Poverty Is Not an Accident

Poverty Is Not an Accident
Nelson Mandela

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Wounded Warriors: Native American Veterans with PTSD

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Wounded Warriors: Native American Veterans with PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, affects thousands in the USA. Many of those impacted by PTSD are military Veterans. A disproportionate number of those Veterans are Native American. US Department of Veterans Affairs and US Census figures list approximately one hundred, sixty thousand living Veterans of Native identity. This means a full ten percent of all living Native Americans are Veterans. Comparisons to the general population show that nearly three times as many Natives served in the armed forces as non-Natives, per capita.

In this documentary, producer Rogi Riverstone spoke with three men whose lives are affected by PTSD.

Dave Fero, Ph.D. is the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line Manager at the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System, Prescott, Arizona

Michael Villanueva, Ph.D. conducts research on PTSD. His projects have collected data on both Hopi and Zuni veterans.

Bruce King is a Viet Nam veteran, an artist and a member of the Oneida Nation, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In Part One,
we will examine the challenges faced by Native American Veterans with PTSD, and those who care for them. Airs Sunday, May 28 at 12:30pm on Singing Wire, KUNM 89.9fm http://kunm.org

In Part Two,
we will hear the experiences of Native American Veterans who seek healing from PTSD. Airs Sunday, June 4 at 12:30pm on Singing Wire, KUNM 89.9fm http://kunm.org

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

I'd like to thank the little people

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... and the trolls, elves, sprites and fairies, too.

Subject: Independent producer award
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 16:52:44 -0600

Congratulations! Your independent producer application has been
approved.

The award amount is $900, plus expenses up to $277 (don't ask me how we
came
up with that figure)

Please write back to me to confirm that you accept the award; and also
confirm what your production deadline is.

Keep in mind that if you have trouble meeting your deadline, you can
apply
for one extension of up to 3 months.

Thanks,

Marcos Martinez
Program Director, KUNM-FM
MSC06 3520
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

Saturday, May 13, 2006

I've been sick



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A broken tooth absessed. That's not unusual. What's unusual is that this one couldn't drain. My face swelled. My eye squeezed shut. I was in torture. Called clinic for antibiotic appointment.

Dr. gives me lecture: you should be at dental, not here -- implication: I don't have to treat you, if I don't want to.

I explain dental requires I be there at 6:30am, 2 hrs. before the 1xhr. bus starts. I'm too sick to ride my bike. All I need is some pennecillin, please!

Whoa, whoa! I didn't say I wouldn't give you some! yeah, right.

I BARELY made it to the next bus, which makes a long loop, back to the downtown transit center, before it passes near my house again. Aching, swollen, feverish, I was jostled and banged the whole way. Finally disembarked a few blocks from my house, where I could pick it up on its way back. Sat in the sun, half dazed and waited. By the time I got off a block from my house, here came Ma, from pharmacy, with my script. She'd gone with me and I handed her the script as I hit the bus.

I've spent about three days in bed. Couldn't eat. Incontinent from the antibiotics now. Swelling's gone down and I can, just now, eat bland foods: chicken, jello, mac & cheese.

I have people to interview this weekend for my radio production. I seriously need a bath. I have to do this; I'm running out of time.

My electric bicycle was stolen at UNM about 2 weeks ago. I got a new one. It seems to be better and stronger than the old, but just as pretty and, surprisingly, about a hundred dollars cheaper! I'll be paying it off until fall. sigh.

I have a new scooter, too. It cost about fifty dollars more than my original, RaZor scooter. Bigger tires, more solid ride, better seat, lights, horn, etc. MUCH better vehicle. Problem is: assembly on these SUCKS! I owned it 3 weeks and had only driven it ONCE! "Tech support" said I'd burned out the coil, running the fuel with too little oil. Well, THAT hardly sounded like something I'd do. So, after much effort, I finally got to the coil, chased the wires to the battery housing and found... IT WAS DISCONNECTED at the wiring coupling! And another coupling was diconnecting too! AND the back wheel's not positioned and keeps freezing on me AND the motor mount bolts are SO tight, I can't reverse them with Ma's Makita drill (which has like the world's strongest household drill motor...). It's a good machine, poorly assembled. Right now, I can't drive it cuz the back tire's frozen. I'm too sick to stand on my head and adjust it.

It would be nice to do these interviews, over the next, three days, without pedalling up hill to the university. But the scooter needs work. So, I'll take the bike.

I bought alarms, arriving from China. I bought a cover for it. I've got motor cycle locks....AND I'm parking it right out in the open, so people will NOTICE if someone's trying to break a lock! They stole the other cuz I had it parked at bike racks that can't easily be seen by passersby. Won't happen again.

I called all the pawn and bike shops, described my bike and offered a fifty dollar reward.

Don't have a clue how I'm paying for all this, but I DID get an indy producers' grant for this documentary.

So, between two vehicles and the money from the doc, MAYBE I can get my damn teeth fixed! LOL

The goats are growing like weeds. I saw a roadrunner in my front yard pond this morning. I've seen her on our roof, too. Never thought I'd have a roadrunner. Must be because we don't have any dogs anymore.

Well, I'm sweaty and stinky. My hair's a fright. I'm actually hungry (heating a mac & cheese in the micro). So, it's time to bathe and eat and prepare myself to pretend I'm just fine, so I can interview people.

Got in touch with Simon Ortiz. He's a poet I really respect. He has agreed to be interviewed. He gave me Leslie Marmon Silko's email address (wonder how SHE'll feel about that!). Silko wrote _Ceremony_: a story about a WW2 veteran, coming back to the rez, all messed up from the war. I'd like to read some passages into the documentary.

So, since this documentary is airing on the 28th, I think you can see I have a ton of challenges on a mouth full of pus. yuck.