Midwest City is Site for Two-Day Event
The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) will host a two-day statewide conference dedicated to family preservation and wellness on September 13 and 14 at the Sheraton Hotel and Reed Conference Center in Midwest City. The 2012 conference is free of charge and the theme is "Strengthening the Relationships of Native Generations" (STRONG). The event will be the 7th annual gathering for health and education professionals who interact with American Indian families.
Mary Smith, AAIP Family Preservation Program Director, said the conference will allow the expected crowd of 200 people share best practices and network with other professionals.
She said the agenda will include topics that promote healthy lifestyles for tribal citizens including physical fitness, healthy food consumption, suicide prevention, diabetes management, obesity, team building and domestic violence.
“It is important to have these dialogues for Native people here in Oklahoma,” Smith said. “One of the discussion highlights will involve maintaining healthy relationships within your family – with your spouse and your children. Building and maintaining a strong family foundation can have an immense influence on the health of our youth – physical, emotional and spiritual.”
Smith said the conference keynote speaker is Cecilia Fire Thunder, a renowned advocate for women’s health protection and community health organizer. Fire Thunder is the former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, located in Pine Ridge, SD.
Vendors will be on hand with a variety of educational and promotional materials and a one-day youth track has been planned for teens.
Additionally, Smith’s program will be conducting a pre-conference workshop on September 12 at the Reed Center. The Men’s and Women's Health Summit is also free and will be highlighted by a traditional and healthy cooking demonstration by American Indian Chef Loretta Oden (Citizen Pottawatomi). The event, co-sponsored by AARP, will feature topics that include, cancer in men and women, diabetes, hearth health, tai chi and traditional wellness.
For more information or to register, visit www.aaip.org