Local supporters attending the "Carrying the Message" Sobriety Conference on November 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
SALT LAKE CITY — The “Carrying the Message” Sobriety Conference began Thursday, November 1 at the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake.
Event organizers Willeena George (Shoshone-Bannock) and Paul Frank (Yakama) have taken the conference to several parts of the Pacific Northwest since they started five years ago. This year they were invited to share the conference in Utah by Anthony Guzman, the Director of the center.
Frank said it’s a lot of work and planning and many times the funding comes out of their own pockets, but it’s worth it to him, because he was once there, struggling with addiction and now he tries to give back to the people.
Frank has been sober for over 13 years. He said it makes the community better to help those who are trying to change their life with struggles.
“Carrying the Message” incorporates the teachings of Native culture along with what is taught in the Alcoholics Anonymous program. He said the teachings are similar in some ways.
Frank said when people heal they learn to carry a message through honesty, sincerity and looking at their past, which that past always hits in their heart but is stuck in their mind.
So if one can align it with the heart and bring it out that leads to healing.
“We can’t carry a message unless we heal. We’re wounded still,” he said.
George said the conference attendance wasn’t as much as it usually is but they still reached the people who came.
“Sometimes it doesn’t matter on the attendance, what really matters was we were able to reach some, because we want to give back in any form,” said Frank.
Also in attendance were their friends from Lummi, Alvin and Valerie Cultee, who lent a hand in helping them, put on the conference.
The event consisted of an invocation and welcome, talking circle, various speakers, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and dinner, sweat, and suicide awareness education. The event ended with the Indigenous Day Powwow that had Black Lodge as host drum, drawing in many on Saturday.
Fort Hall Business Council member Lee Juan Tyler showed his support for the group by doing a welcome and talking about his sobriety experience on Thursday.
Other tribal members traveled to the event to attend included Vidella Gould, Shanna Tendoy, Sarah Tendoy, and Kody Tendoy. Kody was honored by the group for his sobriety and just got out of treatment.
They are grateful for the many supporters and sponsors who helped make the event a success and also to those that helped with raffle donations.
They would also like to recognize local beadwork artist, Patty Johnson, who helped by beading sobriety coin medallions for speakers.
George said, “We keep on sharing our stories, our stories come from our hearts. We’ve been there so we share what we been through and how we can help people.”
Those interested in joining the group can contact them through their “Carrying the Message” Facebook page. They also have meetings in Fort Hall on Saturdays at 7 p.m. at the Elderly Complex.