Post by Okwes on Jul 24, 2007 10:42:51 GMT -5
Native American Artists Use Art and Storytelling to Bring Cancer
Statistics to Life
digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/03/12/SFM051/native-american-art\
ists-use-art-and-storytelling-to-bring-cancer-statistics-to-life.html
<http://digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/03/12/SFM051/native-american-ar\
tists-use-art-and-storytelling-to-bring-cancer-statistics-to-life.html>
SEATTLE, March 12 PRNewswire — As an internist and health-care
economist, Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., is used to looking at cancer
statistics in black and white. Lately, however, he's been seeing them in
shades of vibrant red and deep blue.
These are the predominant colors in an acrylic painting by Tacoma artist
Chholing Taha that is part of an equally bold effort to educate
Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives, through visual art and
storytelling, about the importance of cancer prevention and screening.
"Art and storytelling remains a very powerful means for communicating
information among American Indians and Alaskan Natives and may be the
best way to educate people in these communities about health behaviors
related to cancer screening and prevention," said Ramsey, a member of
the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and a professor
of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine who is
conducting research on the use of specific cancer-screening services
among tribal communities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Such education is crucial, because while there is no word for cancer in
most American Indian and Alaska Native languages, it is the
second-leading cause of death for American Indians and the leading cause
of death among Alaska Natives.
Because smoking-related cancer is a significant public-health issue in
the tribal community, Ramsey enlisted Taha, a certified native artisan
of the Cree/Iroquois First Nations, to create a piece of art depicting
the dangers of cigarette smoking — and the benefits of quitting
— in a culturally relevant, non-threatening way. The pilot project,
funded by the National Cancer Institute's Community Networks Program,
was made possible by a grant subcontract from the Native People for
Cancer Control program based at the University of Washington.
Taha's acrylic "button blanket-style" painting, entitled "Legend of
Octopus Woman and Crow," is based on characters from a traditional Coast
Salish story. The painting depicts a bright red octopus surrounded by 25
crows. A lone yellow crow is caught in the sea monster's tentacles,
symbolizing the one in 25 long-term smokers who will develop lung
cancer. Another crow, larger than the rest and pale blue, soars skyward,
symbolizing a smoker who kicks the habit and escapes the monster's death
grip.
"Lung cancer doesn't affect everyone who smokes, but there is a
one-in-25 risk among long-term smokers," Ramsey said. "Chholing's
painting pictorially shows that risk and what happens to that risk when
you stop smoking."
In addition to bringing statistics to life, presenting cancer
information through the symbolism of storytelling and art is thought to
be less frightening and intimidating. A common concern among some Native
people is the belief that if a person acknowledges a disease or speaks
its name, it creates a connection to the disease and perhaps brings it
on. "Cancer, in particular, can be seen as a very intelligent,
formidable opponent, and so there may be a belief among some healers,
out of respect to cancer's power, that you don't call its name
casually," Taha said. "Art takes you out of the picture and creates a
safe learning environment."
Taha is one of two local Native American artists to receive funding from
this pilot project to develop culturally appropriate artistic
interpretations of statistical information regarding cancer prevention
and screening. The other is Sammamish, Wash.-based storyteller and
artist Roger Fernandes, a member of the Lower Elwha Band of the Klallam
Indians.
Fernandes created a story and painting based on a traditional Klallam
tale about "Slapu the Terrible Monster" that illustrates the importance
of dealing with adversity, such as cancer, through "using your brain,
working together, changing your ways and asking for help," Fernandes
said.
"Doctors give information and data that is linear and literal about
cancer biology and pathology, but most people don't understand that.
Many people, including Native people, better understand metaphor. If in
their hearts they are afraid that cancer will kill them, then all the
information in the world won't help. Metaphor and storytelling attends
to the emotional and spiritual aspects of dealing with cancer to help
make it less scary."
Ultimately the artists, in consultation with Ramsey, will work with
relevant Indian health boards and tribal councils to determine the most
appropriate and effective ways to present their work throughout
Northwest tribal communities. An informal survey also will be taken to
gauge viewers' opinions of the works and how they may influence their
health behaviors. "We plan to survey people to see how the Native
American community responds to this versus the traditional health
messages that come from the white media," Ramsey said. "The point here
is to make it relevant."
If this initial pilot project is successful, Ramsey hopes to attract
additional funding to develop a nationwide network of tribal artists and
storytellers who can support the initiative through their own cultural
knowledge and talents. "Ultimately we hope to create and disseminate
more artistic representations of cancer-risk reduction and screening
messages, as well as conduct more formal evaluations of the program's
impact on cancer-screening behavior in American Indian and Alaska Native
communities throughout the United States," he said.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion
for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit fhcrc.org.
