Matagi I’atala
Yankton Sioux
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
17 years old
Student, Red Could Indian School, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
I would like to participate in the swim because it would be very good experience for me. Not many high students take the opportunity to get involved with health. I believe that if I participate in this event it would benefit other students and encourage them to be more open minded about healthy life choices.
Jacob 
Cousins
Oglala Lakota
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
17 years old
Student, Red Could Indian School, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
My name is Jacob Cousin, a rising senior attending Red Cloud High School. I see myself as a bright, outgoing young adult who not only wants the best for myself but for those around me as well. I am great student academically, and not only strive in my school work but excel in sports as well. I feel as if that is what my teammates have in common. We are all fun, smart people who love to endure in physical activity, whether that be cheerleading, track, or wrestling.
I’d like to participate in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week because I see this program as a challengingly fun experience to have partaken in, while trying new and exciting things. During the week, I’d like to learn more about Alcatraz itself. I’ve never been to the west coast, so I see this as a great opportunity to be able to hear stories about it and be able to experience the place and environment around in person.
The learning I’d like to bring back home to apply in my own life is how to be a more healthy person. I feel like if I use the resources and new information I am given, I can not only give myself a healthier lifestyle afterwards but forever on as well.
The learning I’d like to bring back to share with my family and community is that becoming more healthy doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. That changing only little things can be fun and easy and not only improve how one views oneself but how one views others and the world as well.
I think my team’s commitment after the Alcatraz swim week will be very strong. We are all very active independent leaders who I know will try our best to change the community around us in a positive way.
Three goals I will commit to in participating in the PATHSTAR program are being open to trying new things, to give it my all in everything we do, and to have the best experience I possibly can while attending.
Eliza
beth Best
Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band
Spokane Valley, Washington
33 years old
Child Mental Health Therapist, Kalispel Tribe
Hello. I am Elizabeth Best, an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, the Okanogan Band. I left the the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week in 2014 hungry for more. The program has so many wonderful things to offer and it is hard to take it all in in just one week. i would like to continue my learning. I challenged myself last year to try my best to take at least five things home. I have such a new awareness and can see the changes I have created in my life because of PATHSTAR.
This year has been one of learning many of life’s lessons. These are lessons that are not taught in classrooms. Instead you simply have to go through them and live them. Last year brought changes in my professional and personal life. I learned to adapt and embrace change. In order to grow we must change. I have experienced grief and loss first hand with the loss of a child. I have come to know that emotions and feelings truly guide our actions. I know now that the beautiful feeling of happiness is one that I want to feel full force. PATHSTAR has provided many opportunities for genuine happiness. I am a firm believer in when you find something that makes you happy, do more of it! My loss also brought many feelings of sadness. I feel that PATHSTAR gave me strength to not return to old unhealthy habits and taught me to cope. I have remained tobacco free. I am aware of my eating habits; I plan for snacks instead of grabbing processed ‘on the go’ foods, I no longer attempt to energize myself with sugary drinks, and I drink more water than I have ever in my life. I have noticed my talks with friends, family, coworkers, clients and even strangers are different these days. I encourage people to look— to truly look —at the foods they consume, read the nutrition labels, change up what their plates look like and to opt for organic when possible. Yes, these are just baby steps, but I imagine what will come from continued learning with PATHSTAR.
This year while attending the Alcatraz swim week I want to learn more about gardening. Key things I want to learn: how to garden in an urban setting, how to keep plants producing after the first round, what vegetables are going to thrive in my climate and how to do this on a budget. I am currently working on a home garden. I live in a rental so I have to adjust my way of gardening. In the past I used pots and grew a few plants. This year I will be attempting to grow things in a planter box and expand! The garden is going to help me keep fresh produce in my family’s diet. I plan on learning to pickle and can foods this year, too. I think that this will provide yet another way of controlling the quality of food my family consumes.
Returning home I will continue to share with those who want to hear about the program. My role in the community is a mental health therapist for the domestic violence program. My approach to wellness is to find balance in all areas of the medicine wheel (physical, mental, emotional and social/spiritual). I want my clients to consider each of these areas when seeking wellness I will continue to encourage my clients and coworkers to practice self care. I have shared many of the tools from the conferences with my coworkers and recently have been asked to present to a group of foster parents. I would like to get a PATHSTAR panel set up for the community I work in. Over the last year I sat on a few back home and with the Aii conferences. These are great ways to inspire others to look at their own wellness and they are great reminders of the challenges I have overcome.
A saying that stuck with me from one of the conferences is ‘what you focus on grows.’ This is not a new saying to me but for some reason it has a new meaning. So I will continue to focus on all around wellness for myself and see where it goes! I hope that I am selected to join PATHSTAR 2015 for another amazing journey!
