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Community health and healing
 

I just want to express the gratitude I have for our local news publication. I appreciate the press coverage that they give to local artists and efforts to embrace events that focus on healing and wellness. I am a certified prevention specialist, working in the field of trauma and addiction, and it is indeed therapy when one works in any media of the arts. Our local community is blessed with an immense number of people who care and share about how art has served them in a therapeutic manner.

I enjoy working with local families and community members, as well as the tourists who visit our area, and being able to take the time to educate them about tribal and other ethnic cultural beliefs that support wellness and diversity is important to me. The articles done by your publication have helped me to do this, and for that there is no price to equal the gifts people have received in sharing the knowledge and developing new relationships. It is important for me, that I share about solutions and ways to begin healing processes.

Our community suffers from budget cuts, violence, and grief, so it is only natural if we can find a way to offer self-induced therapy, that we do what we can. Other than that all I can do is encourage people to become involved, volunteering, or become a part of the system you wish to change. I try to walk my talk, and in the spirit of this, I will be running for a position on my tribal council again. I do believe, if the "people lead the leaders will follow." So I look to my Siletz tribal relatives to ask questions and step up to do their part - cast your vote in the February 2007 election. Thanks again, for helping me to share, and to do my work of teaching others how to do what I do. For those who may wish to contact me, nadosh2@yahoo.com or 444-1290.

Lisa Brown

Siletz