Upcoming summer activities at NACA
With schools out, families going on vacation, and people getting vaccinated against the coronavirus, many are on the lookout for what to do and how to stay healthy and active this summer. Even though you’re active, it’s important to incorporate healthy things to do to stay in shape and enjoy all life has to offer. Carrie Dallas, Program Coordinator of the Lasting Indigenous Family Enrichment (L.I.F.E.) Program at Native Americans for Community Action (NACA), said,
“The perfect diagram of a healthy lifestyle is the Indigenous Medicine wheel. The diagram depicts balance in one’s life physically, mentally, cognitively, spiritually, and socially.”
Upcoming Summer Activities at NACA
NACA will be offering a host of fun summer events and activities that focus on staying healthy, while having fun with family and friends. Ms. Dallas mentioned several events that are taking place like the Navajo Cake, Pueblo bread making, steaming corn, playing Zuni games like shuttlecock, and even sharing culture through cultural expert presentations. Here are some of the featured events and activities NACA has available for you.
Health Promotion activities:
Summer Hiking series: This event occurs every last Saturday of the month and is a wonderful time to explore the great outdoors and local Flagstaff trails, which are suitable for every one of all age groups. All hikes begin at 7:30 a.m. at the head of the trail and last for about 2 hours. See you on the trails!
Sign up here now: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfud9ligJkAOS…/viewform
Upcoming Hiking events:
June 26th – Fisher Point (Boys and Girls Club)
July 31st – Schultz Creel Trail No. 152 (with the NACA Family Enrichment Camp)
August 28th – Picture Canyon
September 25th – Lockett Meadow
Family Summer Camp (July 31st – August 1st): Enjoy summer camp with your family at the Colton Community Gardens, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a weekend of trail walking, sharing about cultures, and opportunities to win prizes! Even though the camp is FREE, registration is required, limit 60 participants with a healthy breakfast and lunch provided Saturday and Sunday. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian for the duration of the camp.
Register here today: https://na.eventscloud.com/familyenrich or call (928) 526-2968 for more details. We hope to see you and your family for our Family Summer Camp!
Knot Run/Walk: Join us August 10th to August 22nd in Reverberating the 1680 Revolution of the Southwest. This FREE running/walking event follows the Knotted Rope, which was carried from village to village, unifying the Southwest through running. If it wasn’t for this significant time, Indigenous’ cultures would not have sustained the traditional lifestyle and values we hold dear today. Join with us as we continue the tradition together and learn more of the history and important facts surrounding this time honored tradition.
Feel free to add up your miles throughout the 12 day duration, which is a 20k or 12.4 miles. You run/walk anywhere you would like in any increment that works for you, 5k/10k/20k. To meet this in walking terms would be a mile a day. Track your run/walk and submit to us or share with us on Facebook @NACAFlagstaff with the hashtags #KNOTRUN, #THRIVE, and #INDIGENOUSWELLNESS.
Sign up today: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSe2hxHlqaDnWP…/viewform or contact us for more details at (928) 773-1245, ext. 221 or nacawellnesscenter@nacainc.org.
NACA’s L.I.F.E. Program Summer Activities
NACA’s L.I.F.E. Program is grant funded by the Center for Disease Control’s Tribal Practices for Wellness in Indian Country (TPWIC) grant. Ms. Dallas stated that the TPWIC grant, “focuses on the Indigenous populations because Native Americans have high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases. Our program is designed to utilize tribal practices to help Indigenous people feel empowered to lead a healthy lifestyle.”
By providing these summer activities, we help Indigenous people hold on to rituals, practices, and cultures passed down from their ancestors while introducing healthier life-altering routines such as recipes and fitness presentations. Ms. Dallas added, “We want people to know these activities are happening and the L.I.F.E. program is here for them.”
Here are a couple volunteer gardening outings, presentations and family fitness events, group walk to run, and Pueblo bread cooking activities to add to your family’s summer calendar.
Garden Volunteer Days and Potluck: Happening every Sunday, we’ll plant warm weather crops and learn how to care for gardens and the importance of composting.
Times:
Noon – 3 p.m. at Colton Community Garden
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Izabel Community Garden
Upcoming Dates:
June 13th – Plant warm weather crops and transplants
June 20th – Caring for the garden and composting
June 27th – Caring for the garden (Only at Colton)
Presentations and Family Fitness: Every Tuesday evening, from 6 to 8 at the Puente de Hozho Elementary School gym, we’ll have cultural presentations discussing our cultural background along with family fitness discussions on eating healthy and understanding the differences between our emotions and feelings.
Upcoming Dates:
June 15th – “Gather” Film Screening
June 22nd – Understanding our Emotions and Feelings with Jacelyn Salabye
June 29th – Rainwater Harvesting with Emily Melhorn
Group Walk to Run: This event occurs every Thursday night, from 6 to 7 at Buffalo Park, as a way to stay in shape and enjoy nature. Soak up the area around you letting it fill you up and enrich you mind, body, and spirit.
Special Event: Pueblo Bread Cooking Demonstration by Somana Tootsie: Start your morning off with a unique demonstration on traditional Pueblo bread cooking, brought to you by Somana Tootsie, owner of Somana’s Traditional Catering. You won’t want to miss it!
Date: June 27th, 8 a.m. to noon at the Colton Community Garden
Don’t forget about the Oak Creek Overlook Native Artisan Market, where you can purchase all kinds of handcrafted Native American gifts and items like jewelry, ornaments, pottery, and decorations for your home. Even hear stories and creative expressions directly from the Native American artists and craftsmen themselves!
Located off Highway 89a, just 17 minutes south of Flagstaff, or 25 minutes north of Sedona, we’re open 7 days a week both summer and winter months! Come out and see what our shops have to offer you today!
Hours:
Summer – 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Winter – 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
We hope to see you at one of our many activities this summer as we’re here to help see you and your family healthy, happy, and enjoying life to the fullest. If you want to get involved with the L.I.F.E. Program, contact Carrie Dallas at (928) 526-2968, ext. 165 or email cdallas@nacainc.org. To learn more about NACA or how you can get involved with our organization, please contact us today!