Shelli Martinez
Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band
Omak, Washington
34 years old
Colville Confederated Tribes Diabetes Prevention Program: Physical Activities Lifestyle Specialist
My name is Shelli Martinez and I am a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band, in Washington State. I am a graduate of Eastern Washington University and have the privilege to work with our Tribal people as a Physical Activities Lifestyle Specialist for our Diabetes Program. My position allows me to combine financial support with my passion for helping our People overcome barriers to living a healthy lifestyle and motivate them for change. I administer diabetes screenings in my community and recruit individuals diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes to join our Lifestyle Balance Class where we focus on lifestyle changes through nutrition education and physical activities. We work together as a team to encourage healthy choices that will prevent diabetes and enhance our quality of life.
Diabetes has been part of my life since I was very young. I would sit next to my Grandmother and help her inject insulin into her arms and legs daily. This became part of our routine and built a false sense of normalcy about having diabetes. She fought a long and courageous battle with the disease; having her leg amputated, suffering from Neuropathy, and enduring hemodialysis 3 days per week for 5 years before succumbing to end-stage kidney failure from type II diabetes. Remembering my Grandmothers’ complications due to the disease keeps me motivated to lead a healthy lifestyle and encourage others to take charge of their health.
The PATHSTAR model of education, support, and encouragement aligns with my professional background and my passion for motivating people for positive change. Motivation is rooted in self-empowerment and the PATHSTAR swim week is the most empowering endeavor I have attempted and successfully completed for four consecutive years (2011-2014.) I recruit family and tribal members into the program to experience first- hand how the program will impact their life. During the week we are faced with opportunities to “sink” or “swim” in our journey of wellness. When one of us may feel like giving up and “sinking” there is an abundance of support to encourage us to keep “swimming” through our barriers in life.
During the week I want to enhance my swimming ability/coaching; breathing, stroke, proper body alignment. I also want to receive life coaching tools to increase our success rate in areas such as; weight loss, improved diet and positive outlook. I think all of the participants, including myself, can benefit from weight lifting and it would be nice to have an orientation at a local gym. Swimming is wonderful exercise, but in our area we only have access to lake swimming 4 months out of the year. Our group can continue their weight room routine throughout the entire year.
The skills I gain during the PATHSTAR week inspire me to continue my swimming and I have become a certified water front lifesaver/lifeguard to assist people wanting to train in open water swimming. Last year I collaborated with our Tribal Health program and other health activists to sponsor our Colville Tribes 1st annual Take Charge of Your Heath Triathlon which culminated on Aug. 2, 2014. Our 2nd annual Take Charge of Your Health Triathlon is set for Aug. 1, 2015 in Omak Washington and will consist of a 500 yard swim at Omak Lake, followed by a 10-mile bike ride, and finishing with a three-mile run/jog/walk. My experience as a PATHSTAR swimmer has contributed to this endeavor becoming a reality!
Our team is fully committed to participating in all aspects of the PATHSTAR program. We will follow the guidelines set for us and stay on track with our healthy cooking, healthy eating, and exercise routines. During the year following PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week we will share our triumphant experiences with our friends, family, at community events and conferences. We will represent the Colville Tribes and all First Nation people by honoring our ancestors’ guidance to show kindness, be humble, help others in need, and make healthy choices.
Three goals I will commit to in participating in the PATHSTAR program are:
Work with my teammates and community to implement an open water swim program/water based activities
Share my PATHSTAR experience, the struggles, and how I overcame them.
Be a positive role model for others who need motivation to make healthy choices and offer guidance.
Nakina Mills 
Oglala Lakota
Pine Ridge, South Dakota
35 years old
Director of Advancement and Alumni Support, Red Cloud Indian School
My name is Nakina Mills and I am a enrolled tribal member from the Oglala Sioux Tribe. I would like to participate in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week this year as I feel that I still get so much more from the program. I have completed the swim 6 times now, but I still believe that there is still so much more to learn and get from this program.
During the week, I’d like to learn more about the making of healthier food and being creative when it comes to making my food when I am back home. In the years that I have done PATHSTAR, my family and I have done different recipes for foods made with natural ingredients and using more fruits and vegetables when we cook. Prior to PATHSTAR, I really did not pay attention to all the fat and grease and harmful chemicals. So these are the things that I would to focus on this time.
In the end, everything that I learn I would be taking back and sharing with my family and the community. I am a director in the high school, and I already share and talk about about my experience with them. I hope that by me sharing it with them they will be playing it forward. My hope is that I can bring some students out this year so that we can start with the younger generation to change the unhealthy habits that have plagued our people for many years.
