Program: Kenaitze Indian Tribe Walking for Wellness

What

Walking

We are offering an organized walk or activity monthly.

Tribes Involved:
Kenaitze Indian Tribe and other American Indian/Alaskan Native peoples in KIT service unit area

Location:
Community
Kenai, Alaska.

Program Purpose:
Our goal is to engage people who have not had a regular activity or exercise program and encourage them to continue by showing them how easy it is, how good they will feel and to meet new people to be active with on their own. Secondarily, we hope to support our diabetes prevention project by having an established walking group that intensive participants can join when they begin the diabetes program.

Program Key Features:
The Health Educator, Diabetes Prevention Educator and other Dena'ina Health Clinic staff plan events based on the tribal and community activities currently happening. Our first event was a beach walk at the traditional set net site. We did this to assist folks in learning about the site and the fishing opportunities available to them. Also, for those who are already active at the net, they now know how far down the beach they need to walk to reach 1 mile while they are waiting to pull the net. The second event was coordinated to occur at the time the community clean-up was happening; our group cleaned the road approaching the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's office building. Big yellow garbage bags provided by a local company were obtained for our Just Move It walkers, and not only were they doing something healthy for themselves, they were doing something healthy for their community.

Most Excited About:
We are most excited about the anticipation by tribal members about our next event. We are asked where the next walk will be.

Program Partners:
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe and the Dena'ina Health Clinic.

Program Age Groups:
Youth
Adult
Elder


Community:
The participants may be from communities surrounding Kenai including Nikiski, Soldotna, Sterling, Kasilof or others.

Start Date: 4/23/05

Location

416 Frontage Road
Suite 200
Kenai, AK 99611
US