Page 10 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - March-April 2022

10

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Native Connections

classes, activities

Spring is in full bloom and summer is just
around the corner. Throughout April, the Chehalis
Tribe’s Heritage & Culture Program offered classes
on ribbon skirts and spring plant harvesting.
Participants learned how to harvest and identify
specific plants for consumption and how to
distinguish beneficial plants from nuisance weeds.
Healthy plants such as dandelions, purple dead
nettles and big maple leaf blossoms can be added to
daily meals.
Those who attended classes gained hands-
on experience working with plants and creating
delicious dishes. Recipes were provided to take
home to their families. They also received helpful
tips for cleaning up flower beds and gardens.
Classes are open to all Chehalis tribal members,
community members and employees and run
from 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the
Heritage & Culture library. Heritage & Culture
also can accommodate groups for special classes
to make teas, balms, syrups and other herbal plant
medicines.
Future classes include creating home herbal kits,
summer first aid kits, sunscreens and working in
the program’s new garden.

QPR gatekeeper training Yoga classes

The Chehalis Native Connections QPR is a resource that Yoga provides numerous
Program is bringing suicide introduces the three steps anyone benefits to the body and
awareness to the community and can learn to help save a life from mind, such as flexibility,
working with youth through classes suicide. Just as people are trained balance, strength and
and activities to build self-esteem, in CPR to help save thousands each clarity. It also can be used
develop team-building skills and year, those trained in QPR learn as a coping mechanism for
help decrease bullying in schools how to: mental health.
and the community. n Recognize suicide warning Michelle Pugh from
First up is Question, Persuade signs. Joonbug Yoga teaches yoga
and Refer (QPR) classes for up n Understand how to offer hope. and stretching to youth in
to 25 participants. The program n Persuade and refer someone the after school program
uses QPR gatekeeper to help. on the first and fourth
training to provide Join us to learn how Friday of each month.
guidance on how to ask the question From 1-2 p.m. each
to ask questions and save a life. Tuesday, she teaches an MORE INFORMATION
regarding suicide. In the coming afternoon stretch class in
Training is structured months, the program the Community Center
as a forum for staff, will hold weekend Gathering Room. Contact Melanee Stevens at
community and classes to prepare for the mstevens@chehalistribe.org
youth to discuss annual Suicide Prevention or 360-709-1683.
this serious topic. Awareness Walk.