Travis J Bessette
Colville Confederated Tribes
Gaithersberg, MD
35 years old
Construction Laborer
My name is Travis J Bessette, I am an enrolled Colville Tribal Member and son of Theresa Bessette. I had an opportunity last year to do the Alcatraz swim and make a commitment to my own family. I would like to participate in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Program this year again; my last experience has changed my life for the best. It’s hard to make big changes in life. The energy and time commitment often feels too great; that’s when I look at my daughter and know it is possible because I love her and want to be there for her no matter what struggles I have. It’s about what you choose to do with your life—it’s a commitment only you can achieve. Changing bad health habits come about in the same way that changing any habit does.
The learning I’d like to bring back home to apply to my own life is living a better healthier life with food choices and exercise. I really want to see my daughter grow and learn from my experience and allow her to try foods that will help her be healthy, too.
My team commitment is to show our entire family how they can change their life. It’s not just showing them about the unhealthy ways we live right now but also about showing them ways we can seek what we want out of life.
Goals for me are eating healthy and teaching my daughter, helping her learn good eating habits, too, so I can enjoy her growth from childhood into adulthood.
Sherelle Cleveland
Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band
Coulee Dam, Washington
41 years old
State Farm Insurance Office Manager
I recently found out that I am pre-diabetic. I was shocked! I have always been athletic, relatively thin, and in good health. Over the last few years, I have improved my health in some ways (quit smoking, for example), and in other ways my health has deteriorated (I have gained weight recently and am not happy with my current weight). I had no idea that I was in the pre-diabetic ballpark, and was even more surprised to learn that not only does my mother’s family have a history of diabetes, but my father’s family does as well. I don’t want to be a diabetic. I see this challenge as a way to motivate, discipline, and experience a positive change in my life that will benefit my health.
I also am interested in the symbolic choice of swimming from Alcatraz. It makes me think of the history of the island; its use as a prison, the occupation by the Indians of All Tribes in the late 60’s, and its status as a visitor’s destination today. In my mind, I can tie these things to my motivations for wanting to do this for myself.
During the week, I’d like to learn more about healthy recipes, health education, and how to prevent diabetes. The learning I’d like to bring back home to apply in my own life how to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a busy schedule. The learning I’d like to bring back to share with my family and community is healthy meals and all of the health education we will gain during the week.
My husband and I are committing to this experience and during the year following the Alcatraz swim week we will support each other in our healthy lifestyle goals and share our experience with anyone who wants to know our Alcatraz swim story.
Three goals I will commit to in participating in the PATHSTAR program are
I will only eat and drink the healthy food provided to us during the swim week.
I will be supportive of the other group members
I will put forth 100% effort into each activity we participate in and be willing to share my experience with others.
Kristen Bradley
Chapa-De Indian Health Program
Grass Valley, California
43 years old
Registered Dietician, Certified Diabetes Educator, Chapa-De Indian Health Program
As a Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator at Chapa-De Indian Health Program, I work every day to advocate for, inspire, educate, and improve the quality of life of Native Americans with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or other challenging health conditions. I am honored to have this opportunity to participate in the 2015 PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week along with the many wonderful people I work with on a daily basis.
There are many reasons I would like to participate in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week.
I work with many people who are currently living with diabetes. For some it is well-managed; for others life is very challenging, and each day is a struggle. Some would never have an opportunity to participate in a program like PATHSTAR. I see participating in this program as a way to show respect, appreciation, and offer a tribute to each of them.
By joining as a participant I will be able to keep my word and offer support to the people from Chapa-De who have chosen to participate in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week.
Together we have an opportunity to positively create change among firends, family, and community in ways that I could never do alone. As a team we can be much more influential than we can be as individuals.
In addition, this experience will allow me to grow as an individual. I will have the opportunity to become a stronger swimmer, learn from other professionals in the field, and gain a greater understanding of Native American culture.
During the week I would like to discuss obstacles and barriers to change with other participants and work together to overcome these barriers. I would also like to learn new tactics for tackling relapse, because life always throws us curve balls.
I will bring back to my own life a reminder of how important it is to go out on a limb, leave my comfort zone, accept new challenges, and live life with enthusiasm.
I will share with my family and community the belief that we can all achieve much more in life and health than we often imagine. I would like to be able to impact self-efficacy amongst those in our community who need it most. The beliefs a person has regarding his/her power to affect situations influences his/her choices and ability to face challenges.
Our team is fully committed to sharing our experiences via conferences and local community events. We anticipate implementing new community events such as walks/hikes or swimming opportunities and/or container gardening classes.
