OVER THE RAINBOW INITIATIVE
A COLLABORATION OF WELLNESS
COMMUNITY EDUCATORS
COMMUNITY EDUCATORS
TSP’s Strengthening Hearts and Minds is a bilingual English/Diné program for Navajo mothers in McKinley and San Juan counties offering holistic self-care, traditional wellness, family values and leadership for Navajo mothers facing depression and other issues related to historical trauma.
COLLABORATION OF FACILITATORS
—Zuleikha, TSP Founder and Director, Creator of TAKE A MINUTE® Self-Care and Resiliency
—Kelly Dinéyazhe-Hunter, Program Director and Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Multicultural Education (ECME) at Navajo Technical University
—Sheila Goldtooth, Navajo Nation Medicine Woman/Practitioner and Coordinator at the Office of Native Medicine, Gallup Indian Medical Center.
THE ROOTS
TSP Program as Needs Response – Breaking the cycle of dysfunction. The TSP program schedules spaces for rural and urban Navajo mothers in San Juan and McKinley counties of the NM Navajo Nation to gather, learn self-care and self-compassion skills, find ways of relieving stress and trauma, reconnect with traditional forms of healing, nourishment and guidance, have access to further resources, and practice healthy, culturally relevant models of communication and leadership. Each participant will also receive a healthy lunch, a stipend, a workbook/journal and information on further resources available in their communities.
The program focuses on traditional women’s ways, healing and Indigenous foods, leadership, family communications and developing new patterns, and TAM Transformative Self-Care and Resiliency exercises for body and mind after trauma and chronic stress.
TSP programs are based in the belief that spiritual health and well-being are an essential part of overall health, and that holistic self-care practiced by mothers helps families thrive. Our program uses facilitators that are culturally competent, and encourages the use of traditional language, healing, medicine and food to restore health and vitality, combat depression and help repair fragmentation caused by historical trauma.
MATERNAL DEPRESSION
Post-partum depression — 14% of NM Navajo mothers surveyed reported depression after giving birth, with younger mothers and those experiencing partner abuse more like to experience postpartum depression.
Historical Trauma – root causes from the point of view of Kelly Dinéyazhe-Hunter, educator and Navajo mother: Our matriarchal traditional roots have been subsumed, and consequently women’s right relationship to our own power is hard to access. In a society that no longer clearly honors women, mother’s voices often go unheard, and our ability to nurture and to empathize suffers, along with our relationships with our children. It is at times an overwhelming challenge for Navajo mothers to successfully navigate conflicting roles we hold in society—mother, daughter, sister, wife, employee, mentor, student, friend, etc. Without healthy support systems offering encouragement and guidance, it is no wonder that mothers in the area are struggling to maintain equilibrium, and that we and our children often suffer from isolation, depression and anger.
Need/Opportunity: Breaking the cycle of dysfunction. It is imperative that Navajo mothers have a place to gather, learn self-care and self-compassion skills, find ways of relieving stress and trauma, reconnect with traditional forms of healing, nourishment and guidance, and practice healthy, culturally relevant models of communication and leadership.
The program: each hour-and-a-half session includes a healthy lunch and the following activities:
LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM THE NAVAJO NATION
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