Skit encourages children and families to eat healthy foods

By Lailani Upham

“Peasy” played by Billie Anna Salois, tells the “River”, played by 12-year old Ashley O’Donnell, that she refuses to help get the sticks and rubbish out so it can flow better. “Peasy” is the sister that chose a lifestyle of selfishness and eating all the wrong foods. (Lailani Upham photo)

PABLO — Encouraging little kids to eat healthy was the drive for CSKT tribal member Gen Huitt to write her first play for the Salish Kootenai College’s Center of Traditional Lifestyles for Healthy Communities, as an ending project in the Indigenous Nutrition class offered for the first time at the college.

The skit “Beansy and Peasy” was performed last Thursday at the Johnny Arlee/Victor Charlo Auditorium at SKC.

“I’ve had problems with my weight throughout my life,” said Huitt, “and I didn’t want anyone else have to go through what I had to because of it.”

The “Fire”, played by Ronan High School senior Ryan O’Donnell, singes the eyelashes off “Peasy’s” eyes for being disrespectful to the forest people. (Lailani Upham photo)

The skit was geared for reservation-wide Head Start kids and their families, according to Center of Traditional Lifestyles for Healthy Communities Project Coordinator, Naomi Billedeaux-Meyers.

The Center believes starting early in life to make healthy choices is key to healthy living and the reason the class decided put on a fun and simple play to target the attention of young children by using a few young people from the class.

Anita Dupuis, Director of the Salish Kootenai College’s Community Health and Development Department and the Center of Traditional Lifestyles for Healthy Communities said, “We believe that our Native ancestors were healthier due to their healthier diet and lifestyle and we hope to encourage folks today to restore some of these basic practices to restore that better level of health.”

“Beansy”, the good sister played by Naomi Billedeaux-Meyers, arrives to visit her grandmother played by Gen Huitt. Huitt was also the creator and writer for the play. (Lailani Upham photo)

The SKC NASD 180 Indigenous Nutrition class was developed to increase the importance of nutrition within the local tribal community through the students and their families, according to Dupuis. This class was a one-time offer.

Students who took the class were encouraged to bring their families to learn traditional ways of cooking. The final consisted of several projects such as videos and plays to be produced.

The “Beansy and Peasy” skit was the only project offered for a live audience. Other projects will be offered in the near future through DVD’s.

Antoine Paul and Sonny Doney, both students from the class, perform songs during the skit. Doney also took part as the narrator for the play. (Lailani Upham photo)

The skit is a story of two Flathead sisters that live different lives. One is very healthy and respectful to her grandmother and the forest people, while the other sister is selfish and has no regard for nature or the food it has to offer.

The two sisters take a journey at separate times having conversations with the forest people: one is respectful the other is not. The forest people, who are dressed in traditional dance outfits; eventually celebrate in a dance with the good sister because of her healthy choices.

According to Dupuis the class will not be offered in the near future, however other community projects are on the line.

For instance, The Center of Traditional Lifestyles for Healthy Communities announced recently a launching of a new effort of the Traditional Living Challenge to help Salish, Kootenai and Pend d ‘Oreille Reservation families restore nutritional principles and activities of their ancestors, stated Dupuis.

The Head Start kids join the cast in a round dance to end the show. (Lailani Upham photo)

The effort is a five-year study, funded under a sub-contract from Montana State University-Bozeman through the National Institutes of Health, National Center of Research Resources. Selected families will receive traditional foods and receive periodic assessments of their risk for chronic diseases through a hemoglobin A1c test.

“Families that sign up for the study, will be offered workshops that will also be open to the general public to include cooking classes, traditional ways to prepare foods and to show ways send kids off to school with something healthy,” said Dupuis.

According to Dupuis The Center plans to run reservation-wide school recipe contests to get students of all ages involved. “We would bring in ingredients and show them what can be prepared and for those interested develop their own recipes from the ingredients,” Dupuis added.

It is a hope of The Center for the “Beansy and Peasy” play to be integrated in Early Childhood curriculum as a way of getting the message to stick in the hearts of young ones to make healthy choices, said Dupuis.

The Salish Kootenai College’s Community Health and Development Department and the Center of Traditional Lifestyles for Healthy Communities would like to invite the public to join them for a smorgasbord of healthy foods and another showing of the “Beansy and Peasy” play after the New Year (date and time to be announced).

For those interested in the study, a public meeting will be held on Thursday, December 17 at 1 pm and 6:30 pm at the SKC Johnny Arlee/Victor Charlo Auditorium, or call: Paul Phillips at 275-4917; Tim Ryan 275-4918 or cell 212-7809; Ellen Swaney at 275-4849; or Naomi Billedeaux at 275-4919.
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