Three goals I commit to in participating in the PATHSTAR program are:
Overcome my fears of swimming in the bay.
Share y experience to help motivate others and be a catalyst for change.
Promote the program to possible candidates in the future.
Shawna Jackson
Hoopa
Sacramento, California
48 years old
Clerk, City of Fairfield, CA
I’m a 48 year old female, Native American, the 7th of 7 children. I have 1 brother and 5 sisters. Both of my parents are deceased. I have 1 child, 27 y/o, and my boyfriend of 20 years. I have worked for the City of Fairfield for 28 years, as well as officiating volleyball for club, high school, college D-2, and beach. I have also done home care in the past for 15 years.
On March 26, 2013, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had a HgbA1C of 12.4. On this day I changed the way I ate. I was referred to the diabetic program and did a 10 week course, taught by Kristen Bradley. This class gave me the tools I need to take control of my diabetes—how to shop, how much to eat, and how important exercising is. After the 10 week course, I continued with the support group that is offered. Here they give you updated information, they have guest speakers on different subjects, and they give you information on seminars that you can attend.
I feel I have taken control of my diabetes. By June 2013 I had my HgA1C down to 6.6, and by September 2013 I had it down to 5.9 I no longer have to take medication, and I keep my HgA1C between 5.9-6.5.
My biggest support is from my family. They understand how much I do not want any complications from diabetes. I was born with 3 kidneys and have had numerous exploratory surgeries as a kid.
My next supporter is Kristen Bradley. She has been the person outside of the home that has kept me on track. Even when I go off track, she can put me right back on. She is always positive. This is one of the reasons I would like to complete the Alcatraz swim; she will be by my side and we will finish this challenge together.
What I would like to get from this program is the planning of meals, different exercise programs, and learning about how to get into a routine and to continue once I have completed the program.
My plans once I come home are to take what I have learned and to teach others and to pass on the information I will be given. I will not only give back to my people but I will also give back to my community. I plan on taking this information to teach the people on the colony in Battle Mountain, NV, where the people there do not have the support to help them with their diabetes; most of them there just give up.
My goals for after the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week:
Take as much information back to help educate the people of both my parents’ tribes. If I can get through to just one person, I will have accomplished this goal.
Continue with a fitness program and get my weight down to what I should be for my height. This will be an ongoing goal.
Get and keep my HgA1C at 5.5.
Sally Hutton Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band
Tonasket, Washington
54 years old
Colville Confederated Tribes Public Health Nurse
I would like to participate in the 2015 PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week because I would like to improve my health and learn healthier coping life skills. During the week I would like to learn more about exercise, healthy meal and snack preparation, and coping skills for managing stressful daily challenges/events.
My mother was an insulin-dependent diabetic who had one leg amputated and spent the last 5 years of her life on hemodialysis. My father became a diabetic at 80 y/o; he was insulin dependent and had numerous vascular/cardiac conditions, including open-heart surgery. I was a gestational diabetic with both pregnancies and I am diabetic now, on oral agents. I NEED to lose weight and change my habits to stop any kidney damage.
I am the Public Health Nurse for the Colville Confederated Tribes in the Omak, WA, district of our reservations. I have two children, 18 y/o and 20 y/o, who will both be in college this fall, and I would like to be a positive influence in their lives regarding health, nutrition, exercise, stress management, and healthy coping skills.
My team will work together following the Alcatraz swim week to promote healthy fitness through exercise and healthy eating to control or prevent diabetes. We started an annual sprint triathlon and will be the example for community members with daily walks. I will be promoting annual health screening for early detection and prevention of diabetes.
Three goals I would like to accomplish when I return after the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week:
Promote home and community gardens
Promote daily exercise and healthy nutrition and no smoking tobacco or diet pops in my home and community.
Promote annual health check-ups to screen for diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in my home and community.
Patricia Smith Hoopa, Sioux
Grass Valley, California
56 years old
Attorney assistant
Who I am is very simple It is where I am going that is important. I am a middle-aged, Native woman at the point of several transitions in life. I am trying to find a new economic focus, go from less healthy to more healthy, and to find more meaningful ways to contribute to the betterment of my community.
I was not aware of the genetics of my Native heritage until my father was diagnosed as a diabetic 15 years ago. It never occurred to me that this could happen to me. It has, and, after carefully looking at the problem, I have come to the realization that modern living has contributed as much to this condition as genetics. From additives in the food we eat, the lack of safe water, and a safe, plentiful and healthy food supply to the digital age which keeps us glued to our chips and eyes to monitors, the lives we lead no longer support our bodies in a healthy manner.
