Annual event accents Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Sarah Cummins

9/27/2001 12:00:00 AM

An upcoming event will explore the link between mother-daughter relationships while focusing on early detection's importance to cancer recovery.

The Sixth Annual Feather Link Tea will take place on Oct. 15 from 12 to 4 p.m. in the Black River Room of the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. The theme for this year's event is mother-daughter relationships.

"October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month," explained Margaret Steslicki, Nimkee Memorial Wellness Center Medical Clinic director. "This event is to encourage women to remind their mothers, daughter, aunties and friends of the importance of having their annual screenings."

Theda New Breast will be keynote speaker for the tea; she also fulfilled this role at last year's event. This year, she will be presenting with her mother Betty Cooper and her daughter Amanda Old Crow.

"It's very important to seek out other women like yourselves," New Breast told participants at the fifth annual event. "Other women who want to stay clean and sober. Other women who want to live spiritual lives. Other women who are clean and want to find natural highs, natural fun."

New Breast, a Montana-born Blackfeet, has dedicated her life to helping Native American communities achieve wellness and healing. She has over 20 years of experience in conducting workshops and seminars and providing technical assistance in alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and treatment.

"I try to practice what I'm preaching," New Breast told the Tribal Observer last year. "I work a lot with drug and alcohol recovery, and I, myself, don't use drugs and alcohol. I don't smoke, and coffee was like the last battle for me. I quit using coffee in May [2000]."

Although community members in general are encouraged to attend the tea, the event may be especially healing for cancer survivors, loved ones of cancer victims and caretakers for those fighting the disease.

"Our event is a great way to bring women together to recognize the importance of taking care of ourselves, celebrating our good health and respecting those we love," said Steslicki.

According to Inter-Tribal Council Health Services, the following affects a woman's chances of developing breast cancer:

-The rate of increase in breast cancer incident is greater in women under the age of 50. The majority of cases occur after 50 years of age;

-Women who have their first full-term pregnancy after the age of 30, or have never had children, have about two to three fold increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who have had a full-term pregnancy by age 20;

-Early menarche and/or late menopause increases a woman's risk of breast cancer;

-Removal of both ovaries before menopause reduces the risk of breast cancer;

-Among postmenopausal women, breast cancer risk increases with weight and body mass; and

-Breast cancer risk increase 40 to 70 percent with about two alcoholic drinks daily.

Native American women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, because they often do not participate in early detection measures, according to Tina McPhall, Nimkee Memorial Wellness Center Women's Health coordinator.

The five-year breast cancer survival rate for Native American women is lower than that of other ethnic and racial groups in the United States, according to Inter-Tribal Council Health Services.

"It's so important to get the word out to do your monthly breast exams, mammograms and pap smears in order to improve the odds for Native American women," said McPhall.

Community members who are interested in helping fund breast cancer research and prevention can participate in the Fourth Save Lids to Save Lives Program sponsored by Yoplait from now until Dec. 31. For every pink lid-available at local grocery stores-sent back to the company, Yoplait will donate 10 cents up to $500,000 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Lids can be dropped off or sent to: Nimkee Memorial Wellness Center Public Health, Attention Judy Davis, 2591 S. Leaton Road, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858.

The center also conducts a Women's Health Clinic every Wednesday for annual pap smears and mammograms. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call (989) 775-4629. Reservations to attend the Feather Link Tea can also be made at this number.