Promoting sobriety through sport
The Taos Pueblo Awareness Coalition Team (TPACT) held its second annual “Run for Change: On the Trail for Sobriety” Sept. 9. This year’s run was held at the Taos Pueblo community center and welcomed people from outside the tribe to participate.
Run for Change is part of TPACT’s campaign to celebrate National Recovery Month. According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Recovery Month started in 1989 as a way to support and promote evidencebased treatment and recovery practices, the nation’s recovery community and the dedication of service providers and communities who make recovery possible in all its forms.
Taos Pueblo likewise recognizes the need to celebrate its sober community and holds special events like the Run for Change and Tiwa Bingo Night (see this week’s Tempo) to not only provide a drugand alcohol-free space for its tribal members to have some fun, but to also support and encourage its sober community to continue on that path.
This year’s run featured an exercise segment for seniors by Taos Pueblo Fitness program and an “impairment simulator” by Recovery Works. Lunch was provided by The Taos Pueblo Diabetes Prevention Program. Volunteers from Recovery Works and Taos Pueblo Youth Outreach helped organize this year’s event.
The Run for Change course was a bit more difficult than last year’s event, when the run started at Taos Pueblo and continued up Rotten Tree Road to just past the community center. This year, the run started at the Taos Pueblo Community Center and made its way up into the foothills on the south side of the reservation. Participants had the option of walking or running a mile-long route or running a 2-mile route. This year’s crowd was a mix of youngsters and adults.
Tribal Councilman Mike Martinez,
along with Warchief Fred Romero and another representative from the governor’s office, opened with traditional invocations in Tiwa and words of thanks and encouragement for event organizers and participants alike. “Addictions to drugs — you know, that’s a struggle,” said Romero, “but we still come together here, as a village, and we help each other out.”
Taos Pueblo Fitness Program Coordinator Paula Tsoodle guided walkers and runners alike through various stretches and calisthenic routines to loosen up their muscles and get them ready for the workout ahead.
First out the gate were the 2-mile runners, who sprinted out the first 100 yards before falling into pace. Next were the 1-mile walkers and runners, who didn’t seem in as much of a hurry to finish the race. All the participants were met at the halfway point by Tsoodle, who urged them on with words of encouragement and cups of water.
Even Taos Indian Baptist Church’s new Pastor Jeff Janca joined in the run. Another non tribal participant, Monica Archuleta, said, “I really enjoyed being with the people and the Earth, and seeing all the little guys and girls run hard was fantastic.”
National Recovery month is far from over. The tribe will continue to participate in and organize events, not just this month, but throughout the year to provide safe and sober activities.
Taos Pueblo encourages the people of Taos to celebrate this National Recovery Month by temporarily replacing your front porch light with a purple colored bulb to show your solidarity and support.