I am interested in participating in PATHSTAR because I am at an age where I hesitate before I launch, and I have lost a certain amount of faith in my ability to accomplish the goals I have. I feel that a week spend focusing on health and the challenge of swimming from Alcatraz to San Francisco will give me that much needed encouragement to move ahead in life. I guess that I need to re-discover that hard does not mean impossible.
I have carefully evaluated the time and energy commitment that this will entail and am confident in my feeling that I can make that commitment.
I am less confident in the swim part. I think I will probably be the oldest participant. This is good. Middle-aged people need to be given the reinforcement that age is not a limitation to living life or for being the driver for change in their communities.
Looking at the community I live in, I see the need for several projects that will provide small steps toward a larger health goal. For instance, if a community garden is not feasible, container gardening/square foot gardening is. Creating a way for thesis gardeners to connect and perhaps exchange excess produce would be a new way to get healthier food into people’s hands and at a reduced cost. Monthly cooking classes using clean foods to teach simple recipes with minimal equipment would provide access to skills that are no longer taught in our culture.
Theresa Bessette
Colville Confederated Tribes
Plummer, Idaho
58 years old
Benewah Medical Center: Inreach Coordinator
Healthy habits are very important in my life, but making a commitment to health, fitness, and nutrition is challenging. I challenge myself daily! A healthy lifestyle challenges me to establish sustainability by developing a plan around my goals in life. This plan provides ongoing support until I reach my commitment.
When I deal with real tragedy in life, I react in two ways—either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits or by using the challenge to find inner strength. I choose to workout harder and take longer walks to ease my mind and re-group myself.
As I say to myself daily, looking beautiful isn’t just about what you apply on your face. It’s the little things you do that matter. A combination of a good diet, exercise, healthy habits, and discipline. This is what my beauty routine consists of. The times of transition are strenuous, but I love them. They give me an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits.
During the week of Alcatraz I plan to learn more about my inner beauty and maintain my good self esteem and enjoy the great learning experiences that help me grow stronger every day, as a person who will reach her goals in life, learning from experts who love to make life changes worthwhile.
My son and I have made commitments to our family and communities as an example of healthy eating and exercise. We plan to teach our people how life can continue toward longevity and enjoy your family as they grow older.
My plans are to bring back more information about living a healthy life style and show by examples of who I am how others can succeed as well—helping them set some goals and support them through the process when times get hard.
Goals: Eating healthy, swimming, exercise, and being obsessed with my commitment as a new person who loves life and is growing from changes which are good.
Josephine Cohen (Joey)
Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band
Oroville, Washington
59 years old
Recording Secretary, Colville Tribal Gaming Commission, Omak, Washington
I am Joey Cohen, from the Okanogan Band, an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, Okanogan Band, of the Colville Reservation from Eastern Washington State.
Participation in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz swim week has been one of the most life-changing events in my life. To date I have participated in three swim weeks. Each year has been so remarkable because I come away with such a peace of mind and inner confidence. Due to physical limitations, I cannot participate in a to of impact exercise. PATHSTAR has sparked and instilled in me a great love of swimming and has made a change in my physical mobility and allowed me to try new things. I would love to be able to participate again this year as I feel the swim week re-energizes me physically and mentally.
There is so much to learn during the swim week, and I especially love the hands-on cooking of healthy foods that the group prepares together. I need to learn more about how to make myself continue the healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise on a daily basis. It is a great start on a path to a healthy lifestyle.
What I would like to bring back to my community and family is a healthy being that can share what I have learned during the swim week and encourage and help others to start eating healthy and do some sort of exercise. With my family, I would like to make major changes in how we shop for groceries and make sure that we have healthy foods in plentiful stock so we do not fall prey to the convenience of fast foods. I share my PATHSTAR experience with anyone that wants to hear about it—-and even to those who don’t!! Prior to PATHSTAR I would not have been so vocal and willing to share.
My team consists of my niece Elizabeth (Best) and me. The two of us are a good match, as we have a way of motivating each other to make healthy choices. This past year we participated in Bloomsday, an annual 7.46 mile fun run that takes place in Spokane, WA. As a team, we are invested in each other’s health and wellness. Our team is willing to share with anyone our experiences and knowledge gained by participation in the PATHSTAR Alcatraz Swim Week, whether it be local or nationally. We feel that candidly sharing our PATHSTAR experiences can motivate others to initiate change.
Three things I commit to in participating in the PATHSTAR program are:
During the swim week, be supportive of the other participants.
Participate fully in all activities, pushing myself to the limit in a positive manner.
Continue on with diet and exercise upon conclusion of the swim week.