Tribes hold annual diabetes walk as part of Indian Day festivities

PLEASANT POINT – The 26th annual Pleasant Point Health Center Diabetes 2-mile Health Walk was held under sunny skies Saturday.

More than 300 tribal members – some young enough to be pushed in strollers, others old enough to remember all 26 walks – participated.

Diabetes affects close to 20 million Americans and is a significant health problem among Indian and Alaskan native people. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications.

So, each year, members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe turn out in record numbers to draw attention to the disease and also to participate in the Indian Day Celebration.

Tribal Gov. Melvin Francis was there. He participates each year. “It promotes walking,” the governor said. “This year it is getting a lot bigger.”

Even tribal members in wheelchairs participated, the governor said.

Besides the walk, the Indian Day Celebration is also a kind of gigantic family reunion for tribal members. “It reminds me of the Fourth of July celebration in Eastport, it’s like old home week,” the governor said with a laugh.

Francis said the tribal government supported the walk 110 percent.

Tribal members Joseph “Cozy” Nicholas, 80, and Mary Moore, who have since passed away, began the Indian Day Celebration nearly 40 years ago. The diabetes walk became a part of that tradition.

“We started with a small, hesitant group because of the way we were portrayed in magazines and so forth,” he said. “I keep saying now we are increasing in population primarily because John Wayne died and we are increasing in pride. I am proud of this day.”

Sandi Yarmal, executive director of the Pleasant Point Health Center, said she was pleased with the turnout. She said 370 people registered this year, compared with 291 last year.

“This is a tradition started by Hazel Dana, who worked here at the health center. She was one of the tribal members who founded health care service delivery 26 years ago,” she said. “We continue to stress the importance of walking for the treatment and prevention of diabetes.”

Tribal member Fred Francis handed out red American Diabetes Association bracelets. “This is a very important walk because of the seriousness of diabetes for Native Americans,” he said.

The walkers also were greeted with colorful leis. There was watermelon and oranges to munch on afterward.