Celebration of Life

1
National American Indian, Alaska Native, and
Native Hawaiian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
2
March 21, 2007Celebration of Live
Spring
Summer
Winter

• The Native Capacity Building Assistance Network
• Center for Applied Studies in American Ethnicity
  (CASAE), and Inter Tribal Council of Arizona,
  Inc. (ITCA) and National Native American AIDS
  Prevention Center (NNAAPC), surveyed American
  Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians
  throughout the United States to ask what day our
  people believed most appropriate for National
  Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
• The date was chosen because respondents to the
  survey believed that the four seasons are sacred
  and highly respected in many native cultures. It
  marks the beginning of spring, a time of birth
  and new beginning. It is the only day in the
  year that both day and night are at equal
  lengths, it is a time of complete balance.

Fall
3
March 21, 2007Celebration of Life

• HIV continues to increase among Native people as
  it has over the past decade to the realization
  that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)
  had the 3rd highest rate (above Caucasian) of
  AIDS diagnoses in 2004, despite having the
  smallest population.

4
March 21, 2007Celebration of Life

• This awareness day will challenge Native
  people to work together, in harmony, to create a
  greater awareness of the risk of HIV/AIDS to our
  communities. It will be a time to reflect on
  those who have passed and who are infected and
  affected by
• HIV/AIDS today.

5
March 21, 2007Celebration of Life

• The Native CBA Network, CASAE, ITCA and NNAAPC,
  presented resolution SAC-06-002 to the National
  Congress of America Indians (NCAI) during the
  October 2006 session.
• The resolution was approved for support of the
  National Native Awareness Day.
• You can also develop a resolution or proclamation
  for your community too.

6
March 21, 2007Celebration of Life

• The Awareness Day will
• Encourage Native communities to learn more
  and educate others about HIV/AIDS and its impact
• Work to encourage HIV counseling and testing
  options in Native communities
• Initiate the staging process of decreasing the
  stigma associated with HIV/AIDS

7
Materials Available
Buttons
Posters
Fact Sheet
8
What can I do in my community?

• Plan a Basic HIV 101 Training
• Approach Tribal Council for support
• Collaborate with local tribal programs and plan
  an awareness event or wellness conference.
• Hold a fun run or walk
• Have a candlelight vigil
• Organize a health fair

9
What else can I doin my community?

• Develop bulletin board announcements at local
  tribal clinic, chapter houses, council chambers.
• Coordinate a Social Pow wow in your area
• Develop Public Service Announcements (PSAs) with
  local tribal radio stations
• Organize a bingo night
• Coordinate basketball/softball/volleyball
  tournament

10
Resources

• Center for Applied Studies in American Ethnicity
  (CASAE) Phone [phone]
• www.colostate.edu/Depts/CASAE/happ/index/html
• Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA)
  Phone [phone]
• www.itcaonline.com
• National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
  (NNAAPC)
• Phone [phone]
• www.nnaapc.org

11
Additional Resources

• Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• www.cdc.gov
• National HIV/AIDS Hotline
• 1(800)232-4636
• 1(800)232-6348 (TTY/TDD)
• Office of Minority Health http//www.omhrc.gov/hi
  vaidsobservances/nnaad/index.html

12
Other Awareness Days

• National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness DayFebruary
  7
• National Asian Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS
  Awareness DayMay 19
• National HIV Testing Day.June 27
• National Latino AIDS Awareness Day..October
  15
• World AIDS Day.December 1