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Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits
This year the Spring Equinox will be celebrated on March 21st. The equinox occurs when both day and night are equally long and in many Native cultures can be viewed as beautifully balanced. Fittingly seen as a time of change and new beginnings, the Native American community has chosen this day to commemorate the National Native AIDS Awareness Day. By choosing this day, we remind our communities that regeneration is possible through taking an active role in our health.
Examining the increase of HIV/AIDS, we find that American Indian/Alaska Natives have the third highest rate behind the African American and Latino populations. Testing is often a real challenge as it is more likely for Native people to live in rural areas. Rural areas often mean facing stigma, limited HIV testing services and health care facilities that are shared by a closely tied community. Native Americans living in San Francisco have the highest AIDS incidence (cases per 100,000) of any non-white ethnic group in the city. This diagnosis, compounded with other conditions such as homelessness, substance abuse and general poor health, require a sustained and culturally-sensitive response.
We extend many invitations to you. We invite you to write or call you tribal Nation to find out how your Nation will commemorate this day. We invite you to call out and seek support for increased treatment and care options. We invite you to contact your local or tribal papers and media to create a greater awareness of the risks of HIV/AIDS in the Native community. We invite you to gather in groups or individually for a sunrise ceremony to remember those who have passed and acknowledge those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. We invite you to ask for culturally relevant materials, to see a need and fill it. We invite you get involved in prevention because we need to protect our community and HIV/AIDS does not discriminate between male, female, gay, straight, rural or urban.
The Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits, the Native American Health Center and the Native American AIDS Project would like you to join us in a sunrise ceremony with the NAAP drum circle and prayer in Dolores Park (18th St and Dolores St) on March 21st, 2007. Breakfast will be served at the Native American Aids Project located at 470 Carolina St. between 18th St and Mariposa.
Get the lastest info at www.baaits.org or contact Miko Thomas at admin@baaits.org
This year the Spring Equinox will be celebrated on March 21st. The equinox occurs when both day and night are equally long and in many Native cultures can be viewed as beautifully balanced. Fittingly seen as a time of change and new beginnings, the Native American community has chosen this day to commemorate the National Native AIDS Awareness Day. By choosing this day, we remind our communities that regeneration is possible through taking an active role in our health.
Examining the increase of HIV/AIDS, we find that American Indian/Alaska Natives have the third highest rate behind the African American and Latino populations. Testing is often a real challenge as it is more likely for Native people to live in rural areas. Rural areas often mean facing stigma, limited HIV testing services and health care facilities that are shared by a closely tied community. Native Americans living in San Francisco have the highest AIDS incidence (cases per 100,000) of any non-white ethnic group in the city. This diagnosis, compounded with other conditions such as homelessness, substance abuse and general poor health, require a sustained and culturally-sensitive response.
We extend many invitations to you. We invite you to write or call you tribal Nation to find out how your Nation will commemorate this day. We invite you to call out and seek support for increased treatment and care options. We invite you to contact your local or tribal papers and media to create a greater awareness of the risks of HIV/AIDS in the Native community. We invite you to gather in groups or individually for a sunrise ceremony to remember those who have passed and acknowledge those who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. We invite you to ask for culturally relevant materials, to see a need and fill it. We invite you get involved in prevention because we need to protect our community and HIV/AIDS does not discriminate between male, female, gay, straight, rural or urban.
The Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits, the Native American Health Center and the Native American AIDS Project would like you to join us in a sunrise ceremony with the NAAP drum circle and prayer in Dolores Park (18th St and Dolores St) on March 21st, 2007. Breakfast will be served at the Native American Aids Project located at 470 Carolina St. between 18th St and Mariposa.
Get the lastest info at www.baaits.org or contact Miko Thomas at admin@baaits.org
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SoMa
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