Whirling thunder - Snapshots: people you'd want to know - Winnebago tribe; Whirling Thunder Wellness Program

There was a time when members of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska assumed they would all die from diabetes.

The pervasive medical problem has been a particularly destructive force in this community. Statistics show that one-third of Winnebago adults have type 2 diabetes, and 48 percent of Winnebago children have hyperinsulinemia, a predictor of future diabetes. As little as 10 years ago, members of the community, simply waited for diabetes to take them hostage.

But recently, the situation has changed. With the inception of the Whirling Thunder Wellness Program, the Winnebago community is fighting diabetes one step at a time.

The Whirling Thunder Wellness Program--named for Chief Whirling Thunder, a leader during the 1860s whose interests included health--was officially originated in 1979 by the Indian Health Service, but it was taken under Winnebago Tribal Council management in 1995. Its mission is to elevate the health of members of fire community. According to tribal chairman John Blackhawk, the program is working. "We learned there is more we can do than sit around and wait for diabetes," he says. "We're learning how to make those lifestyle changes. We're beginning to make a difference with the young people."

Blackhawk cites several reasons for the high incidence of diabetes in his community. He says the US Department of Agriculture's Food Distribution Program, which low-income households depend on, provides canned foods that are high in sodium and sugar. Another reason is the popularity of fast food. "Everyone's busy," Blackhawk says. "Mom and Pop work, sometimes two jobs, and what's attractive to them? Fast food." Finally, he says, people's inactive lifestyles have also contributed to the problem.

The Whirling Thunder Wellness Program has a 12-member staff that includes professionals in the fields of fitness, nutrition, public health and substance abuse prevention. The program screens youths and adults for diabetes, diabetes risk factors and substance abuse-related risk behaviors. It also runs a youth program during the week to immerse children in exercise, nutrition courses, and culture and language education. The program also operates the Whirling Thunder Youth Sports Program, which includes various sports refereed by parents, and the Kidz Cafe, which serves healthful meals during the summer.

"We're walking them into that cycle, and more young people are participating," Blackhawk says. In addition to teaching healthful habits, the program emphasizes tribial culture through performing traditional dance, storytelling during the winter, planting and harvesting corn, and incorporating berries, bison and other time-honored foods into the children's diets.

For adults, Blackhawk says one of the most important improvements in getting the program's message out is through the use of traditional "talking circles," which involves sitting in a circle and talking about problems-in this case diabetes--with one another.

Blackhawk, who credits the program for helping him maintain a 20-pound weight loss, says that community members have made great progress in learning to transition toward better health.

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