Chepota Himmita Dedicates ‘Blue Ribbon Tree’

            More than 30 people from the Chickasaw Nation Chepota Himmita (Young Child) program honored victims of child abuse by dedicating a Blue Ribbon Tree in recognition of National Child Abuse Awareness month.

            Participants decorated the tree in blue ribbons and placed it in the front entrance of the Lazer Zone Family Fun Center, in Ada, Okla., April 7. The blue ribbon is the national symbol for the prevention or child abuse.

            “The 83 blue ribbons hanging from the tree signify the 83 members who passed through our program in 2008,” said Ginger Dunn, Chepota Himmita program supervisor. “The tree is a symbol of our support in raising awareness to fight against child abuse across America and in our local community,”.

            Chepota Himmita is a voluntary program, at no cost, that seeks to provide community-based resources, parenting skills, support groups, home visitation by support workers and more.

            Enrollment in Chepota Himmita program is for women 28 weeks pregnant and up to 12 months after birth, who are members of Native American Families living in Pontotoc County, Okla. Once enrolled children can participate through age six.

            “Chile abuse is a serious problem in the U.S. and the only way to combat this problem is through education and awareness,” Dunn said. “The Chepota Himmita program is proud to be doing our part.”

            According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Administration for Children and Families:
           

• A Child abuse report is made every 10 seconds in the U.S.
• Last year there were over 900,000 child abuse convictions.
• Four children a day die from child abuse and 79 percent of the children killed are younger than four years old.
• One in 50 U.S. infants are victims of nonfatal child abuse or neglect.
• Child abuse occurs in every socioeconomic level, across all ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions, and at all levels of education.
• 80% of young adults who have been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by the age of 21 (including depression, anxiety, eating disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as an adult, 30 percent more likely to commit violent crimes, and 67 percent more likely to develop drug and alcohol addictions.
• One-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimize their own children.

For more information and for details on enrollment and future Chepota Himmita events, call 580-272-5550 or visit the Chickasaw Nation Youth and Family Services at 241 Seabrook Road in Ada.

Contributed by: Jeremy Oliver, tribal media relations

From Chickasaw Times, May 2009