First lady gets MADD
Vikki Shirley continues efforts against drunken driving

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Office of the First Lady continued efforts to establish a Navajo Nation Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter in Window Rock during the first quarter of fiscal year 2009, according to a report issued by the office.

First lady Vikki Shirley has been meeting with the New Mexico MADD director and Gov. Bill Richardson’s DWI lead staff on issues pertaining to prevention of drunken driving. She discussed funding requests by Navajo to the state for equipment and training, prevention education and public awareness campaigns.

Shirley also met with Newcomb community members and the senior citizens center about their concerns of DWI fatalities in their community. They told Shirley that they want a local 911 for reporting people driving under the influence, according to the Office of the First Lady quarterly report.

The quarterly report also gave an update on the Navajo Nation DUI task force. The task force gives tribal officers the opportunity to become certified through collaborative efforts between the Navajo Nation law enforcement and the Arizona Highway Department and the New Mexico Tribal DUI Task Force.

The amount of sobriety checkpoints held on Navajo has increased, especially because of the establishment of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, the first lady’s office reported. STEP objectives are to conduct sobriety checkpoints, increase safety belt use by 5 percent, increase speed compliance by 10 percent, publicize law enforcement efforts and provide public awareness for prevention of impaired driving.

A STEP proposal developed by the first lady’s office and Northern Navajo Medical Center to expand the public awareness campaign against drunk driving was submitted to Indian Health Service.

The first lady’s office also submitted a proposal to the New Mexico DUI State Tribal Task Force for $34,802 to purchase recording and video equipment for the seven STEP team units.

The first lady’s office also reported that STEP team leaders received training by the national MADD program to increase their team capabilities and to certify them with specialized skills. The training was held in Jacksonville, Fla.

An open invitation was sent to area schools for an assembly-type multi-media show as part of Shirley’s MADD initiative. The shows incorporate age-appropriate messages for elementary to high school students about the effects of underage drinking.

Some 2,062 students attended the presentations last year, which is important because alcohol is a factor in the three leading causes of death among teenagers, the first lady’s office stated.

The Protecting You, Protecting Me program, now in its second year on Navajo, received funding for $100,000 from the Arizona Office for Children, Youth and Families.

The program, which aims to increase the number of youth who are alcohol-free on Navajo, will reach children at the Red Mesa Elementary School in first through fifth grades and Red Mesa high school students.

The high school students will learn about the effect of alcohol on the brain and teach the Protecting You, Protecting Me curriculum to the elementary children.

The goal of the pilot project is to prepare Navajo youth to be prevention, or peer helpers, in schools and communities. The youth would make presentations to chapters and other students, as well as conduct community service.

The Navajo Nation is paying for the cost for two periods a day for a teacher for the program, according to the Office of the First Lady quarterly report.

Shirley is also planning to meet with all the students as part of the program.