MEDIA CONTACT Kristen Woodward (206) 667-5095
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Statistics to Life
digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/03/12/SFM051/native-american-art\
ists-use-art-and-storytelling-to-bring-cancer-statistics-to-life.html
<http://digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/03/12/SFM051/native-american-ar\
tists-use-art-and-storytelling-to-bring-cancer-statistics-to-life.html>
SEATTLE, March 12 PRNewswire — As an internist and health-care
economist, Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., is used to looking at cancer
statistics in black and white. Lately, however, he's been seeing them in
shades of vibrant red and deep blue.
These are the predominant colors in an acrylic painting by Tacoma artist
Chholing Taha that is part of an equally bold effort to educate
Northwest American Indians and Alaska Natives, through visual art and
storytelling, about the importance of cancer prevention and screening.
"Art and storytelling remains a very powerful means for communicating
information among American Indians and Alaskan Natives and may be the
best way to educate people in these communities about health behaviors
related to cancer screening and prevention," said Ramsey, a member of
the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and a professor
of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine who is
conducting research on the use of specific cancer-screening services
among tribal communities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Such education is crucial, because while there is no word for cancer in
most American Indian and Alaska Native languages, it is the
second-leading cause of death for American Indians and the leading cause
of death among Alaska Natives.
Because smoking-related cancer is a significant public-health issue in
the tribal community, Ramsey enlisted Taha, a certified native artisan
of the Cree/Iroquois First Nations, to create a piece of art depicting
the dangers of cigarette smoking — and the benefits of quitting
— in a culturally relevant, non-threatening way. The pilot project,
funded by the National Cancer Institute's Community Networks Program,
was made possible by a grant subcontract from the Native People for
Cancer Control program based at the University of Washington.
Taha's acrylic "button blanket-style" painting, entitled "Legend of
Octopus Woman and Crow," is based on characters from a traditional Coast
Salish story. The painting depicts a bright red octopus surrounded by 25
crows. A lone yellow crow is caught in the sea monster's tentacles,
symbolizing the one in 25 long-term smokers who will develop lung
cancer. Another crow, larger than the rest and pale blue, soars skyward,
symbolizing a smoker who kicks the habit and escapes the monster's death
grip.
"Lung cancer doesn't affect everyone who smokes, but there is a
one-in-25 risk among long-term smokers," Ramsey said. "Chholing's
painting pictorially shows that risk and what happens to that risk when
you stop smoking."
In addition to bringing statistics to life, presenting cancer
information through the symbolism of storytelling and art is thought to
be less frightening and intimidating. A common concern among some Native
people is the belief that if a person acknowledges a disease or speaks
its name, it creates a connection to the disease and perhaps brings it
on. "Cancer, in particular, can be seen as a very intelligent,
formidable opponent, and so there may be a belief among some healers,
out of respect to cancer's power, that you don't call its name
casually," Taha said. "Art takes you out of the picture and creates a
safe learning environment."
Taha is one of two local Native American artists to receive funding from
this pilot project to develop culturally appropriate artistic
interpretations of statistical information regarding cancer prevention
and screening. The other is Sammamish, Wash.-based storyteller and
artist Roger Fernandes, a member of the Lower Elwha Band of the Klallam
Indians.
Fernandes created a story and painting based on a traditional Klallam
tale about "Slapu the Terrible Monster" that illustrates the importance
of dealing with adversity, such as cancer, through "using your brain,
working together, changing your ways and asking for help," Fernandes
said.
"Doctors give information and data that is linear and literal about
cancer biology and pathology, but most people don't understand that.
Many people, including Native people, better understand metaphor. If in
their hearts they are afraid that cancer will kill them, then all the
information in the world won't help. Metaphor and storytelling attends
to the emotional and spiritual aspects of dealing with cancer to help
make it less scary."
Ultimately the artists, in consultation with Ramsey, will work with
relevant Indian health boards and tribal councils to determine the most
appropriate and effective ways to present their work throughout
Northwest tribal communities. An informal survey also will be taken to
gauge viewers' opinions of the works and how they may influence their
health behaviors. "We plan to survey people to see how the Native
American community responds to this versus the traditional health
messages that come from the white media," Ramsey said. "The point here
is to make it relevant."
If this initial pilot project is successful, Ramsey hopes to attract
additional funding to develop a nationwide network of tribal artists and
storytellers who can support the initiative through their own cultural
knowledge and talents. "Ultimately we hope to create and disseminate
more artistic representations of cancer-risk reduction and screening
messages, as well as conduct more formal evaluations of the program's
impact on cancer-screening behavior in American Indian and Alaska Native
communities throughout the United States," he said.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams
of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent,
diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers,
including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion
for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more
information, please visit fhcrc.org.
MEDIA CONTACT Kristen Woodward (206) 667-5095
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center