
Executive Director
RurAL CAP ,
Edna Lamebull, Director
Indian Education Program
Anchorage School District
Amy Lohr
Private Consultant
Doug Modig
Private Consultant
Eric Morrison
President
AK Native Brotherhood,
Camp #87
Sister Angie Pratt
Catholic Social Services
Dr. Bernard Segal
Ctr for Alcohol & Addiction Studies
U of A Anchorage |
Mary Schaeffer
Special Assistant
Inuit Circumpolar Conference
Dr. Ramona Suetopka-Durre
AMETAC Director
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
Janice Schroeder
Boardmember
AK Native Education Council
Paul Tony
Chairman of the Board
AK Native Foundation
Anne Walker
Executive Director
AK Native Health Board
AD HOC MEMBERS
Brian Donaldson, MD
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce
Walter T. Featherly
Boardmember
Anchorage School District
Brian Porter
Assembly member
Municipality of Anchorage
Arliss Sturgulewski
Senator
Alaska State Senate
COMMITTEE STAFF SUPPORT
Charmaine V. Ramos
Urban Native Issues
Municipality of Anchorage |
This document was ocr scanned. We have made every
attempt to keep the online document the same as the original,
including the recorder's original misspellings or typos.
