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June 5, 2019

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June 5, 2019

           Today, we were given the chance to go to the SnowBird Residential Treatment Recovery Center and the Baptist Cherokee Church.  While observing the childbearing practices within this culture at the Baptist Cherokee Church, I had noticed that there are many foster families and elders that have taken in children of younger ages due to drug and alcohol problems when the mother is pregnant.  There is drug and alcohol problem within this reservation and before the mothers become pregnant, they may become addicted to drugs.  Once getting pregnant, they are addicted and are not able to stop using the drugs, which causes the babies to become addicted to the drugs as well.  We had interacted with an infant who had been born addicted to drugs because the mother had been involved in the usage of drugs since a teenager.  This infant had been involved in foster homes many times in her life, but is now in a good foster home.  Individuals that have the most respect within the reservation are the elders.  Elders within the reservation are known to be at the age of sixty-two and half years of age.  Some types of family structures that I had noticed while observing in the Baptist Cherokee Church were that there were young children with their grandparents.  These children were involved in foster homes and were not involved with their parents no longer because of drugs and alcohol.  Some support systems that are in the community are the church and other families.  This reservation is very family orientated and they are always helping each other out when in need.  When I think about the word resilience and how a child and a family that deals with the battles of drug and alcohol abuse, I think of how hard it would be to bounce back from the stress, challenges, and vulnerabilities without breaking down and having a smile on my smile.  I would for sure break down, but these individuals are doing what they can for their family to make their children and grandchildren's lives better.  These individuals are always still willing to talk to you and teach you whenever they see you!  


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