Rebecca Washakie retires after working over 30 years for Sho-Ban Tribes

Rebecca Washakie (left) and the original tribal fitness instructors, from left, Ola Hernandez, Shirley Alvarez and Rebecca Washakie.

By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Rebecca Washakie retired as the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Health Education Manager and has collectively served the tribes for over 30 years. 

She started working for the Tribes in the early 90s, right out of high school she worked at TP Gas. She moved onto the Bureau of Indian Affairs Realty Department. 

She was asked by Shirley Alvarez to help teach fitness classes, along with her and Ola Hernandez. They all got certified to teach to better serve the community.

They moved their classes from what was known as the old Blouse Factory to the A Frame building. Eventually they ended up moving to their permanent location at the Fitness Building next to Timbee Hall. 

After the passing of her husband she came to a crossroads and decided to leave the BIA and go back to school and get her associates in business and marketing, all while continuing to help with fitness classes. She feels exercise is what kept her going through that difficult time. 

“It really did help me mentally from going through grief,” she said. 

They started to open up new positions at Tribal Health and one of them was the Preventative Health position, which also included doing WIC. She applied for it since she was already on the path of doing preventative health things with Shirley and Ola. She was hired and did that until 2002 because she wanted to pursue her health education degree.

She has always considered Shirley and Ola as big sisters to her for always helping her along and encouraging her to go back to school. She went back and also worked part time for a year or so with the Northwest Band doing the Tobacco Prevention Program.

While in her last two years of school she went back to work for the Sho-Ban Tribes as a Health Educator under the late Roanna Stump. She really appreciated her for being the best manager she’s ever had and being a mentor to her.

She finished up her last year and got her degree. Roanna encouraged her to apply for the Health Education Manager position when it opened. 

She said, “It’s been fun. I’ve always enjoyed my job. It's what I went to school for. Having the mentors in the community that I had was always where our emphasis was making sure that we paid it forward and made sure we did our part in the community, in regards to prevention and making sure people had those services available. It’s been rewarding.”

Washakie said it takes a special person to be in the health field because one has to have that genuine concern and passion for people’s health and lifestyles and livelihood. 

Throughout her health career Washakie feels most proud of getting the seatbelt and child safety seat law passed for the safety and injury prevention it gave to the community. She’s done a number of smoke free policies for Sho-Ban School and the Sho-Ban Casino. She also feels good about doing her part, along with Shirley and Ola a.k.a The Original Fort Hall Fitness Queens for keeping the fitness classes going. 

She said sometimes you outgrow those things and you have to make room for the younger generation to carry on with their fresh and new moves. 

“Change is inevitable and you always have to be open to that,” said Washakie. “The things you do are going to be for those people coming behind you.”

Washakie continues to live a healthy lifestyle by never taking her health for granted and being self-conscious of her time.

“The first 50 years of your life you’re always busy taking care of others. Especially for women. We’re always taking care of everybody else and their needs, our children, family members, if you have a spouse or a partner you’re taking care of their needs first. Sometimes you don’t think about yourself and your needs and your health, so you neglect yourself,” she said. “As you get older it’s almost like you know what, it's okay to be selfish with your time. It’s okay to think about yourself. It’s okay to do things for you – this next 50 I’m going to do things that make me happy.”

She also tries to eat better, get good sleep, walking and spending time with her grandchildren. She also does things now because she wants to do them and not because she is obligated to do things for someone else. 

Washakie said at this time in her life she wants to do something different, but isn’t quite sure of what that is yet. In the meantime she’s keeping busy with home improvements and spending quality time with her five grandchildren. She’s also enjoying taking road trips and having a lot more time to herself.

One of the things she wants to do is having her own business because she likes being busy.

She’s sure she’ll continue to work as it’s been ingrained in her to do so through her family teachings.  

“I think I’ll find something,” she said.